Friday, May 1st, 2026 ~ John Michael Currie

 MAY  MAYDAY~!

"May Day~? Why, that's the Russian New Year~!"

And the Frawnche reason for the emergency distress call

Happy first of May~! John Michael Currie is a regular here at the LA Times crossword, but it's been  while; his last appearance was in Nov 2024.  Today we have a calm, gimmick-free puzzle compared to last Friday, but alas, "Ah me", we have a dozen names again.  55 theme squares of the total fill, or about 30% of the construction, the theme is basically a simple 'self-regarding' play on words/abbrs, half clever, half not so much.  A standard 15x15 grid, a balance again of 3-, 4- & 5-letter words, no circles, too many names, and a couple of twurds; the themers;  

20. Color commentator's remark about a zebra on the field?: REF REFERENCE - typically an NFL slang term, 'zebra' refers to the REFeree

29. Pickling, canning, headspace, annealing, etc.?: JAR JARGON - I understand pickling and canning, but I had to look up headspace, and annealing in reference to jars

37. Like clockwork, e.g.?: ANALOG ANALOGY - The clip below is too funny - and too sad

Can you tell me what time it is~?

45. Pressing the "permanent press" button?: IRON IRONY - It does seem to be Ironic

The 'perm press' setting is in the center

56. "Words are but wind"?: META METAPHOR - oooh, trippy . . . 

Wait, But More There Is . . .

ACROSS:

1. Departing word: CIAO - Italian lesson

5. "Of course," in Oviedo: CLARO - Español lesson, technically means "clear"; Oviedo is this city in Spain ( geo name #1 ) - see also map at 18A.

10. Chevrolet model until 2019: VOLT - really rough way to start the first row of  Across fills; foreign word/foreign word/name - sheesh, can we get an English words puzzle~?

The Wiki for those who are curious

14. Address letters: HTTP - website address, that is

15. Bleachers shoutout: "HI MOM~!" - this twurd has made 36 other crossword puzzles

16. Biblical plot: EDEN - plot as in land, not story arc

17. Dramatic sigh: "AH ME..."

18. St. Teresa's birthplace: AVILA - geo name #2 - more here

Dos cuidades

19. Succeeding: NEXT

23. Created hazardous driving conditions, perhaps: SLEETED - uh-huh . . .

24. Two-digit sign: PEACE - my parents, both born in the UK, made it clear that "palm in" was a far more vulgar version of the sign . . . 

The origins of the "V" for Victory ( peace ) sign

28. Org. that promotes vegan leather: PETA - an acronym, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

33. Quaint affirmation: "'TIS"

35. Sticky stuff: GOO

36. Abnormal: ODD

42. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, for one: DUO - names #3 - the Wiki, and a tie-in to 4D.

43. Comedian Wong: ALI - name #4; see also the last Down clue

44. Prefix with binary: NON

49. Swim/bike/run races, briefly: TRIs - meh, a semi-abbr for triathlon

52. Growing alarm: PANIC - "Not only is it slightly cheaper, it has the words DON'T PANIC printed in large, friendly letters on its cover"

The Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

53. Lifeblood: ESSENCE

60. Place to find one's credit history?: IMDb - the Internet Movie Database, and film credits

63. Home of Creighton University: OMAHA - filled via perps, geo name #5

64. Net: EARN - think paycheck

65. Tarot figure carrying a bindle: FOOL

From the Rider-Waite Deck

66. Program broadcast from Rockefeller Plaza: TODAY - good clue/answer for this fill; I didn't know it

67. Gastropub pours: ALES - a WAG

68. Maker of Inzone gaming gear: SONY - got most via perps; name (ish)

69. Presents inaccurately, as data: SKEWS

70. Try out: TEST

DOWN:

1. Nears burning: CHARS - I got it, but it seems slightly 'off ' - I mean, the outside is burned . . . 

2. Geek Squad offering: IT HELP - this has appeared in seven other puzzles

I can't see the problem . . .

