Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper, by Matthew Sewell, started out so easily: 1-A, letters, four letters “Personal magnetism, these days.” I know that word, if only from my reading. With 1-A in, the top-left corner came together in no time. And then I spent nearly an hour finding an answer here, an answer there, followed by a visit to our favorite restaurant. Back at the puzzle after eggplant with beef and pad ped with chicken, I began to see answers right away, and the whole puzzle fell into place. What had been so difficult about it anyway? Nothing that “spicy number three” couldn’t overcome.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

5-A, five letters, “Light measures.” Evidence of this puzzle’s trickiness.

5-D, five letters, “Less likely to pack it in.” See 5-A. The first letter of these answers was the last letter I wrote in.

9-D, nine letters, “Inexpensive lockout insurance.” I thought at first that it might have to do with management and labor.

10-D, ten letters, “Salsa ingredients.” This one fooled me for a while.

11-D, nine letters, “Patronizing instruction.” Cleverly clued.

24-A, six letters, “Doctor without borders.” Really cleverly clued.

26-D, ten letters, “Offer homage.” I think the pad ped helped with this one.

31-D, nine letters, “Without compunctions.” I don’t know why this clue uses a plural.

32-A, three letters, “Tee-vee connection.” I was wrong before I was right.

34-A, fifteen letters, “Without restriction.” A lively answer.

34-D, four letters, “Galaxy cluster.” Maybe the best clue I’ve seen for this answer.

36-D, five letters, “‘The Father of ____’ (Edmond Hoyle).” CARDS? GAMES? What?

41-A, five letters, “Alien power plants.” Please, Leon, go to Mars to look. And don’t come back. (Leon: sic .)

46-A, five letters, “Divine water.” I was a bit awed when I saw the answer.

49-A, four letters, “Tree hugger.” Long time ago, I’d say.

54-A, ten letters, “Fanfare orchestra participant.” Pretty arbitrary if you don’t know what a fanfare orchestra is, and I didn’t. The clue I’d prefer: “Miles alternative.”

My favorite in this puzzle: 30-D, nine letters, “What some desks and dungarees are made with.” Like, crazy, man!

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.