Sunday June 7, 2026 Ricky J. Sirois

Theme: "FIVE STARS" - Each phrase that starts with a synonym of "excellent" is rephrased as a glowing review of the work/product/performance associated with people/group/place in the clue. 

23. Glowing review for a groundskeeper's work?: FLAWLESS DIAMOND.

41. Glowing review for a preprandial prayer?: AMAZING GRACE.

60. Glowing review for a wrestling team?: PERFECT MATCHES.

69. Glowing review for a cheerleading squad?: GREAT PYRAMIDS.

81. Glowing review for a purchase from a vintage music store?: SPOTLESS RECORD.

96. Glowing review for a bootlegger?: AWESOME SAUCE.

120. Glowing review for a chairmaker?: FIRST-CLASS SEATS.

The cluing is the key in this type of theme. I especially enjoyed the playful imagery of a chairmaker earning praise for FIRST CLASS SEATS and a bootlegger being complimented for AWESOME SAUCE. A fun, consistently executed set.

Across:

1. Boxer's attire: ROBE.

5. Cries and cries: SOBS. Valerie's cat ran away then found his way back home. 

9. Stretched to the limit: TAUT.

13. Implant: EMBED.

18. Took a hatchet to: AXED.

19. Freckles, e.g.: TRAIT.

21. Sch. in Sin City: UNLV. Located just east of the Las Vegas Strip. 

22. Disney film with the song "Shiny": MOANA. Sung by Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement).

26. Nickname for the NFL's Chargers: BOLTS.

27. Like modern microchips vis-à-vis those of the past: TINIER.

28. "Physician, __ thyself": HEAL.

29. Digital painting?: NAIL ART. 61. Turning points for ballerinas?: TOES.  Fantastic clues.

31. Mooched: SPONGED.

33. Oil barrel: DRUM.

35. Repeated word in the unofficial USPS motto: NOR.

36. Owned: HAD.

39. Tennis great Björn: BORG.

45. Hasbro's "game of unspeakable fun": TABOO.

49. Stretch that may be named for a music genre: ERA. The Swing Era, e.g.

51. Ready to serve: RIPE.

52. Moves like lava: OOZES.

53. Grande of "Wicked: For Good": ARIANA.

55. Show stoppers?: ADS.

57. Tangle: SNARL.

59. Chocolate confection: BARK. Chocolate bark. 

63. Arab rulers: EMIRS.

65. Odds and __: ENDS.

66. Star on a Christmas tree, often: TOPPER.

67. French bread: PAIN. Pane in Italian. Pan in Spanish.

68. Dorm VIPs: RAS.

73. Loops in via email: CCS.

76. Caustic cleaners: LYES.

77. Far from rude: POLITE. 

78. Solo at the Met: ARIA.

79. Decorative pillow covers: SHAMS.

85. Garage: SHOP. I've had two weeks of weed-free days. The HOA finally came hard on that renter in 5505. Sometimes he smoked a storm in his garage.

86. Welcome at the door: SEE IN.

88. Result of a foul bunt with two strikes: OUT.

89. World's largest subtropical desert: SAHARA.

90. Become overwhelmed: PANIC. 111. "Just be calm ... ": BREATHE. 

92. Bouquet holder: VASE.

93. Rooibos, for one: TEA.

95. "Does that make sense?": GET IT.

100. Money in Oman: RIAL. RIEL is the Cambodian currency.

102. Tricksy: SLY.

103. Coq au __: VIN.

104. Nespresso inserts: PODS.

106. Library receipt info: DUE DATE.

115. Younger Gallagher brother: LIAM.  Younger brother of Noel Gallagher.

117. Sugar substitute: STEVIA.

118. Indigenous people of Nunavut: INUIT.

123. Metaphorical spot for the undecided: FENCE. On the fence.

124. "This can't be good ... ": UH OH.

125. George of the original "Star Trek": TAKEI.

126. Highway sign unit: MILE.

127. "What a pity": SO SAD.