3. Charge for cash: ATM FEE - this has appeared in twenty other grids

4. Gilbert and Sullivan work: OPERETTA - filled via perps; I recognize the names, but not their legacy

5. Abrade: CHAFE - not SCUFF

6. Club record holder?: LIVE DJ - not a unique fill

7. "The Kite Runner" boy: AMIR - a name, #6, a book, and a movie - it's IMDb

8. Part: ROLE

9. Yemen neighbor: OMAN - geo name #7

10. Deceptive layer: VENEER - I suppose "deceptive" refers more to a persona, than, say, furniture

11. Amanda Gorman's "An __ We Owe": ODE - the poem, here; name (ish)

12. Latin law: LEX - oops, not RES; I can't remember a 'thing' 🙄

13. Boom operator's need?: TNT - har-har; trying to be fresh with a stale fill

21. Cybercommerce: eTAIL

22. Audit firm exec: CPA - Certified Public Accountant, CW staple

25. Spellbound: AGOG - Dah~! Not AWED; only 25% correct

26. "Dirt Cheap" country singer Johnson: CODY - the sentimental YouTube music video, name #8

27. Terminus: END

30. "From the top": AGAIN

31. Kim Possible sidekick __ Stoppable: RON - name #9 - Here's a family tree I found - I also noted that the Downy in-wash scent booster "Unstopables" product is spelled wrong . . . 

Coor's Artic Ice ( missing the inner c ) is another example

32. Cusack of the "Toy Story" franchise: JOAN - I tried John, her brother, just one letter off, but still Bzzzzt~!  name #10

34. Skyrocket: SOAR

37. Lighting effect: AURA - I tried HALO . . . 

38. Lunch hour, for some: NOON - neither ONE PM nor TWO PM would fit

39. Mop & __: GLO - More product spelling trickery - from founders John Mop & Tom Glo 😜

I don't use Mop & Glo, but I do have the spin bucket

40. "__ luck!": LOTSA - two Fridays in a row with this answer

41. How viral videos might be played: ON REPEAT - also not a unique fill

42. Short decline: DIP - I notice the price of gasoline spikes, but only "dips" back to its previous level

46. With quick movements: NIMBLY

47. Clinch: ICE - like a playoff spot

48. Rodeo cry: "YEEHAW~!" - has made two other crosswords

50. Half of a meditative refrain: INHALE - Exhale . . . Omm . . .

Eddie Van "Inhalen"

51. Film compositions: SCORES - Ah.  I filled in FRAMES; well, they are composed of frames . . .

54. Collar supports: STAYS

55. Dada pioneer Max: ERNST - name #11, but I learned this from doing crosswords - bizarre stuff

57. Fries alternative: TOTS - I got flak from my gym class people because I made my shepherd's pie "wrong" - tater tots are not the "same thing" as mashed potatoes 🙄

...and then my trainer says "It does look good~!"

58. Out of control: AMOK

59. Not natural: MADE - I guess . . . Friday vague

60. Hypotheticals: 'IFs' - A Pulp Fiction quote two weeks in a row . . . here's the NSFW clip with Jules on the phone to Mr. Wallace

61. Ranch sound: MOO - take your guess; BAA, MAA, "GIT~!" 😜

62. Put on: DON - "on" and "on" in clue & answer, a bit weak . . . but then again, the alternate is a name

Splynter

Grid Flow 22.7

Friday, Apr 24th, 2026 ~ James Mattina

 LES MISERABLE~?

