March 11, 2026

Title: COMMON PHRASES

Constructors: Jess Rucks & Jess Shulman

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• GOOD RIDDANCE (20A: "I'm happy to see them gone!")
• ROOM TO GROW (37A: Potential for improvement)
• SENSE OF HUMOR (56A: What comedians hope audiences have)

COMMON PHRASES: The first word of each theme answer can be paired with the word COMMON to make a new PHRASE: COMMON GOOD, COMMON ROOM, and COMMON SENSE.

And now a word from our constructors:

Jess R.: Thus begins the Jess and Jess Empire, unofficially officially titled, "Jess the Two of Us." Luckily for me, Jess isn't just someone with a great name, she's also an excellent constructor and collaborator. Jess had this theme idea, we workshopped it a bit, and here we are! I love her clue for RANDOM.

Jess S.: So happy to see this collab out in the world, the first of many, I hope. Through this puzzle I learned that Jess is a former barista who even had LATTE art skills! (That's one thing we don't have in common.) It's a true pleasure to work with someone as kind, smart and fun as Jess!

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• NINO (65A: ___ Sarratore ("My Brilliant Friend" character)) My Brilliant Friend is the first novel in a four-part series by Elena Ferrante known as the Neapolitan Novels. (I have previously written about the Italian author Elena Ferrante, who writes under a pseudonym and has kept her identity secret even after her books began to achieve success.) The TV series, My Brilliant Friend (2018-2024), is an adaptation of the book series. Although I've written about My Brilliant Friend and Elena Ferrante before, I wasn't familiar with the character Giovanni "NINO" Sarratore.
• LIK-M-AID (44D: Hyphenated brand name on a Fun Dip wrapper) I think I had Fun Dip once when I was a kid (that was a year or two ago...). The candy has been on the market since 1940 (so it's older than me!); it was originally called LIK-M-AID. Although the candy's name has been changed and it's now owned by the Ferrara Candy Company, LIK-M-AID still appears on its packaging. I had a heck of a time correctly parsing this answer while I was solving the puzzle.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PURRS (9A: Makes a happy-cat sound) This is a great opportunity to share a photo of Jess. R.'s cat, Milo, who looks quite happy under that blanket.

Milo

• ATP (23A: WTA's counterpart) WTA here is the Women's Tennis Association. Its counterpart is the ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals.
• RIHANNA (25A: Singer who revealed her pregnancy during her Super Bowl halftime performance)  RIHANNA was the headline performer for the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in 2023. Prior to the halftime show, RIHANNA teased in an interview that she might bring out a "surprise" guest. When RIHANNA appeared on stage, the red outfit she wore showed off a baby bump. She performed the show while pregnant with her second child. 
• THC (31A: Pot's potent part) I appreciate the alliteration of this clue. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the active ingredient in pot. THC can induce a range of effects including, relaxation, euphoria, heightened sensory perception, and either decreased or increased anxiety.
• TOE (36A: Digital hot tub tester?) This is a fun question mark clue. The clue is not referring to a digital thermometer that one might use to test the temperature of a hot tub. Instead, it's referring to a TOE, a digit that one might stick in the hot tub to assess its temperature. TOES are having a great crossword month. We've seen the plural TOES in the puzzle three times this month already and now the singular TOE ... and the month is only a third finished.
• MALI (43A: Timbuktu's country) Timbuktu is a city in the West African country of MALI. Timbuktu is located north of the Niger River, and on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The city was founded in the 5th century, becoming an intellectual and spiritual center for Islams from the 13th to 17th centuries. In 2012 and 2013, many of Timbuktu's historic buildings, including its three mosques, were destroyed when al-Qaida forces occupied the city. Additionally, many historical manuscripts were in danger and some were destroyed. I have previously written about the book, The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, which tells of the efforts of Abdel Kader Haidara to smuggle manuscripts out of Timbuktu.
• CALICOS (56A: Colorful cats that are almost always female) CALICOS have a mix of three colors of fur: white, orange, and black. My cat, Willow, is happy to share the Sally's Take limelight with other pets. However, she insisted I share a photo of her today as well, since she is a female CALICO cat. Like Milo, Willow is also fond of hanging out under blankets.

