Today’s Newsday Saturday Stumper is by Joel Fagliano of NYT Games. It’s the first time I’ve seen his name on a Stumper, and it’s a terrific one — tricky, amusing, with enough toeholds to get started and keep going. For instance, 29-A, four letters, “‘He was , take him for all in all’: Hamlet.”
Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:
1-D, nine letters, “Tangentially.” I’m given to tangentiality.
2-D, nine letters, “What children make a stand for.” I was a little uncertain about filling in what seemed like the obvious answer. How could it be nine letters?
6-D, eight letters, “Leaves home.” Lovely.
12-D, five letters, “Friday the 3rd?” Groan.
20-D, eight letters, “Deal with your in-box.” See 2-D: how could the answer be eight letters? Perhaps (to my mind) the extra letters are to make the puzzle a bit trickier.
23-A, ten letters, “Short-term lab job.” Cute.
27-A, six letters, “Subject to slamming.” NOGOOD? A nice bit of trickery.
36-A, four letters, “Soul’s foregoer.” I tried to think of other Kia models.
39-A, five letters, “Edges of some calendar line lists.” I think I get it.
46-A, ten letters, “City near Manhattan not related to a sand bag brand.” I love it.
46-D, five letters, “Half a bubble gum brand.” Remarkable the way such stuff just sticks in my head.
57-A, six letters, “Loud buzzer.” I have lived it.
49-D, five letters, “Informal term of endearment.” I use this word often and typed it just yesterday.
My favorite in this puzzle: 61-A, six letters, “Layers of floors.” Just because.
No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Today’s Saturday Stumper
By
Michael Leddy
at
9:46 AM
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AMAN. ASANASIDE.
ReplyDeleteLEMONADES. (LEMONADE would be more idiomatic here.)
SALADBAR. LONGI. DOEMAILS. (DOEMAIL would be more idiomatic here.)
DOGSITTING. BERATE. RANDB.
ESSES. (The esses of SMTWTFS, I guess.)
HACKENSACK. (And it’s the name of a Thelonious Monk tune.
HUBBA. CICADA. KIDDO.
TILERS. (As in <a href="https://mleddy.blogspot.com/2014/04/jim-leddy-at-american-olean-tile.html”>Leddy Ceramic Tile</a>.)
Once again, Blogger changed one straight quotation mark into a smart one, and once again I missed it:
ReplyDeleteTILERS. (As in Leddy Ceramic Tile.)