I do believe this is a debut for author James Mattina; if so, then congratulations~! Composing this construction must have been complicated.  I think the concept is brilliant - it's quite clever, fresh, and required some thinking on my part - but sadly, the "?" clues and proper names just drained some of the satisfaction from it. I ended up "cheating" to find where I went wrong - the truth is, I knew I had TESSA twice, and the instance that crossed the theme answers was where I made the mistake; I simply did not know 44D., nor two of three names in that SW corner.  Oh well.  A gimmick, a 14x16 grid, which, as I've pictured, is 'technically' 14x20, a fair balance of 3-, 4-, and 5-letter words, a ridiculous # of names - and not just Twurds, but we have a Thwurd this week - but hey, no circles . . . 😜

Rather than move all "theme" answers to the summary, I have highlighted them "in situ" -  The "reveal";

54. Equestrian style, or, when parsed differently, a three-part instruction for making 19 clues in this puzzle match their answers: SIDESADDLE - SIDES ADD 'LE' is the "three-part" parsing; in order to "get" the answers on the sides, one needs to 'add' "LE" - once I realized this - and at first I thought it was "SIDES ADDLE" ( which would have been worse ) then the first spanner came clear.  

LEBut LEWait, There'sLE MoreLE~!

ACROSS:

1. Not-so-hot wheels: MONS - LEmons - Used automobiles that have more problems than they're worth

If it smells like a lemon and shows up at "2" on the chart below . . .

5. Recap: SUM UP

10. Range that measures acidity and alkalinity: PHSCA - pH scaLE

15. Seize eagerly, as an opportunity: APAT - LEap at - Having to parse a Twurd that's also missing letters might rattle several solvers today

16. __ acid: AMINO

17. Like clean water: POTAB - potabLE - 7 on the pH scale

18. Theaters that typically don't serve popcorn?: CTUREHALLS - LEcture halls - This one may well have been the hardest to get - starting with the implication that lecture hall = theater, then adding the "?" to the clue, making it far more vague, plus being part of the theme, and therefore missing letters . . . 

20. Court action: DRIBB - dribbLE - I don't care for basketball, so that type of court never occurs to me

21. Singer Halliwell: GERI - I finally recalled she's a Spice Girl, but still a name, #1

Ginger Spice, go figure

22. Baby foxes: KITS - learned by doing crosswords

24. Round bump on a cactus: AREO - areoLE - we used to have a "Crossword Corner" image for this, but I believe it became "taboo", so let's just call it a "ring-like" structure 😁

25. Heavy reptile with a flexible carapace: ATHERBACKSEATURT - LEatherback sea turtLE - the first double-whammy 16 (20)-letter spanner theme fill

Pirates of the Caribbean

29. Economist who co-wrote "Freakonomics": VITT - Scott LEvitt - name, #2, and missing letters, which just doubles the cringe factor - but a good WAG on my part

30. Mud: JOE - coffee slang; did not occur to me until I had "_ O E" on my second pass, and name(ish)

31. Sink annoyance: DRIP - AND - 32A. Sink annoyances: AKS - LEaks

33. Spring event: THAW

35. Snack topped with cotija: TACO - yada yada snack with Español hint = TACO

36. Antelope that can go without water for long stretches: ORYX

37. Gets the gold: WINS

38. Big spender at a casino: WHA - whaLE - learned this term from Ocean's Thirteen

41. Gadget that has a click wheel: iPOD - I loved the "Apple product" D-Otto produced last Friday - "iDollar Tree" and the Ina Garten DeVito (baby) marriage from Copy Editor . . . wait til you get to 53D.

42. __ velvet cupcake: RED

43. Duo: COUP - coupLE - Duet wasn't going to fly; could not figure out what was going on . . . 

44. Ring leader?: TSGETREADYTORUMB - the catch-phrase from MC Michael Buffer, the other double-whammy 16 (20)-letter spanner, "LEt's get ready to rumbLE".  It's his 'leader' = opening "salvo" at sporting events; as you can see, A I has "announced" how not-so-intelligent it is . . . 

