Thursday January 1, 2026 Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp

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. 

62. Line of Mary Quant's trademark skirts?: MINISERIES. I'm familiar with Quant creating the MINIskirt only because of crosswords (I swear, honey, I never even looked at one!).

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:

17. [theme]

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!

43. Viking weapon: AXE.

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. 

52. Orates: SPEAKS.

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. 

2. Circular openings in domes: OCULI.

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!

33. Try: STAB.

34. Call with a raised hand: TAXI.

35. State of ramped-up productivity: OVERDRIVE.

39. Zilch: NADA. The number of days left in 2025. 

41. Rate of speed: CLIP. The years seem to go by at a faster CLIP as I get older. It can't be 2026 already?! It seems like only yesterday that Y2K was a problem. Now that's a quarter century ago.

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.

56. Penny: CENT.

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

Sunday February 16, 2024 Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp

Theme: "Wide World of Sports" - Each common phrase is humorously reinterpreted as sports-related, fitting the legend in each corresponding clue.

24. Perfect serve by Serena Williams?: POINT OF NO RETURN.

37. Asset for Simone Biles during a beam routine?: OUTSTANDING BALANCE.

51. Patrick Mahomes's responsibilities on the football field?: SNAP DECISIONS.

63. Lindsay Vonn's secret to winning the super G?: GOING DOWNHILL FAST.

83. Makes like Richard Petty in a NASCAR race?: GETS UP TO SPEED.

93. What the Reds had when Johnny Bench was behind the plate?: HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

112. What Rory McIlroy does to practice his golf swing?: TAKES A TEST DRIVE.

This is indeed Wide World of Sports, covering seven different sports. Each person in the clue is the GOAT in their own field.

This is our third puzzle from Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp. They make a great team

 
Across:

1. Not shy about giving one's opinion: VOCAL. Also 11. Verbalized: SPOKEN.

6. Yogi demonstrations: ASANAS.

12. NMSP qualifying exam: PSAT. NMSP is National Merit Scholarship Qualifications.

16. Black Mission fruit: FIG. So good when fresh.

19. Thrifty alternative: ALAMO.

20. Dynamite roll filler: SHRIMP. With shrimp tempura.

21. Dined at a table for one: ATE ALONE.

23. Flight leader: PILOT.

26. Blow past one's budget: OVER-SPEND.

28. Fulfill, as a promise: KEEP.

29. Elation: GLEE.

30. Scrap and start again: REDO.

31. Anxiety-related med. condition: OCD.

32. Paired fairly: EVEN.

34. Pay rate: WAGE.

43. Clip art?: BONSAI. We call it Penjing. Same art.

 

45. Up to today: YET.

46. "Plus others not listed" abbr.: ET AL.

47. Singer/actress Rita: ORA.

49. Functionality: UTILITY.

55. Collar insert: STAY.

56. Spreads uncontrollably: RAGES.

58. Attestation: OATH.

59. Sheer skirt need: SLIP.

60. Paul David Hewson's stage name: BONO.

61. "You've got mail" company: AOL.

62. Intel employees?: SPIES. Intelligence.

70. "The Iron Claw" actor Zac: EFRON. He bulked up for the role.

72. Espouse: WED.

73. Pork cut: LOIN.

74. Give up: DROP.

75. Ready and willing partner: ABLE.

77. Hellspawn: DEMON.

79. Crude content: SMUT.

87. Eighth planet from the sun: NEPTUNE.

89. Rough guess, for short: EST.

90. Rests one's feet: SITS.

91. Infuriated: MAD.

92. Hand in: SUBMIT..

99. Cheese with a red casing: EDAM.

100. "His Dark Materials" actress Wilson: RUTH. And 117. "The Office" actor Wilson: RAINN.

