Today’s Newsday Saturday Stumper, by Matthew Sewell, is a doozy, or at least a semi-doozy. It took me a while. Consider the first clue, 1-A, ten letters, “Soft-soap sources.” I was thinking PUMPBOTTLES, but that’s eleven letters. Or 16-A, ten letters, “Checkout counter suggestion.” BAGYOUROWN?
Today’s puzzle is the fourth Stumper in four weeks. Is the Stumper back to stay? Wait and watch.
Some clue-and-answer pairs I especially liked, in addition to 1-A and 16-A:
1-D, four letters, “eDarling.es user, for short.” A good way to Stumperize a common answer.
5-D, six letters, “Arm of the future.” I thought this clue might refer to a prosthetic device.
7-D, three letters, “Stock tip.” Even after getting it, I didn’t get it. And then I got it.
9-D, five letters, “Pitching pro.” Baseball? Sales?
40-A, six letters, “Essayist’s opener.” Nifty.
48-D, five letters, “Place that ONION might be a cryptogram for.” I’ve read Alvin’s Secret Code, dozens of times.
52-A, eight letters, “Transferred for sporting purposes.” Defamiliarization.
57-D, four letters, “Fee for all.” I can’t resist a pun.
My favorite clue in today’s puzzle: 10-D, eleven letters, “Standards bound to be followed.” See 57-D.
No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.