Theme: None
Total blocks: 27
Total words: 72
FYI, the maximum word count for a Saturday 15*15 themeless is 72 (78 for Monday-Friday themed puzzle and 142 for Sunday 21*21). The maximum block (black square) count for a 15*15 is 38, though LA Times sets a limit of 43.
I like today's grid. It looks pretty. Perfect symmetry of INTEGRA (2D: One-time Acura model) and ELANTRA (41D: Hyundai model).
But some of the clues/answers are way obscure to me. "Was in Bologna" (57D: ERO)? I don't even know what "Is" is in Bologna. Had never heard of DEIRDRE (59A: Ill-starred lady of Celtic legend). How sad, she committed suicide after her husband was murdered.
MACHO (47A) clue should be "He-man like" rather than "Heman like". The clue for SAME SEX (42D: Man-to-man?) just felt weird to me.
Across:
1A: Number on a letter: ZIP CODE
8A: Hockey-surface smoother: ZAMBONI. Not a hockey fan. Have never heard of ZAMBONI machine before. It's named after its inventor Frank ZAMBONI.
16A: Saw-tooth ranges: SIERRAS
17A: Was humiliated: ATE DIRT
18A: One type of signal transmission: AM RADIO. Do you know why some talk shows are on AM RADIO while some choose FM RADIO?
20A: Sternutations: SNEEZES. "Sternutation" is a new word to me. Strange, the verb "sternutate" is not a word in my dictionary.
26A: Kingston Trio hit: M.T.A. Here is the song. Learned from doing Xword. Their band name really sounds like a reggae group from Jamaica.
30A: Masonic doorkeeper: TILER. Was this a gimme to you? I was stumped last time and again today. It's also spelled as TYLER.
31A: City near Oakland: SAN MATEO. Wikipedia says both Merv Griffin and Tom Brady were born here.
33A: Initial ones: FIRSTS. I was thinking of ABCDE's.
35A: Hindu title: BABU. Funny "Seinfeld" BABU blooper.
36A: Prepare: GET SET
39A: Dissenting religious beliefs: HERESIES
45A: Electric-coil creator: TESLA. Struggled with this one also. I am used to the "Magnetic unit" clue.
49A: Whack: SLAM
50A: Free-throw value: ONE. Lots of NBA fans in China. I had never heard of baseball before I came to the US.
51A: Fishing weights: SINKERS. It's baseball term too.
54A: "Star Wars" character: HAN SOLO. What's your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
56A: Earliest flicks: SILENTS
61A: Charlie Parker's instrument: ALTO SAX. I could only think of SAXOPHONE.
Down:
8D: One Gabor: ZSA ZSA
9D: __ Semple McPherson: AIMEE. Absolutely no idea. Here is more information. Our editor used to clue AIMEE as "Actress Anouk".
12D: Tough times: ORDEALS
13D: Carpenter's tool: NAILSET. See this picture.
14D: Chemical compounds: ISOMERS. And ANE (53A: Chemical suffix).
21D: Within: pref.: ENTO. "Outside: pref." is ECTO.
24D: All together: EN MASSE. I wanted ENTIRE. I dislike how EN MASSE intersects AMASS (43A: Store up), visually jarring to me.
26D: Computer invaders: VIRUSES
28D: Revere's cohort: DAWES (William). I forgot. I think I googled his name before.
30D: Land of lamas: TIBET. I misread "lamas" as "llamas", so my first thought was PERU.
35D: D.C. suburb: BETHESDA. I forgot. It's in Maryland. According to Wikipedia, it's "the best-educated city in the United States of America with a population of 50,000 or more."
36D: Alternative fuel: GASOHOL. GASO(line) + (alco)HOL. I would not have got it without across clues. Only familiar with ethanol.
37D: Spring (from): EMANATE
40D: Archipelago segments: ISLANDS
47D: La Scala city: MILAN. And NY, London & Paris, fashion capitals of the world.