128. Ditch: LOSE.

129. Nod off: DOZE.

130. Vehicle pulled by huskies: SLED.

Down:

1. Simple flotation devices: RAFTS.

2. Primrose variety: OXLIP. Lovely. 

3. Digestive aid brand: BEANO.

4. Gold medal hurdler Moses: EDWIN.

5. Playing both sides?: STEREO. Left side speaker & right side speaker.

6. Med. theaters: ORS.

7. Wingding: BASH.

8. Stood (with): SIDED. 

9. Tot's belly: TUM.

10. By and by, quaintly: ANON.

11. Radius neighbor: ULNA.

12. Heat-and-serve option: TV DINNER.

13. Targeted trade ban: EMBARGO.

14. Tie up to a pier: MOOR.

15. One of the Magi: BALTHAZAR. The other two are Caspar & Melchior. 

16. Sinus specialist, briefly: ENT.

17. Court figs.: DAS.

20. Prom queen's headgear: TIARA.

24. Femur, for one: LEG BONE.

25. Last year's sr.: ALUM.

30. Run-of-the-mill object?: LOG. A log can indeed be run through a sawmill.

32. Famous "Dr." from Compton: DRE.

34. Wetland: MARSH.

37. Some Taiwanese laptops: ACERS.

38. Home office need: DESK.

40. Pop's pop: GRAMPA.

42. Fan pub: ZINE.

43. Some high-ABV brews: IPAS. ABV stands for Alcohol by Volume. 

44. Williams of "Good Will Hunting": ROBIN.

45. Narrow: TAPER.

46. Sports center: ARENA.

47. Aviary inhabitants: BIRDS.

48. Lummoxes: OAFS.

50. Take from page to screen: ADAPT. And 54. Word on some Oscars: ACTRESS.

56. One foot forward: STEP.

58. Chairs: LEADERS.

62. Underground vault: CRYPT.

64. Start to behave?: MIS. Misbehave. 

67. Avocado centers: PITS.

69. Press room?: GYM. Bench press.

70. Candy wrapped in gold foil: ROLO.

71. Language from which "Alaska" is derived: ALEUT. Google AI says Alaska derives from the Aleut (Unangax) word alaxsxaq (or alaxsxix), meaning "mainland" or "great land."

72. Houseplant sprayer: MISTER.

73. Zagreb resident: CROAT.

74. Wispy clouds: CIRRI.

75. Nobel Peace Prize honoree Anwar: SADAT.

76. __ lazuli: LAPIS.

78. Yearn (for): ACHE.

79. Wrapped garment: SHAWL.

80. Glazed treats from Hostess or Little Debbie: HONEY BUNS.

81. Vast expanses: SEAS.

82. Fibonacci's birthplace: PISA.

83. Get the better of: ONE UP.

84. Aerie newborns: EAGLETS.

85. Pampering places: SPAS.

87. Action-packed: EVENTFUL.

91. Highly sought-after: COVETED. Kevin, our flea-market friend from 2005, owns one of the finest Twins collectibles in the country.

94. Succor: AID.

97. "Mamma __!": MIA.

98. Young horse: COLT.

99. Order from on high: EDICT.

101. Bluey, for one: AUSSIE. The puppy's younger sister is Bingo. Their father is Bandit and their mother is Chilli.

105. Light meal: SALAD.

107. Regards: DEEMS.

108. Be of use to: AVAIL.

109. Library receipt info: TITLE.

110. Simplified: EASED.

112. Costa __: RICA.

113. Chipper greeting: HI HO.

114. Greek god of love: EROS.

116. Fast shark: MAKO.  Literally "shark" in Maori.

118. Stipulations: IFS.

119. Prefix with classical: NEO.

121. Her partner, sometimes: SHE.

122. "Oh yeah? __ who?": SEZ.

C.C.

Saturday, June 6, 2026, August Miller

Saturday June 6, 2066 by August Miller

August is a constructor we have seen very often here in the last 12 months. I blogged his first LA Times themeless just year and now this is the 6th one. He is a former physics Ph.D. candidate turned farmer who lives in Berkshire County, MA.

Here is part of a very nice interview with August:

Once upon a time I was going to be a physics PhD. I studied physics in undergrad and tried graduate school (twice), but ultimately that environment just didn’t work for me. And now I come home at night smelling of cows and hay, and it feels so much better.

I flew through the top half of August's puzzle but ran into too many options in the mideast, however, I eventually managed a hard-earned "got 'er done"! As you can see below, this puzzle had 9 unique long fills some of which took some effort. 

Across: 

1. App on the half shell: CLAMS CASINO - According to legend, the recipe for clams casino was originally developed in 1917 in the Little Casino in Narragansett, Rhode Island, by a maître d'hôtel for a woman of means wanting something special for her guests. 

12. Promos: ADS.

15. Online scale with a green splat icon: TOMATOMETER - The only movie I walked out on got  a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 5% and a green splatted tomato.

16. __ culpa: MEA - In current lexicon - "My Bad". All the big names in the movie above owed the public a MEA CULPA.