101. Weed whacker?: HOE.

102. Fissure: RIFT.

105. Golden calf, e.g.: IDOL.

108. Authors: PENS.

110. Unexpected charge: HIDDEN FEE.

118. Crumbly topping: STREUSEL. Often on top of the apple crisp at the Graybar Christmas luncheon. 

119. Winner's wreath: LAUREL.

120. __-Roman wrestling: GRECO.

121. Pro motion?: YEA. Nice clue.

122. Profs' degrees: PHDS.

123. Fire remnants: EMBERS.

124. More peculiar: ODDER.

Down:

1. Gaseous matter: VAPOR.

2. Castelvetrano, for one: OLIVE. Castelvetrano is new to me. Named after the down in Sicily.

3. Poetic name of Scotland: CALEDONIA. Also new to me. Wikipedia says it "was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Scotland that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland.

4. With passion: AMOROUSLY.

5. Parcels: LOTS.

6. Facet: ASPECT.

7. "Scandal" producer Rhimes: SHONDA.

8. Like the McMurdo Dry Valleys: ARID.

9. Writer Anaïs: NIN.

10. Check no.: AMT.

12. French door piece: PANE.

13. Clock app option: STOPWATCH.

14. __ Lingus: AER.

15. __ Bo: 1990s fitness fad: TAE.

16. Rank: FOUL.

17. Subject line?: IN RE.

18. __ therapy: GENE.

22. Three-star mil. rank: LT GEN.

25. __ shui: FENG. Literally "wind".

27. Electron's antiparticle: POSITRON.

32. Pristine places: EDENS. Have you ever tried a brand called Eden? I recent bought a bag of millet from them. The taste is close to what I had as a kid.

33. Life, in Italy: VITA.

35. Jai __: ALAI.

36. Some folks: GALS.

38. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.

39. Big Board abbr.: NYSE.

40. Vivid root vegetable: BEET.

41. "Check your temper!": COOL IT.

42. Hudson of "Ghostbusters": ERNIE.

43. Crosstown transit option: BUS.

44. Baseball great Mel: OTT. Picture from Big Easy a while ago.

48. Nile reptiles: ASPS.

50. Bowen of "Wicked": YANG.

52. Piglet's pal: POOH.

53. Surrealist painter of "The Elephants": DALI.

54. Cos. like Xfinity and Verizon: ISPS.

57. Zeus, e.g.: GOD.

60. Container: BIN.

61. "One more thing": AND.

62. __ Antonio: SAN.

63. Sea cave: GROTTO.

64. "Didn't mean to do that!": OOPS.

65. Rice University athletes: OWLS.

66. Break down, in a way: WEEP.

67. Generative AI tool: LLM. Large Language Model. Learning moment for me.

68. Bird on the Canadian dollar coin: LOON.

69. Handled adroitly: FINESSED.

70. Boundary: EDGE.

71. Sassy: FRESH.

75. Tried: ATTEMPTED.

76. Pear variety: BOSC.

77. Narrator of "The Book Thief": DEATH. The cover looks scary.

78. Current event?: EDDY.

79. Barrel-wearing dog: ST BERNARD.

80. Prepared for burial, as in ancient Egypt: MUMMIFIED.

81. Sea urchin on a Japanese menu: UNI. We also have 109. Unadon fish: EELS.

82. Lunar New Year: TET.

84. Cheaper, perhaps: USED.

85. City on the Arno: PISA.

86. Send out: EMIT.

88. "__ 'er there!": PUT.

94. Disorderly fight: MELEE.

95. Serve-yourself coffee holders: URNS.

96. Cook (up): RUSTLE.

97. Shake with cold: SHIVER. This winter has been brutally cold.

98. Alpine sounds: YODELS.

103. Yard separator: FENCE.

104. Sax type: TENOR.

105. Teeny-weeny: ITSY.

106. Go out with: DATE.

107. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.

110. Take on: HIRE.

111. "Logically, this means ... ": ERGO.

113. "Yo!": SUP.

