Historical clue formulations

• Have a standout performance — 2025-09-20
• What starry skies and star pupils do — 2025-07-22
• You might take one to a new friend — 2023-09-08
• Excel (at) — 2023-08-02
• Excel — 2023-01-01
• *Certain forecast — 2022-01-05
• Perform brilliantly — 2020-07-30
• Stand out from the crowd — 2020-05-03
• What stars and bootblacks both do — 2020-04-27
• What diamonds and straight-A students do — 2019-06-24
• Bootblack's job — 2018-12-04
• Excel — 2017-12-12
• Excel — 2017-10-15
• Buff — 2014-06-21
• Scintillate — 2011-11-27
• Perform very well — 2009-10-14
• "Rise and ___!" — 2009-08-31
• What light bulbs and bootblacks do — 2009-07-27
• Perform superbly — 2009-06-14
• Glow — 2008-08-03
• Perform superbly — 2007-11-24
• Liking — 2006-10-26
• Distinguish oneself — 2006-07-26
• Rise and ___ — 2006-02-06
• Stand out — 2005-02-04
• Sparkle — 2003-03-24
• Perform well — 2001-09-02
• Bootblack's job — 2001-05-21
• Excel — 2000-05-25
• 1996 film for which Geoffrey Rush won Best Actor — 1998-07-07
• "Rise and ___!" — 1996-10-28
• Fancy — 1996-06-22
• Stand out — 1996-05-12
• Patina — 1996-01-08
• Excel — 1995-10-26
• Excel — 1994-10-30