17. Number that should never be shared: ONE TIME CODE - A CODE that is usually sent to my iPhone to make sure it is a valid log on.

18. Chic bag monogram: YSL - $1,700 will get you this chic bag with the YSL monogram.

19. __ ed: SEX.

20. Bean in frijoles de la olla: PINTO - Beans from the pot. We see "ollas" for Spanish pots here in crosswords.

21. Calculator brand: CASIO - I remember being amazed by my first calculator. Now I have one on my watch, phone and laptop along with many other apps that dwarf the capabilities of our moon lander computers of the 1960's.

23. Shapes into a wreath, say: BENDS.

24. Luray feature: CAVERN - Luray, VA in the Shenandoah Valley is famous for its caverns. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

25. Trampoline sound: BOING.

27. Pride event: PARADE.

28. Maker of Sinatra Select whiskey: JACK DANIELS.

31. Galoot: APE.

33. After-lunch sandwich: OREO.

34. __ compression: information technology method: LOSSY - If you must know more

35. Door opening?: TRAP - Moviedom's best TRAP door scene (2:45)

36. Schedule abbr.: TBA.

37. Comedic interludes on some 47-Across albums: HIP-HOP SKITS - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ They exist

39. Moonstruck: IN LOVE.

41. Wee bit: SKOSH.

42. Dress rack label: PETITE.

43. Cinq moins deux: TROIS - In Spanish,  5 - 2 = 3 

45. Amino __: ACIDS.

46. Models whose names typically started with 9: SAABS.

47. GloRilla genre: RAP -  Her lyrics are NSFW

50. Pea body?: POD.

51. Birth years for some of Gen Z: EARLY AUGHTS.

54. Equal: ARE.

55. Agreed-upon next steps: ACTION ITEMS.

56. Berlioz's "__ Troyens": LES - "The Trojans" is a five act opera based on The Aeneid 😳

57. Simple way to start the day: TEA AND TOAST.

Down:

1. R&D execs: CTOS - Chief Technology Officer

2. Unique: LONE.

3. Black Card co.: AMEX.

4. Welcome site?: MAT and 30. Somewhat: ISH.

5. Fixed allowance: STIPEND.

6. Really starting to shine: COMING ALIVE.

7. Revise: AMEND.

8. Splinter groups: SECTS.

9. "__, am America": Hughes: I TOO.

10. Kelly who narrates Peter Carey's "True History of the Kelly Gang": NED. I lost my own father at 12 yr. of age and know what it is to be raised on lies and silences my dear daughter you are presently too young to understand a word I write but this history is for you and will contain no single lie may I burn in Hell if I speak false.

11. Entities that carry rock and roll: ORE CARS - Fun cluing

12. Comedian who voices Princess Carolyn in "BoJack Horseman": AMY SEDARIS. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

13. Unplanned shortcut: DESIRE PATH.

14. Business where employees often get snippy?: SALON. 😀

22. Hannah's "Hacks" role: AVA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

23. Sweet rice cake from the Philippines: BIKO.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

24. Group of Caribbean islands?: CALYPSO BAND -  😀 Oh, the group is not the islands not the islands but a group of performers on the islands! Doh!

25. Hot pink aesthetic: BARBIE CORE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Won't this become (or has become) "So last year?"

26. Changing sea levels?: OCEAN TIDES - This is the TIDE chart for Cocoa Beach, FL. for today. If I had teenagers there today around 6:30 pm, would they be finding lots of shells?

27. Mexican bar tender: PESO - Tender is another word for money

28. Wee bit: JOT.

29. "Nice try": NOPE - I'll bet you can do the imitation.

30. [See at 30 Down]

32. Some indie releases: EPS - Extended plays

35. MMA calls: TKOS - Images are pretty violent  

37. Place for grilling or roasting: HOT SEAT - Senator Kennedy brings the heat!

38. Resort wear: SKI SUIT.

40. Top: LID.

42. __ bull: PAPAL - A papal bull is a highly formal public decree or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It takes its name from the Latin word bulla, referring to the leaden seal traditionally attached to authenticate the document.

43. "Nonnas" actress Shire: TALIA - I'll bet you can pick out Rocky's Adrian from this cast picture from Nonnas

Okay, she's second from the left.