114. Fire remnant: ASH.

115. Flow stopper: DAM.

116. "Ay, there's the __": RUB.

Anyone else on our blog takes Methotrexate? I started the pills last Tuesday for my rheumatoid arthritis, along with prednisone. 

C.C.

Sunday September 3, 2023 Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp

Theme: "Do the Math" - Each common phrase is rephrased as if it's math-related.

23. Button on a quartermaster's calculator?: MILITARY OPERATION.

30. One?: OPENING NUMBER.

50. Birds + Bees = Bundle of Joy?: BABY FORMULA.

63. Staunch advocates of quotients?: DIVISION CHAMPIONS.

80. Average thoroughfares?: MEAN STREETS.

96. Knack for reciting multiplication tables?: PRODUCT RECALL.

106. Fails to complete a subtraction problem?: MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.

Second Sunday collaboration from Jill and Michelle. We had them last December with this "Hesitations" theme.

I really like the 50A clue. So inspired. I would need to shoot an email to Fremont, Nebraska.

Across:

1. Mature: AGE.

4. "Things Fall __": Chinua Achebe novel: APART. Nigerian novelist.

9. Exam for jrs.: PSAT.

13. Lack compatibility, as colors: CLASH.

18. Clickable address: URL.

19. One of 17 properties on a Monopoly board: AVENUE.

20. Supply company in Road Runner cartoons: ACME. Regulars know that ACME = Andrea Carla Michaels. Boomer was in pain then, but walked quite a bit that day.

Boomer, C.C., Tom Pepper & Andrea, 5/26/2021

21. Must: HAS TO.

22. Simon and Garfunkel, e.g.: DUO.

26. Little rascal: IMP.

27. Term of endearment: BAE. Bao Bei in Chinese (Baby).

28. Burden: ONUS.

29. Amount consumed: INTAKE.

35. Burdened: LADENED.

36. "For sure!": YES.

37. Archer of myth: EROS.

38. Builds to a crescendo: SWELLS.

40. Colorado site of the Winter X Games: ASPEN. 41. 40-Across forecast: SNOW.

43. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO. Never had this. Never tried some things you guys eat.

44. Detest: HATE.  And 48. Bad mood: SNIT.

45. Ceiling: CAP.

49. "__ McCartney": 2016 compilation album: PURE. Unknown to me.

54. Jump over: HOP.

55. Judean king: HEROD.

56. Stockpile: AMASS. My stockpiled frozen durians are all gone. Can't wait for the next durian season.

57. Valuable minerals: ORES.

58. Female sheep: EWE.

59. Laundry appliance: IRON.

60. Self-checkout action: SCAN.

61. Australian sextet: STATES. And 72. Down Under bird: EMU.

68. Category on Disney+: MARVEL.

70. Cries from Homer: DOHs.

71. Cogito __ sum: ERGO.

75. Neighborhood: AREA. Just learned that two units in our quad have guns. Kind of surreal to see guys doing drugs in my driveway at 4:00am. 

76. Vowel sequence: AEIOU.

78. Move furtively: SLINK.

79. Shrill bark: YAP.

83. Silent assents: NODS.

84. Actor Mostel: ZERO. Number too.

85. School of thought: ISM.

86. Tattle: TELL.

87. Dull: FADE.

88. Expand: WIDEN.

89. "Gunsmoke" star: ARNESS. James.

91. APR-reducing loan: RE-FI.

92. Author: PEN.

93. Sleeping spots for tabbies: CAT BEDS.

102. City west of Flint, Michigan: OWOSSO. Never heard of it. Famous for what?

103. Hydrox rival: OREO.

104. Lend a hand: AID.

105. Poseidon's realm: SEA.

111. Toque, e.g.: HAT.

112. Cara of "Fame" fame: IRENE.

113. Learning by repetition: ROTE.

114. In tatters: RAGGED.

115. Time for last-minute gift wrapping: EVE.

116. Pennies: CENTS.

117. Title for a fictional fox: BRER.

118. Rose: STOOD.

119. Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second __": SEX.  And 53. Sound of pain or pleasure: MOAN.