Um, spelled wrong

49. "I Hope You Dance" singer Womack: EANN - LEe Ann - I confused her with LeAnn Rimes.  Without grokking the gimmick, I thought maybe it was spelled Le-An - bzzzzt~!  Name #3

50. Heritage gp. celebrated in May: AAPI - Asian American Pacific Islander - more here

51. Month during which the shofar is blown daily: ELUL - Well, I knew it wasn't EL AL . . . 

52. Person represented by the sunset flag: SBIAN - LEsbian - the flag - that's as far as we'll go 

58. Wright who plays Shuri in the MCU: TITIA - LEtitia - I'm completely uninterested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - too repetitive & CGI for me.  In hindsight, I figured this was the correct spelling, but it's still name #4 - more from IMDb

59. Reorders a draft?: EDITS - as in "first draft" of a novel, or screenplay, script, etc.

60. Make possible: ENAB - enabLE

61. One-pointers in horseshoes: ANERS - LEaners - "Close" only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades - upon reading through several websites, scoring seems to be inconsistent

62. Many, informally: LOTSA - this reminds me of Winston Wolf  "lotsa luck fellas" - WARNING~! Here's the NSFW link to the scene from Pulp Fiction

63. Place to hitch a ride?: STAB - stabLE - again, with a gimmick like this, a "?" clue only makes it that much more difficult . . . IMHO, a horse is usually "hitched" to a post, but housed in a stable

DOWN:

1. Bud: MAC - not PAL, so I was already in the hole before I even started . . . the def at dict. dot com

2. Make a call: OPT - I pondered "UMP"; Tuesday "O" 3LW dupe #1

3. Zeros: NAUGHTS - Brit-speak

4. Crosswalk spot: STREET - phew; Friday vague

5. Hindi honorific: SAHIB - phew; Friday vague

6. Actress Thurman: UMA - phew, Crossword staple - but still a name, #5 

7. Guernsey, for one: MILK COW - good WAG on my part

8. As opposed to: UNLIKE

9. Shares on socials: POSTS

10. Abbr. for a rained-out event: PPD - PostPoneD

11. Fictional captain Hornblower: HORATIO - I am unfamiliar with this character, name #6

12. Foment: STIR UP

13. Giant pole tossed in Highland games: CABER - I knew this . . . 

14. Monastery head: ABBOT - . . . and this, but something was just not working on the crossings . . . 

19. Miscalculate: ERR - I thought I had ERRed, but then I got to the reveal

23. Midsize ride: SEDAN

25. Director DuVernay: AVA - name #7; a web page

26. Kesha's "__ Tok": TIK - seemed likely, but still too name(ish) for me, #8

27. Trojan War warrior: AJAX - actually looking for a proper Greek name, #9, more here

28. Shuttlecock paths: ARCS

33. Relaxed pace: TROT - Dah~! No LOPE

34. Monster slain by Hercules: HYDRA - it's "all Greek to me" part II

35. Neat: TIDY

36. Like businesses with no overhead?: OPEN AIR - meh.  Another vague "?" Twurd clue

37. "Yay, team!": "WE DID IT~!" - "Yes~!" We have the "Thwurd" fill~!

38. "__ you like to know?": "WOULDN'T" 

39. Fire on all cylinders: HUM

40. PD dispatch: APB - Police Dept., All Points Bulletin

41. Light: IGNITE

42. "¡Ándale!": "RAPIDO~!" - Español

43. Refinery inputs: CRUDES - I was thinking ORES, not liquids

44. Seed covering: TESTA - learning moment; the M-W def. here

45. Polio vaccine developer: SABIN - name #10; I wanted SALK, and I was NOT wrong - his Wiki

46. Canvas support: EASEL - Dah~!  Got caught thinking TENT POLE canvas - also like the clue/answer from this past Tuesday - not art canvas

47. Thompson of "Creed": TESSA - name #11 - another MCU character

48. Ipanema greeting: OLÁ - Geo name, Brazil - Tuesday dupe, #2; more here

53. "Hip Hop Is Dead" rapper: NAS - not up on my rappers - name #12; the irony~?  His track samples Iron(y) Butterfly, and the song "In A Gadda Da Vida"- if you care to listen, and the riff is definitely an earworm, then here's the YouTube rap song link

