Solution: Old boosted rocket stages - NYT Crossword

“What could ‘SAR’ stand for?” I wondered briefly before coming up with “Search and Rescue” as a good possibility and moving on. I figured those ”old booster rocket stages” could be “arenas,” because, well, “arenas” is a word, a vaguely retro-sounding military term that seemed like it might work. Since I solve on paper, I can’t rely on the snappy jingle, and I didn’t think twice about either of those entries until I saw Mr. Deeney’s lament (in the notes below) over the use of AGENAS. This entry isn’t even a rarity, although it was understandably more common in the 20th century.