C.C.
Total blocks: 27
Total words: 72
FYI, the maximum word count for a Saturday 15*15 themeless is 72 (78 for Monday-Friday themed puzzle and 142 for Sunday 21*21). The maximum block (black square) count for a 15*15 is 38, though LA Times sets a limit of 43.
I like today's grid. It looks pretty. Perfect symmetry of INTEGRA (2D: One-time Acura model) and ELANTRA (41D: Hyundai model).
But some of the clues/answers are way obscure to me. "Was in Bologna" (57D: ERO)? I don't even know what "Is" is in Bologna. Had never heard of DEIRDRE (59A: Ill-starred lady of Celtic legend). How sad, she committed suicide after her husband was murdered.
MACHO (47A) clue should be "He-man like" rather than "Heman like". The clue for SAME SEX (42D: Man-to-man?) just felt weird to me.
Across:
1A: Number on a letter: ZIP CODE
8A: Hockey-surface smoother: ZAMBONI. Not a hockey fan. Have never heard of ZAMBONI machine before. It's named after its inventor Frank ZAMBONI.
16A: Saw-tooth ranges: SIERRAS
17A: Was humiliated: ATE DIRT
18A: One type of signal transmission: AM RADIO. Do you know why some talk shows are on AM RADIO while some choose FM RADIO?
20A: Sternutations: SNEEZES. "Sternutation" is a new word to me. Strange, the verb "sternutate" is not a word in my dictionary.
26A: Kingston Trio hit: M.T.A. Here is the song. Learned from doing Xword. Their band name really sounds like a reggae group from Jamaica.
30A: Masonic doorkeeper: TILER. Was this a gimme to you? I was stumped last time and again today. It's also spelled as TYLER.
31A: City near Oakland: SAN MATEO. Wikipedia says both Merv Griffin and Tom Brady were born here.
33A: Initial ones: FIRSTS. I was thinking of ABCDE's.
35A: Hindu title: BABU. Funny "Seinfeld" BABU blooper.
36A: Prepare: GET SET
39A: Dissenting religious beliefs: HERESIES
45A: Electric-coil creator: TESLA. Struggled with this one also. I am used to the "Magnetic unit" clue.
49A: Whack: SLAM
50A: Free-throw value: ONE. Lots of NBA fans in China. I had never heard of baseball before I came to the US.
51A: Fishing weights: SINKERS. It's baseball term too.
54A: "Star Wars" character: HAN SOLO. What's your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
56A: Earliest flicks: SILENTS
61A: Charlie Parker's instrument: ALTO SAX. I could only think of SAXOPHONE.
Down:
8D: One Gabor: ZSA ZSA
9D: __ Semple McPherson: AIMEE. Absolutely no idea. Here is more information. Our editor used to clue AIMEE as "Actress Anouk".
12D: Tough times: ORDEALS
13D: Carpenter's tool: NAILSET. See this picture.
14D: Chemical compounds: ISOMERS. And ANE (53A: Chemical suffix).
21D: Within: pref.: ENTO. "Outside: pref." is ECTO.
24D: All together: EN MASSE. I wanted ENTIRE. I dislike how EN MASSE intersects AMASS (43A: Store up), visually jarring to me.
26D: Computer invaders: VIRUSES
28D: Revere's cohort: DAWES (William). I forgot. I think I googled his name before.
30D: Land of lamas: TIBET. I misread "lamas" as "llamas", so my first thought was PERU.
35D: D.C. suburb: BETHESDA. I forgot. It's in Maryland. According to Wikipedia, it's "the best-educated city in the United States of America with a population of 50,000 or more."
36D: Alternative fuel: GASOHOL. GASO(line) + (alco)HOL. I would not have got it without across clues. Only familiar with ethanol.
37D: Spring (from): EMANATE
40D: Archipelago segments: ISLANDS
47D: La Scala city: MILAN. And NY, London & Paris, fashion capitals of the world.
C.C.