Down:

1. Video counterpart: AUDIO.

2. Curmudgeon: GRUMP.

3. Act unceremoniously?: ELOPE.

4. Birds: AVIANS.

5. Ship owner who described Ahab as "ungodly, god-like": PELEG.

6. "Both Hands" singer DiFranco: ANI.

7. Road groove: RUT.

8. Dim sum drink: TEA. From my friend Lesley. Her favorite dim sum items. She's also a tea connoisseur. Wish you guys could meet her. Sweetest Cantonese girl.

9. Liam of One Direction: PAYNE.

10. Uses steel wool, maybe: SCOURS.

11. Increases, with "up": AMPS.

12. "Fore!" site: TEE.

13. Friend on "Friends": CHANDLER. Bing.

14. Foamy hot beverages: LATTES.

15. From the Philippines, e.g.: ASIAN.

16. Stir up: STOKE.

17. Sharpened: HONED.

19. Insomnia option: AMBIEN.

24. Rips off: ROBS.

25. Oldest bridge spanning Venice's Grand Canal: RIALTO.

31. Duma veto: NYET.

32. Campari cocktail: NEGRONI.

33. Goaded: URGED.

34. Farm sound: MOO.

35. Flips (through): LEAFS.

39. Reasons: WHYS.

40. Arthur in the International Tennis Hall of Fame: ASHE.

42. Wildly improbable goal: PIPE DREAM. Great fill.

43. Portuguese bread?: EUROS.

45. Greeted a queen, perhaps: CURTSEYED. I spell it as CURTSY.

46. Away from the wind, nautically: ALEE.

47. "Hard no": PASS.

49. Hazard: PERIL.

50. Greek god of wine: BACCHUS.

51. Indian nurses: AMAHS. Lots of Filipino amahs in Hong Kong. They're the largest ethnic minority there.

52. "Munich" star Eric: BANA.

55. Bee hub: HIVE.

60. Supercilious sort: SNOOT.

61. Inks: SIGNS.

62. __ one's time: TOOK.

64. Lendl in the International Tennis Hall of Fame: IVAN.

65. Garfield's goofy housemate: ODIE.

66. Like a hummable tune: MELODIC.

67. June celebration: PRIDE.

68. Spanish term of affection: MAMI. Our Mommy.

69. Son of Zeus: ARES.

73. Female zebra: MARE.

74. Over: UPON.

76. City in Provence: ARLES. The cover of my compact mirror. Got it at Musée d'Orsay 23 years ago.

77. Snaky fish: EELS. And 87. Made dinner for: FED. I want to be fed grilled eels.

78. Big blunder: SNAFU.

81. Emphasizes: STRESSES.

82. Muscle-bone connector: TENDON.

84. Metal in pennies: ZINC.

88. Tidied the garden: WEEDED. My #1 goal is to keep our Asiatic lilies alive. Boomer loved them so much.

89. Away: ABSENT.

90. Pixie: SPRITE.

91. Ski rack spot: ROOF.

92. __ to sell: PRICED.

93. Open mic performer, often: COMIC.

94. Plugged in: AWARE.

95. Arcade coin: TOKEN.

97. Send (to): REFER.

98. Letter between Sierra and Uniform: TANGO.

99. Clambake leftovers: ASHES.

100. Split: LEAVE.

101. Paint choice: LATEX.

103. Stench: ODOR. The intense, relentless odor from my neighbor's week-long weed parties (so so many guys and girls came for the orgies)! The day Splynter blogged for me, I was on the trails early in the morning for fresh air, then again in the hot afternoon, for a total 6 hours. Crazy.

107. Globe: ORB.

108. Hosp. areas: ERS.

109. "I smell a __!": RAT.

110. Psyche component: EGO.

C.C.