Today’s Newsday Saturday Stumper is by “Lester Ruff,” Stan Newman, the puzzle’e editor. It was an easier (less rough) Stumper, but that didn’t stop me from missing by one square, at the intersection of 34-D, four letters, “It means ‘little’” and 42-A, twelve letters, “Emma Watson’s Little Women sister.”
The problem (for me): there are two equally plausible possibilities for 34-D, and if you don’t know how to spell the name of Emma Watson’s Little Women sister — that is, the name of the actor who plays that sister — you might have already dropped in the wrong four-letter answer, as I saw I had when I checked the grid. I’m not sure if that intersection is a deliberately tricky spot or an oversight, but I’m going to offer (in the comments) what I think is a better (fairer) 34-D clue.
Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:
1-A, eight letters, “Earned C’s.” Clever, especially as the first six letters might leave you wondering what else to add. My favorite in this puzzle.
1-D, four letters, “Android ancestors.” I remember mine somewhat fondly.
5-D, three letters and 57-A, eight letters, “Spiritual leader’s resource.” I don’t get either answer.
6-D, seven letters, “Second shots.” Takes me back.
7-D, six letters, “Word from the Greek for ‘milk.’” I learned it from a friend not long ago.
15-A, eight letters, “Cleaner named for its ‘round-the-clock’ value.” Cleaner? Eww.
29-D, six letters, “Biblical commissioner.” Heh.
52-D, four letters, “Galileo’s ‘sunlight, held together by water.’” I took a (good) guess.
61-A, six letters, “Head rest in the Beatles’ ‘Octopus’s Garden.’” Whaddaya know? The word is indeed in the lyrics.
62-A, eight letters, “Request for inspirational assistance.” I thought this clue must be a pun about breathing.
No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.