55. Sci-fi beings: ETs

56. Anaheim team, on scoreboards: LAA - The Los Angeles Angels

57. Subside: EBB

Splynter

Grid Flow 19.6, which is low

Friday, Apr 17th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

  VANNA B's

You would wannabe her if you got paid $10mil to turn letters

"G" ( gee ), I vonder vhere LA Times Crossvord editor Patti VVVarol got the idea for this theme . . . and a packed theme it is, too - six, count 'em, SIX, themers today, for a total of 66 squares, or 35% of the total puzzle - I have not tracked this info, but I am curious about it in future puzzles.  "V" replaces "W" in common phrases, a sort of German accent-type of sound which results in some humorous changes.  Standard 15x15 grid, the triple-sixes and double-eights in the corners giving us a whopping 28 3LWs, no circles, too many names, four( ish ) Twurds, two stray "V"s, but overall, a typical Friday-level solve.   The 6 themers; 

17. Encouragement to a writer who shows an early penchant for rhyme?:

"YOU COULD DO VERSE~!" - "You could do WORSE", an additional spelling change with the "O" going to "E"

24. Carefully evaluate pasta?: VET NOODLES - Wet Noodles

31. Gardener who only plants the most exquisite ivy?: VINE SNOB - Wine Snob -  too similar, less humorous

41. Anthem for a Colorado ski resort?: VAIL SONG - Whale Song; a bigger alteration, with the "H" dropped and the synonymous spelling 

47. Weapon wielded by a particularly dangerous snake?: VIPER BLADE - Wiper Blade

Far Side snakes at "Vail"

54. Safes made in the Volunteer State?: TENNESSEE VAULTS - the biggest spelling change, Tennessee WALTZ.  Learn more from this blue-highlighted web link and hear the song from another Patti, ( Page ) - lately, there seems to be some confusion from anon types in their comments indicating a lack of info regarding the clues & answers, and their connections - may I suggest checking the phrases and/or words highlighted in 🠆 blue 🠄 for web links to more; a ( PSA ) Public Service Announcement from your Friday fact-finding blogger 😁

But Vait, There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Unaccounted-for period: GAP

4. Six-time WNBA All-Star Thomas: ALYSSA - name #1

10. Textspeak qualifier: IMHO - Text-speak, In My Humble Opinion

14. Timetable abbr.: ARRival

15. Talked up: TOUTED - think sales/advertising

16. Lion's "I'm going to eat you!": ROAR - at least it wasn't "RAWR"

20. Singer Jason with the album "Love Is a Four Letter Word": MRAZ - name #2 - the Wiki

21. Core muscles: ABs

Medieval workouts

22. Ga. capital: ATLanta, Georgia

23. Shadow: TAIL - think spies, cops & P.I.s

28. Quartz suffix: ITE - quartzite - I bought grey Kraftmaid cabinets to upgrade the original 1955 kitchen in my home; now I am looking for a purple-toned countertop to compliment my dishes, pots, pans and utensils - I like the look of this, called "tempest"

29. Much sitar music: RAGAS

Spinal Tap - "you don't wanna go raga . . . "

30. Actress Russo: RENE - name #3

33. Pop duo __ & Him: SHE - I have heard of them; Zooey Deschanel is "she"

She played Trillian in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", too

35. Scale intervals: OCTAVES - stray "V" #1

36. Cry of frustration: "BLAST IT~!"

Biggs had a larger, but edited, role in the first Star Wars movie

40. Waze tech: GPS - Waze, the app for getting you there . . .

42. Taylor, to Swifties: IDOL - Taylor Swift's fanatics are called Swifties

45. Actor Vaughn: VINCE - stray "V" #2, name #4

46. Compass dir.: ESE - I had ENE, couldn't parse the crossing Down; Inniston~? see 38D.

50. Punxsutawney figure: PHIL - #5, our weather predictor - and his accuracy compared 

About as good as TV Weather reporters . . .