Willow

• KSU (55A: Sch. whose mascot is Willie the Wildcat) Kansas State University (KSU) is located in Manhattan, Kansas. Its sports teams are the Wildcats, and, as the clue informs us, its mascot is Willie the Wildcat. (Milo and Willow approve.) Willie the Wildcat is typically depicted with a human body and a giant wildcat head.
• SENSE OF HUMOR (56A: What comedians hope audiences have) I had the funny thought that in addition to a SENSE OF HUMOR, comedians probably also hope audiences have COMMON SENSE.
• SELMA (59A: Alabama city in civil rights history) SELMA, Alabama is located about 50 miles west of Montgomery on the banks of the Alabama River. The Edmund Pettus Bridge that crosses the Alabama River in SELMA was the site of events on March 7, 1965, that came to be known as Bloody Sunday. Civil rights demonstrators were attempting to march from SELMA to Montgomery to advocate for voting rights, when they were attacked by police as they were attempting to cross the bridge.
• IRAN (62A: Nation whose flag has "Allahu Akbar" written 22 times) The flag of IRAN is a tricolor flag with horizontal bands of green (top), white (center), and red (bottom). Where the green and white stripes meet and the white and red stripes meet, the phrase "Allahu Akbar" is written repeatedly in Arabic – 11 times at each color convergence, for a total of 22 times. This Arabic phrase is referred to as the takbīr. It translates to "God is greater," or "God is the greatest," and is used by Muslims around the world as an expression of faith. I don't feel like I can mention IRAN without acknowledging current events. My heart goes out to the people in IRAN. People are living through horrible situations that have resulted from decisions made by a few influential people. Many, many years ago I read a sentiment that has stuck with me (although unfortunately I don't remember its source), "All wars end by talking at the table. Why can't we start with talking at the table."
• OMEGAS (1D: Horseshoe-shaped letters) OMEGA is the 24th and final letter of the Greek letter. Capital OMEGAS are indeed shaped like horseshoes (Ω), while lowercase OMEGAS are shaped like the letter w (ω).
• ATTIC (5D: Top story?) Not the top story in a news broadcast, but an ATTIC, the top story of a house.
• RAE (11D: Actress Issa) If you solve crosswords on a regular basis, it's helpful to know Issa RAE's name. Both her first and last names are useful to crossword constructors, so she shows up in crosswords on a regular basis. Also, Issa RAE is worth knowing about. Her work includes co-creating and starring in Insecure (2016-2021), portraying President Barbie in Barbie (2023), and writing a memoir titled The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (2015).
• RANDOM (21D: "That's a bit off-topic") From now on I am going to imagine readers thinking, "RANDOM" as they read the tangents I sometimes go off on when blogging! This is not totally RANDOM (since Jess R. mentioned that Jess S. came up with this clue), but this seems like a good time to share a photo of Jess. S.' dog, Scout. We like all pets here!

Scout

• MASON (38D: Layer of bricks?) Not a row of bricks, but a person who lays bricks – a MASON.
• ARC (40D: Three-pointer's trajectory) The word ARC is making back-to-back puzzle appearances, as we saw it yesterday clued as [Path of a jump shot].
• MOANA (53D: Disney role for Auli'i Cravalho) In Disney's animated movies MOANA (2016) and MOANA 2 (2024), Auli'i Cravalho voices the title character.
• ERIN (57D: "___ Brockovich") The movie ERIN Brockovich (2000) told the story of ERIN Brockovich's lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California, which involved groundwater contamination in Hinckley, California.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• LATTE (67A: It might have foam art)
• BLOOPER REEL (3D: Compilation of goofy gaffes)
• UNREAD (10D: Still in bold, like an email)

I enjoyed this theme of COMMON PHRASES. It makes it even more fun that the puzzle was constructed by two people with a COMMON name. I am lucky enough to count Jess and Jess as my friends, and I am here for the Jess and Jess Empire. Thank you, Jess and Jess, for this delightful puzzle.