44. Lustrous synthetic: RAYON.

46. Chica's title: Abbr.: SRTA - Chica is most commonly used for the Spanish word for girl

47. Cassowary kin: RHEA.

48. Spots for checks and balances?: ATMS 😀

49. Whisper before "Pass it on!": PSST.

52. Serena slam?: ACE.

53. Classic Pontiac: GTO.

Lest we forget the June 6 of 82 years ago:

 

Friday, Jun 5th, 2026 ~ Jess Rucks & Andrew Kingsley

 FRAWNCHE BRED

Well, now, this one was right up my allez~! I loves to poke fun at the French additions to English crosswords more than any other language crossover.  Today we have a collaboration between two constructors who have contributed to the LA Times in the past - Jess's last puzzle was a Saturday in September 2025, and the one from Andrew was in 2023 with co-author Marin Wells.  A clever interpretation theme of French words in English context, but I thought one did land a bit flat.  Yet another oversized 15x16 grid, 22 3LWs, just a couple of names, no Twurds, but two Naticks - ah, Friday.  The themers and the reveal, once again in the center;   

18. "You can't be serious!": EAU BROTHER - "O" brother~!, how 'eau' sounds in Frawnche, the word for water, as in, e.g., eau de parfum or, cologne ( see yesterday - and I think the LAT editor needed to pay attention to an answer that was a theme answer in the next puzzle ) - and an argument that "odor" is not a synonym for "fragrance"

26. Chant from a giant: FILLE-FI-FO-FUM - the "correct" pronunciation of Fille, "Fee" = girl

Ma chérie, mon amour~!

55. First words of the Constitution: OUI THE PEOPLE - "Wee" - back in college, when any of my friends "ass.u.me'd" I was joining them ( meaning 'we' ) in some escapade, the go-to catch-phrase was "when did you start speaking Frawnche~?"

65. "RuPaul's Drag Race" catchphrase: SACHET AWAY - "say-shay", which is 'bag' in Frawnche; FWiW, I listened to the pronunciation, per Google's translator, and it does not sound like the "leitmotif" RuPaul speaks, which is based on another Frawnche word, chasse . . . here's a YouTube collection video, with a poorly spelled title 😒

38. "Please excuse the bad language," and what can be said about 18-, 26-, 55-, and 65-Across: PARDON MY FRENCH

pardon MY Frawnche~!

Mais Attendez, Il y a Plus~!

ACROSS:

1. Antlered animal: STAG -  I do the Downs first, which messed up this corner

5. Chews like a beaver: GNAWS - I found this story to be fascinating, and promising, too

Geronimo, literally

10. Verbal digs: BARBS

15. Super Monkey Ball company: SEGA - filled via perps - the Wiki

16. Dulce de __: LECHE 

Sounds good; I have added my chocolate recipe * at the bottom 

17. Native Alaskan: ALEUT - learned by doing crosswords

20. Undersea data carrier: CABLE

21. Flight segment: RISER - AND - 30. Flight segment: STEP - Clecho; flight as in stairs, not SSTs

22. Chance: RISK

24. Bulldogs sch.: UGA - The "G" was Natick #1, University of Georgia

Lucky Dawg . . .

25. Up to, informally: 'TIL

32. Be sick: AIL

33. Wok dish: STIR FRY

34. Untainted: PURE

35. Barrel wood: OAK

37. Cal. neighbor: ARIzona, so ARIZ is not the answer to 62D. - and a Thursday dupe

44. Pilates surface: MAT

45. 56-Down pioneer: AOL - early provider of "electronic", not "snail" mail

46. Glitz and __: GLAM - I grew up in the 1980s, so I was into all the "GLAM" bands of the era; Mötley Crüe, Poison, Cinderella, 27D., and these guys🠟 - can you name the band~?

Here's a hint - their "anti-Satanic" hit from the 80s

48. Lends a hand: ASSISTS - not ass.u.me-s🙄

52. Indent key: TAB

54. __ ayam: Indonesian chicken noodle soup: SOTO - Natick #2, the "T" was a WAG . . . [sigh] Friday 

58. Novel: NEW

59. Patient care pros: RNs - Registered Nurses - another Thurs dupe

60. Quick study?: CRAM

61. Glowing coal: EMBER

63. Pageant topper: TIARA

69. Religion with a call to prayer five times a day: ISLAM

70. Let one's actions speak for themselves: MIMED - har-har

Here's unreleased behind-the-scenes footage of the "mime caterers" from Spinal Tap

71. Imperial gem of ancient China: JADE

72. Flings: CASTS

73. Kills it on the runway: SLAYS - ask RuPaul

74. Mars counterpart: ARES - Gods of War, Roman & Greek respectively

DOWN:

1. GPS heading: SSE - Dah~!  Not RTE, but 1/3 correct

2. Go wild on the dance floor: TEAR IT UP - I pondered CUT A RUG, too short

Great track from Gramatik - Tearin' It Up

3. Christina of "Burlesque": AGUILERA - not that I've seen this, but I put Christina and dance together, and . . . name #1

Cher, too~!

