Happy New Year! It's RustyBrain kicking off 2026. Starting today, I'll be your host every Thursday. NaomiZ, who always did a fabulous job on Thursdays, is moving to Mondays to take over from sumdaze who is retiring after an incredible run. Big shoes to fill all around (not to imply they have big feet!). Moving on before I get in any more trouble this year...
Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp have me at a disadvantage here. I never got into women's clothing, so I didn't know most of the designers. We picked the wrong day for Naomi to move! That being said, the perps were fair so the solve went smoothly. All the themers are compound nouns for everyday things, but one or more of the words is also an article of clothing. Let's try them on for size:
17. Crossover design from Vivienne Westwood and Diane von Fürstenberg?: BUBBLE WRAP. Our fashion show begins with two models on the catwalk: Westwood's BUBBLE skirt and von Fürstenberg's WRAP dress. Iconic looks from their signature designers that should never be worn together.
29. Creative team behind Lilly Pulitzer's signature frock?: SHIFT WORKERS. Pulitzer's bright, colorful clothes were very popular and worn by the likes of Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. She rose in prominence when her original SHIFT dress, a simple loose-fitting garment that allowed a women to "shift" around, was photographed on Jackie Kennedy.
47. Item in Giorgio Armani's 50th anniversary collection?: BIRTHDAY SUIT. The devil wears NADA! I know Armani also makes SUITs for men, as I have a closet full. Not.
So, everything fits but this puzzle didn't have anything to do with the New Year. Not the constructors' fault as puzzles are created months in advance, but I'll see if I can work some magic for you!
Across:
1. Complete failures: BOMBS. BOMBS can also be explosives, just like the fireworks used to ring in the New Year over Sydney Harbour.
6. "Now!": STAT. I wrote ASAP at first, but I was too quick.
10. A couple of bucks?: DEER. Fun clue!
14. Oak tree, once: ACORN. This little fella has a secret ACORN stash.
15. Words of dismay: OH NO.
16. New Age artist who often sings in Irish: ENYA. ENYA is Irish, but I'd like to hear her sing this old Scottish favorite:
19. Suds: BEER. Hopefully you didn't overdo it last night!
20. Former quarterback Manning: ELI. Peyton's younger brother, Archie's son and Arch's uncle.
21. __-Caps candy: SNO. Is your maple syrup candy SNO-Capped on January 1st?
22. Give a damn?: CURSE. Fie on you!
23. __ gel: contents of "Do not eat" packets: SILICA. Interestingly, SILICA gel is non-toxic. It's the packets themselves that may pose a choking hazard to children and pets.
26. On the decline: WANING.
29. [theme]
33. Liturgical vestment: STOLE. Sorta related to the women's fashion theme.
36. Really, really enjoy a joke: ROAR.
37. Madre's sister: TIA. Your mother's sister is your aunt.
38. Greek cafe: TAVERNA.
40. Alive and __: KICKING. I'm happy to be here!
44. Pinnacle: ACME.
46. Affection from a dog: LICKS.
47. [theme]
51. Patterned fabric woven on Jacquard looms: DAMASK. The fashion show continues. DAMASK is woven by periodically reversing the action of the warp and weft threads. This creates a fabric that when flipped over makes a mirror image of the often intricate pattern.
56. __ shorts: CARGO. You probably won't find these hanging in a fashionista's closet. Then again, you might. Everything I know about fashion would fit in a thimble.
58. Be in debt: OWE.
60. Briny: SEA.
61. Vaping device: ECIG. Electronic Cigarette.
62. [theme]
66. Place for pews: NAVE. These congregants in the central NAVE of a church in Chicago are celebrating the Lunar New Year, an ancient tradition in Chinese and other Asian cultures. It typically falls between January 21st and February 20th.
67. Legend: ICON.
68. Wet bars?: SOAPS. Another fun clue!
69. Even: TIED.
70. Keyboard locale: DESK.
71. Really hard to see: EENSY.
Down:
1. Innocents: BABES.
3. Synergy Supreme+ gasoline retailer: MOBIL. Pegasus was part of the MOBIL logo for many years.
4. "Putting my phone down a sec": BRB. Be Right Back in textspeak.
5. Weekly skit show, for short: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
6. Scattered: SOWN.
7. Target in a game of catch: THROW TO. I thought "target" was a noun at first and went through a list of people one could THROW TO.
9. Blouse: TOP. And yet another fashion reference.
10. Expose as false: DEBUNK.
11. Peppy: ENERGETIC.
12. Seeing things: EYES.
13. Redder than medium: RARE. Unless we're talking about your EYES on the morning after a NYE party!
18. Actor Morales: ESAI.
22. Round fig.: CIR. A CIRcle is the roundest of FIGures.
24. Remote getaway spot: ISLE. Remote getaway spot: SOFA.
25. "Moonstruck" Oscar winner: CHER.
27. Faces the day: AWAKES. This is the perfect time to try something new.
28. Musubi seaweed: NORI.
30. Brawl: FRACAS.
31. Playing surface surrounded by boards: RINK.
32. Droops: SAGS. Just like these banners!
34. Call with a raised hand: TAXI.
35. State of ramped-up productivity: OVERDRIVE.
39. Zilch: NADA. The number of days left in 2025.
42. Beach toy: KITE.
45. Greek island in the Cyclades: MYKONOS. Known for luxury and high-end tourism, MYKONOS is a great place to greet the New Year...if you can afford it.
48. Caught off base?: TAGGED.
49. Med. plan option: HMO. Health Maintenance Organization is a medical plan option, but you already knew that.
50. Functions: USES. Functions: NYE parties!
53. Nepali, e.g.: ASIAN.
54. Stays fresh: KEEPS. How long will you KEEP your New Year's resolution?
55. "Listen to __": podcast that covers a classic teen magazine: SASSY.
57. Berry native to the Amazon rainforest: ACAI.
59. "Don't take me too seriously" indicator: WINK.
62. Prefix with way or wife: MID. MIDway or MIDwife.
63. Raw bar need: ICE. Also a NYE bar need!
64. Language suffix: ESE.
65. Caviar: ROE.
Thank you, C.C., for this wonderful opportunity to be a permanent part of the smartest and friendliest corner of the web. And for those of you who are frequent visitors but haven't commented yet, here's a New Year's Resolution for you: introduce yourself and join the conversation. We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Wishing all of you a happy, healthy (and Natick-free) New Year!
Be good. RB
1 comment:
“Mykonos” was a bit
of a WAG. Otherwise, I didn’t have too much trouble with this fun puzzle. I have no idea what the named “designers” have to do with the themed answers, but that didn’t stop me from solving the puzzle!
FIR, so I’m happy.
P.S. Happy New Year, everybody!
May happiness, health and prosperity be yours in abundance this coming year!
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