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

Thursday, December 25, 2025, Katie Hale

Theme:  $omething extra in your stocking.

Today's crossword puzzle comes to us from Katie Hale, assistant crossword editor of the Los Angeles Times, who lives in London, England.  Thanks, Katie, for spreading Christmas cheer from across the pond!  We have some lovely, long theme answers today, and four circled letters.  The circled letters are added to English phrases, transforming the meaning of those phrases so that they match the clues.

16-Across. Produces apian-themed bedroom decor?: MAKES A BEE LINE[N].  Original phrase:  Makes a beeline, that is, goes quickly and directly toward a specific goal.  Adding N gives us MAKES A BEE LINEN, which is apian (bee related) sheets, pillowcases, and other fabric items that decorate a bed.

23-Across. Brand stylization such as camel case?: BUMP ON A LOG[O].  Original phrase:  Bump on a log, that is, someone who sits idle.  Adding O gives us BUMP ON A LOGO.  The reference is to "camel case," a writing format that eliminates spaces between words and indicates separation with capital letters:  PowerPoint, iPhone, FedEx, eBay.  The capital letter sticks up like the hump on a camel, and is often used in brand names.

40-Across. Creates cabernet with mallets?: HAMMERS OUT A WIN[E].  Original phrase:  Hammers out a win, that is, achieves a successful outcome through intense effort.  Adding E gives us HAMMERS OUT A WINE.  Imagine using mallets, which are hammers with large heads, to beat grapes into wine.

51-Across. English noble with an eyebrow ring?: PIERCED EAR[L].  Original phrase:  Pierced ear, that is, an ear in which a hole has been made to allow an earring to pass through.  Adding L gives us PIERCED EARL, a nobleman with additional body piercings.

61-Across. End-of-year perk, and what this puzzle's circled letters form: CHRISTMAS BONUS.  The circled letters spell NOEL, which means Christmas, and comes from the Latin natalis meaning birth or birthday.  A Christmas bonus usually connotes extra money added to one's paycheck at the end of the year, but in this case, we get some extra meanings thanks to NOEL.  The extra Christmas is a bonus!

What other Christmas treats does Katie have in store for us?  Let's open all the gifts.

Across:

1. Extract in some dog treats, briefly: CBD.  Cannabidiol (CBD) is an extract of Cannabis, and has been used to treat anxiety and pain, without much clinical evidence to support that usage.  Still, anything to help Fido feel better.

4. Fare ways?: CABS.  One way to get where you're going?  Pay a fare to ride in a cab.

8. Blue Ribbon beer: PABST.  Pabst claims that its beer was renamed Pabst Blue Ribbon following its win as "America's Best" at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Whether the brand actually won an award in 1893 is unclear, but the beer had won many other awards at other fairs, and Pabst had already started tying blue ribbons around every bottle.  It was such a great marketing ploy that this was an easy answer for you today.

13. Mine material: ORE.

14. Tech gift-guide site: CNET.  Check it out.  

15. Uneasy feeling: AGITA.  Agitation or anxiety.

16. [Theme clue]

19. Jessica of "The Better Sister": BIEL.  Jessica Biel is an American movie and television actress. She co-starred with Elizabeth Banks in "The Better Sister," a 2025 Amazon limited series TV thriller.  The premise:  two estranged sisters, one married to and the other divorced from the same man, are forced together after he is murdered.

Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks

20. London's prov.: ONT.  London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada.  Not the same London where our crossword constructor resides.

21. Step up from amateur night: GIG.  A gig is a paid performance.

22. Cal. column: MON.  Calendar column:  Monday.

23. [Theme clue]

28. "R u 4 real!?": OMG.  Are you for real?  Oh my god!  (Text abbreviations.)

29. 1860s prez: ABE.

30. Before now: AGO.

31. PG Tips and Barry's: TEAS.

British and Irish tea brands

33. Odds partner: ENDS.

36. Contradict in court: REBUT.

40. [Theme clue]

43. Slumber: SLEEP.

44. Tip-top: ACME.

45. Element of cooled pudding: SKIN.  Pudding skin is a rubbery film that forms on the surface of cooked puddings as they cool.  In one episode of Seinfeld, George proposed to cut the skin off of puddings, wrap them in plastic, and sell them as "pudding skin singles," akin to Kraft Singles American cheese.

46. Objective: AIM.

48. "Tinker Bell" voice actress Whitman: MAE.  Mae Whitman has been acting since she was six years old.  She has a long list of movie and TV credits; you may remember her from Parenthood (2010-2015).

Mae Whitman, Lauren Graham, and Miles Heizer in Parenthood

50. Actress Mendes: EVA.  Eva Mendes acted in a lot of movies before calling it quits in 2022, citing a lack of good roles that weren't specifically Latina.  She has two daughters with Ryan Gosling.

Eva Mendez and Ryan Gosling

51. [Theme clue]

56. 43-Across letters: REM.  SLEEP letters?  REM is a stage of sleep marked by -- you guessed it -- Rapid Eye Movement and vivid dreaming.

57. One point in gin rummy: ACE.  Gin Rummy, or simply Gin, is a two player card game in which aces are always valued at one point.

58. DC villain Luthor: LEX.  In DC comics, Lex Luthor is a supervillain with no superpowers.  He's just a wealthy, evil genius, and he's the archenemy of Superman.

Even a supervillain can grow up to be President.