51. Individual: ONE

52. Small battery: AAA

53. Experts: PROS

60. Lake into which the Cuyahoga empties: ERIE - the most poular lake in crosswordom, geo name #6

61. "A Real Pain" Oscar winner Culkin: KIERAN - half a WAG on my part; name #7 - his Wiki

62. Mama deer: DOE

63. Heap affection (on): DOTE

64. Has disdain for: SCORNS - "feet hath no fury like a woman's corns" 😜

65. 1975 TV debut, familiarly: SNL - Saturday Night Live

Star Wars casting spoof

DOWN:

1. Writer/editor Roxane who co-owns the online literary magazine The Rumpus: GAY - name #8

2. Like basmati rice: AROMATIC - I have not had this rice, so I have not smelled it . . .

3. Appealing to one's baser nature: PRURIENT - $2 eight-letter fill

4. Encyclopedic in range: A TO Z - Amazon's logo, implied by the arrow

Everything from A to Z

5. Reed of the Velvet Underground: LOU - I knew who this was, name #9

Venus in Furs, a cover of the Velvet Underground by Monster Magnet

6. Actor Brynner: YUL - #10

7. Time zone wd.: STD - meh.  An abbr in an abbr clue/answer; from November 2nd (ish) through March 8th (ish), I live in EST, or "Eastern Standard Time"

8. Some cars: SEDANS

9. Vinegary marinade: ADOBO - Español for 'marinade' - more here

10. Choler: IRE

11. Spirits: MORALE - LIQUOR fit, too - so you know where my mind is . . .

12. Hurry: HASTEN

13. "... if you know what's good for you!": "OR ELSE~!"

18. Berkeley, familiarly: CAL - As I said @ 7D, I am an East coaster; I tried USC

19. Brandy letters: VSO - meh. Very Special/Superior Old ( Pale ) - I couldn't find a link to just V.S.O.

23. DVR option: TiVo

24. Wind instruments?: VANES - Now this is clever clue/answer

25. Big personalities: EGOS

26. Word often seen under a tilde?: TAB - TAB is beneath the keyboard [~ `] key 

27. __ code: DRESS - Dah~!  Not MORSE

29. Say "I'll be there," say: RSVP - meh - IMHO, you don't SAY an RSVP, you WRITE an RSVP

32. Old quarter back: EAGLE - I tried BISON

Old Quarterback

33. Cake serving: SLICE - I eat nothing less than a SLAB in my house

34. In fine fettle: HALE

36. Kansas or Alabama: BAND - name(s) #11; "band" was my first guess; I know KANSAS ( and HuskerG linked Dust in the Wind last Saturday ); I am not familiar with the music of Alabama - their website

37. Climbers' supports: TOEHOLDS

38. Demand: INSIST ON - Ah - not the town of Inniston, UK

39. Neutrogena shampoo: T-GEL - name(ish)

41. Passing through: VIA - meh.  "I got to my brother's house via I-495" does not mean I was 'passing through' the asphalt 😜

42. November sticker: I VOTED - Twurd; did you hear that Apple has come out with a new device for finding leprechauns~? It's called the "iRish"

Hi Irish Miss~!

43. Bread: DINERO - I figured this was slang for 'money', waited on perps; the Wiki for US words

44. "I can't wait to see what's inside!": "OPEN IT~!" - Twurd

45. Pickle brand: VLASIC

48. "Hair Love" voice actress Issa: RAE - name #12, a crossword staple

49. Soaks up the sun: BASKS - TANS was a bit "light"

50. Newark-based insurer, on stock tickers: PRU - I shoulda known this - the NJ Devils of the National Hockey League play at the "Prudential Center"

Their logo can almost be seen on the sign

53. Kitchen array: PANS

55. Once called: NÉE

56. Job listing letters: EEO - Equal Employment Opportunity - I always make the mistake of filling in EOE ( thinking employeR ), and mess up that section of the puzzle