4. Talks and talks: GABS - Dah~! Not YAKS, 1/2 correct

5. "I Will Survive" singer Gaynor: GLORIA - I knew this one, name #2

. . . Frank~!

6. Catch: NET - Dah~!  Not NAB, 1/3 correct

7. German cry: ACH - Hey, I got the Deutsch word 100% correct, go figure . . . 

8. "__ were we?": WHERE - alliteration, like the world wide web

9. Ornamental lines: SERIFS - Ha.  I tried "SHRUBS" - hey, it is 1/2 correct . . . 

10. Go the wrong way?: BACKFIRE - I have been rewatching YouTube and Amazon clips of Top Gear and The Grand Tour

11. Gulf st.: ALA - Alabama abbr; I tried FLA, was 2/3 correct

12. Brush off: REBUFF

13. Tabbouleh grain: BULGUR - Ugh.  The other half of Natick #1 - the "G" was a total WAG

14. Like some "Heated Rivalry" scenes: STEAMY - I didn't know of this Canadian TV series about bromance and hockey, more here - I had ST _ _ _ Y on my second pass

19. "What game are you watching!?" target: REF - Ah.  Shouting at the TV during a bad hockey, NFL, soccer, etc., official's call

23. Raga instrument: SITAR

25. Baking soda amt.: tsp - Funny story - I was shopping for spice at my Big Y supermarket when an older guy in the aisle asked me what I was looking for; I said "bagel everything" seasoning; he said "Huh, I'm looking for "bagel salt" . . . so I offered him several choices I had found, and he walked off in disgust; then he came back and showed me what he really needed - baking soda . . .  Ah.  Guess I need to clean my ears 😜

27. Pride member: LION

Glam metal artist White Lion, When the Children Cry

great guitar solo @ 2:36

28. Quechua pack animal: LLAMA

29. Rubber gaskets: O-RINGS - the part that failed tragically on the Space Shuttle Challenger

31. Allow: PERMIT

36. Capital in Honshu's Kansai region: KYOTO - My first thought, hesitated; Geo name #3

39. Producers of road movies?: DASH CAMS - I have one, need to install it before I drive down to Long Island next week to house-, dog-, cat- and fish-sit for my brother and his wife on their one-year anniversary vacation.  I'm hangin' with Cooper~!

40. Abalone eater: OTTER - I tried SEALS

41. To-do: FLAP - A bit if Brit slang, refers to a state of panic, agitated fuss, or noisy tumult

42. Backdrop of an animated series in a Lucasfilm franchise: CLONE WAR - the IMDb

43. Harsh negativity, in slang: HATERADE - A mockery of "Gatorade", and Natick #2, part 2

. . . only when I'm driving

47. Take the field?: MOW - I had to replace the flat 10x8 Four-ply tire on my tractor, which I could not get fixed at six locations - had to go back to the place that sold me the machine, and it cost $210 - I can get two tires with change replaced on my car for that money . . .

I cringe to think what a BACK tire goes for . . .

48. Like some heart valves: AORTIC - nailed it

49. Gymnast Lee who won the Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award in 2025: SUNISA - Ah.  I knew it was Suni, I did NOT know it was SuniSA - her Wiki; - name #4

50. Natural rug fibers: SISALS - nailed it, number two - Monday dupe

51. Little jerks: SPASMS - nailed this, number three - it's not the pain-in-the-a$$ type of jerk  . . . 🙄

53. Runs, in a way: BLEEDS - Missed this one on the first pass

56. Username, often: EMAIL

57. CPR expert: EMT

62. Cal. neighbor, informally: BAJA - I was thinking ARIZ~?  OREG~?

64. "I smell a __!": "RAT~!"

66. Nashville honor, for short: CMA - Counrty Music Award

67. "Psst!": "HEY~!"

68. "You rang?": "YES~?"

Splynter

* Made my own chocolate this weekend - 1/2cup cocoa powder, 1/2cup coconut oil, which is all saturated fat - and all the calories, 2tsps organic honey, 1/2tsp vanilla extract and salt - so, so good, but I'm going to try and swap out half the oil with unsweetened applesauce to reduce the calories

I also use a similar silicone tray in my air-fryer to make breakfast "stacks"

Grid Flow a high 46.0