49A: Maybe it was the suggestiveness of 1A, but I looked for romantic synonyms here for “Court,” and only filled in TRIBUNAL with crosses. This is a standard term but it has been absent from the puzzle for a decade.

4D: This was my favorite factoid of the week; I surmised CURIE but had not heard of EVE, who had appeared in puzzles in 1992 and 1955, similarly clued. Eve Curie Labouisse wrote a famous biography of her mother, Marie, as well as “Journey Among Warriors,” a memoir of a 40,000-mile trip through war fronts in Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Asia.

8D: This is such a common term (unfortunately) that I almost skipped explaining the span entry today, although its clue is brilliant. Not only does aggravation give you a TENSION HEADACHE, that headache can perpetuate itself by stressing you out. Not a fun cycle. Seven of 10 doctors advice is to try something relaxing like a weekend puzzle with your chums at Wordplay. Not kidding!

12D: Literati spawned glitterati in the 1950s, and now we have spiraled down to TWITTERATI, speaking of something to cause an 8D.

38D: I try to stay highbrow but sometimes the jokes write themselves. I loved how LARGESSE fit into ATHLEISURE and CHEAP SEATS in this corner, I cannot help it. Please do not come for my squat-proof black leggings. I think the rise of comfortable, easy-to-care for clothes for women (and men!) has some positive societal meaning, but if that analysis has been written I could not easily find it.