57. Make a blunder: ERR

58. Many an airport shuttle: VAN

59. Salt, in French: SEL - and our last 3-Letter Word

Splynter

Grid Flow a Wery Low 18.4

Friday, Apr 10th, 2026 ~ Lynn Lempel

  WRACK of LAMB

Ovine humor #1 - and a "rack" recipe 

Today makes three solid Friday frolics in a row - Lynn Lempel ( see below ), a seasoned constructor who started making crosswords in the 1970s, now has a total of 104 puzzles published, the EGOT of one for each day, and a whopping 74 of those grids on Monday alone - typically the hardest ones to make, as the clues & answers need to be uncomplicated early in the week.  Today we have the added, silent "W" to "R" words that completely change the definition of said words & phrases.  A very clever, tight group of in-language phrases, and none of the tripe I do not care for in crosswords - nary a Twurd to be found.  A standard 15 x 15 grid, no circles, a few more names than I would like, but most of them not so obscure, a 3LW count just two higher than the number of 5-letter words - and three ovine references.  The four, all 11-letter themers;

17. Get-together before the holidays?: WRAP SESSION - Rap session

Goes well with 56 Across

30. Bicycles and airplanes?: WRIGHT STUFF - ( The ) Right Stuff, a movie - I had another play on the word/name 'Wright' in this crossword 

45. Broken-down washing machine?: DEAD WRINGER - A washer's "rinse" cycle spins up to a speed high enough to "wring" out one's clothes.  Dead Ringer - two meanings; the truth one, and the false(th) one - and a movie ( pluralized ) as well

61. "Good job on that coup you pulled off"?: WELL WRESTED - Well-rested, a slight outlier with the hyphen

But Wait, Thewre's Mowre~!

ACROSS:

1. Homes in the sticks?: NESTS - Har-har~!  I reached out to sumdaze for an Eagle update; her words -

"As it turns out, the two chicks just hatched this [last] weekend so these are very exciting times on the nest! The parents are Shadow & Jackie. The two chick will not get names until they're much bigger."

6. Fabric for a fez: FELT - Alliteration

10. World Series org.: MLB - Major League Baseball - we're officially into the 2026 season

13. Puff piece?: ÈCLAIR

Nom-nom, yum-yum, win-win~!

15. Boba option: ALOE - filled via perps; #18 on the chart - see 44D. below

16. Wearable souvenir: TEE - T-shirt, like from a concert, and not "LEI" - TEE comes in at #43

19. By way of: VIA

20. Big band member?: TUBA - I think the "?" could have been left out on a Friday

21. Puss in Boots, for one: CAT - I am not having much success with finding a Schnauzer rescue, so now I am considering getting me a kitty-cat - I like the idea of a cat, and I have field mice that get into the basement on occasion ( though not this winter, and it was a cold winter ), but I need to "claw-proof" some things, and then I am going down to the shelter.

22. Like the members of BTS: KOREAN - These kids 

24. Turn: SOUR - think milk, or relationships . . .

26. Gives a hoot: CARES - Our constructor is old school, like me

Woodsy says, "Give a hoot, don't pollute"

27. __-Man: PAC

34. "Killers of the Flower Moon" people: OSAGE - I do the Downs first, so I was 60% filled VIA perps

36. One who might make a ewe turn?: RAM - Sheep humor #2

37. Like avocados: OVAL

38. Peru's "City of Kings": LIMA - geo name #1

39. Brand of riding mowers: DEERE - name(ish); my tractor is a Massey Ferguson, and I got a flat last year - need to address this problem soon

41. Irk: RILE

42. Genesis plot: EDEN - a garden plot of dirt, that is . . .

43. Before, in verse: ERE - #4 on the list

44. Many a Chopin piece: ETUDE

49. Distress signal: SOS - #223

50. Word in some English place-names: SHIRE - The shire reeve came to be pronounced "sheriff"

No dagnubbit, the sheriff is a - . . .

