Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper is by the puzzle’s editor, Stan Newman, constructing as Lester Ruff. Indeed, today’s puzzle was Les than Ruff. It’d be a good one for someone who wants to sample the Stumper.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

2-D, nine letters, “Sicilian kin.” My first thought was SARDINIAN.

6-D, six letters, “Collect, as condensation.” New to me.

15-A, six letters, “Paid, in a phrase.” I wonder where it comes from.

17-A, six letters, “Not quite perfect.” Heh.

18-A, eight letters, “Greyhounds’ home.” Territory I know only from the black-and-white world.

26-D, four letters, “Diamond Head’s surroundings.” “Diamond Head” is the name of a beautiful instrumental by Brian Wilson. But that has nothing to do with the answer.

28-D, seven letters, “Pioneer of the ‘howcatchem’ drama.” When you know from the start whodunit.

37-A, fifteen letters, “Walt’s early name for Disneyland.” Eww.

43-A, seven letters, “His songs are seen by many musicians as a badge of honor.” Meaning that they’re so complex that it’s a test of one’s ability to perform them? No.

43-D, three letters, “Poacher, at times.” I caught on.

My favorite in this puzzle: 48-D, five letters, “Scroll successor.” Just because I like the word.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.