59. Tie to a dock: MOOR.

61. [Theme clue]

66. Actor/director Waititi: TAIKA.  Taika Waititi is a New Zealnd filmmaker, actor, and comedian.  He co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and more recently directed Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

Taika Waititi

67. Beauty aisle brand: OLAY.

68. Unreliable stat from the chronically late: ETA.  Adorable youngest daughter is not to be trusted regarding her Estimated Time of Arrival.

69. Like an intimidating climb: STEEP.

70. Eyelid issue: STYE.

71. Set: GEL.  Gel as a verb is to change from a liquid into a thick, soft solid.  Set is another way of saying the same thing.  Are you thinking of 45-Across, pudding skin?

Down:

1. Burger, fries, and a drink, perhaps: COMBO MEAL.

2. Cognitive ability improver: BRAIN GAME.  You're playing one!

3. Hockey feint: DEKE.  A deceptive movement or feint that induces an opponent to move out of position.  This seems to be an ice hockey specific term, and can be used as a noun or verb.

4. Includes, in a way: CCS.  We used to do this with carbon copies!  I still sometimes spell out the CCs at the end of an email when I want to the recipients to be aware of whose eyes will see a "reply all."

5. "Ballerina" actress de Armas: ANA.  Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way.  She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.  Ballerina was a 2025 thriller.

Ana de Armas

6. "__-a-Lula": classic Gene Vincent hit: BE-BOP.  "Be-Bop-a-Lula" is a rockabilly song first recorded in 1956 by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.

7. Real-time record-keeper, for short: STENO.  A STENOgrapher's job is to transcribe speech, as it occurs, using shorthand writing or a stenographic machine, especially in courtroom settings.

8. Good bud: PAL.

9. Form 1040 amt.: AGI.  Adjusted Gross Income belongs on Line 11 of Form 1040.  It reflects your income from all sources, minus certain allowable expenses.

10. "That's exactly right!": BINGO.

11. "Doctor De Soto" writer/illustrator William: STEIG.  I know William Steig mostly for a little picture book called CDB! (1968).   Doctor De Soto (1982) won the National Book Award.  The plot features a mouse dentist who wants to help a fox with a toothache, and yet not be eaten by him.

12. Dance with figure-eight steps: TANGO.

17. Idris of "Hijack": ELBA.  Idris Elba appears frequently in the puzzle.  He's a hugely successful actor who gained fame through his role in the HBO series The Wire (2002–2004).  Hijack is an Apple TV+ thriller series that debuted in 2023; a second season is set to premiere in January 2026.

Idris Elba

18. Volcano where Bronte pistachios are grown: ETNA.  Bronte, Sicily, Italy, is on the slopes of Mount Etna, the active volcano.  The little pistachios grown there derive a sweet flavor from the volcanic soil.

Bronte, Sicily, with Mount Etna

22. Wool-loving pests: MOTHS.

24. __ Eats: UBER.

25. Society for smarties: MENSA.

26. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

27. Luxury hotel chain: LOEWS.

32. Spread, as peanut butter: SMEAR.

34. Sleepy housemate: DOC.  From Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

35. __ cum laude: SUMMA.  I imagine that many cruciverbalists earned this distinction in college.

37. Trail for cyclists: BIKE ROUTE.

38. Covering everything: UNIVERSAL.

39. Brunch date hr.: TEN AM.  In L.A., people will invite you to brunch at 1 PM.  1 PM!!  Does the language mean nothing any more?  On the other hand, sure, I can be ready by 1 PM.

41. Extraordinary: EPIC.

42. Feature of some distressed jeans: TEAR.

47. Turn to liquid: MELT.

49. Furry red Muppet: ELMO.  The Tickle Me Elmo doll was a huge fad during the 1996 Christmas shopping season.

51. Promises between besties: PACTS.

52. Apple's old messaging app: iCHAT.  iDON'Tchat.  I'm not an Apple person.

53. Haunting: EERIE.

54. Short exhibitions: DEMOS.

55. Speak highly of: EXALT.

60. Pull felt on Earth: O NEG.  Here I need your help.  Are we dealing with gravity?  With weightlessness?  Is the first character a zero, that is, zero neg?  Help, I'm falling!  Or failing!

[The answer was ONE G -- the force of gravity on the surface of the earth, as pointed out by several commenters.  NaomiZ experienced a blind spot here!]

62. 1950s prez: IKE.

Eisenhower and Nixon

63. Sucker: SAP.

64. Go: SAY.  So I go, that movie is the best!, and Sharie goes, it was totally rad!

65. "Ta-ta": BYE.  Ciao for now.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did this BRAIN GAME give you AGITA?  Did you survive by the SKIN of your teeth?

Or did your SUMMA cum laude and MENSA credentials earn you an EPIC win?

Your gift to the rest of us:  a comment below!

If you don't have a Blogger handle, consider being super cool like Darren in L.A. and signing your Anonymous comment. 

Merry Christmas!

-- NaomiZ

 

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

1) Happy birthday to dear Kathy (Yellowrocks)! I'm so happy to see you back on the blog. I hope you're having an extra-special day celebrating with your family.
 

Yellowrocks, Dec 10, 2020

2) Happy birthday to Lorraine (Fermatprime) as well! I hope you're doing well. And "Hello"  to Malcolm too - he reads our blog regularly and keeps me posted on how Lorraine is doing from time to time.

Fermatprime, Thanksgiving, 2015