51. College World Series org.: NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Assoc. - the Wiki

53. Hummus ingredient: TAHINI - I wanted CHICK PEA to fit, but I had two extra "beans"

55. Tower of note: AAA - Tow - er, like Flow-er = 'river'; the author got me this time - Triple A being this organization since 1902 - I did not know it was THAT old . . . 

56. Ductwork sealer: TAPE - actually, it's the one thing Duct Tape is not good for - foil tape is better

60. __ Bravo: RIO - geo name #2, and slides into the top 100 at #99

64. Blow it: ERR - just misses the Top Ten at #12

65. Some long-term investments, briefly: IRAs - #27 in the singular

66. Considered: DEEMED

67. Hook's partner: EYE - in the plural, it's #439

68. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory: NEMO - name #3

69. Like voices after a loud concert: RASPY

DOWN:

1. Terrarium critter: NEWT - "I got better . . ."

2. Beige shade: ECRU

3. Chunk: SLAB

4. Spanish apps: TAPAS - Dah~!  I had taCOs to start - the appetizers, that is 

5. Girl of the fam: SIS - abbrs

6. Observe Ramadan, say: FAST

7. "ManningCast" co-host: ELI - name #4, one of three Manning brothers - fill #5 on the Top Ten

8. Attention hog's cry: "LOOK AT ME~!" - first 8-letter Down

9. Choral section: TENORS

10. Pompeii destroyer, for short: Mt. VESUVIUS - Dah~!  Got caught up thinking "ETNA"

11. Skywalker twin: LEIA - Star Wars name #5; LUKE fit, too

12. Three __ salad: BEAN

14. Happen again: RECUR

18. Wrapped silk dress: SARI - I would have reworked the dupe "wrap" out of the clue

23. Be short with, perhaps: RETORT - and . . . 

25. Be short with?: OWE - in at #354, tied with ESC, IGOR, NNE & ODD 

26. Scorch: CHAR

27. Propelled, as a punt: POLED - I had OARED, so, close, but no gondola gold

28. Parenthetical remark: ASIDE - [ I told them we already got one~! ]

The Frawnche taunting the silly English Kuh-nig-its

29. Returned to dry land: CAME ASHORE - the second 10-letter Down

31. Earth-friendly: GREEN - ah.  I was thinking ECO, but what~?

32. Three-time Masters winner who was knighted in 2009: FALDO - golfer Nick, name #6

33. Skedaddles: FLEES - nailed it

35. Figure on some rupees: GANDHI - name #7

39. Behind: DERRIERE - the other 8-letter Down

My thanks to the author~!

40. Sandusky's lake: ERIE - geo name #8, but I knew it 'cuz lived in Cincinnati Ohio - and a Wed dupe

44. Historic time span: ERA - Crossword's #1 Top Twenty ( of a list of 500 ) fill word

46. Beneficial to both sides: WIN-WIN

47. Chew (on): GNAW - another dupe from Wednesday

48. BlueMountain.com product: eCARD - I thought this was a pet supplies company - Bzzzzt~! 

52. Adrift: AT SEA - this fill makes the list at #439

53. Dendrologist's concern: TREE -  I thought "dendr-" was nerves ( and I am not wrong ), so I tried AXON

54. Unsubstantial: AIRY

55. Furthermore: ALSO - comes in at #239 - ALTO is higher . . . #116

57. Bodega fixtures: ATMs - I was kinda surprised to find this ( non-plural word ) did NOT make the Top Ten - in fact, it's WAY down at 186 . . . 

58. Chirp: PEEP - Peeps are SO last weekend . . . 

59. Swirling current: EDDY

62. On the __: LAM - Sheep humor #3

"I'm on the Lam(b), But I Ain't No Sheep" - 

from Blue Öyster Cult's debut album, 1972

63. Suffix with puppet: EER - and this one comes in at #325

Splynter

Grid Flow a low 22.2