Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword
1,437 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsA short, fun and occasionally not unintentionally educational podcast in which two fans of the New York Times crossword describe their puzzle-solving travails.
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Episodes
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - A little ELBOWROOM for TYLER the Creator!
August 17, 2022 01:00 - 12 minutes - 8.69 MBSend us a Text Message. A fine Tuesday crossword by Sue Fracker, with a well-done and clever "bendy" theme ( deets are in the podcast). Both Jean and Mike were slightly taken aback by at least two clues, Jean by 23A, Motorboat's trail, WAKE, and Mike by 14D, Sport with a coxswain, CREW (not ROWING: but the two are synonymous). In other news, Mike almost faints when he discovers that there is a 3-letter music genre that is not SKA; but recovers enough to save some face in today's Triplet T...
Monday, August 15, 2022 - NEYO? Meet NEMO!
August 16, 2022 02:00 - 13 minutes - 9.61 MBSend us a Text Message. A lively enough Monday crossword (esp. considering the presence of NAP and MICROSLEEP in the grid), with a few celebs (SELA Ward, Justin TRUDEAU, and NEYO) to give it that extra PEP! In other news, our NY Times Crossword Subscription Contest has drawn to a close, and we have winner!! Was it you?? There's only one way to tell: subscribe, download, and listen up! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBo...
Sunday, August 14, 2022 - KA-CHING!
August 15, 2022 02:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MBSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword is by the founders of xwordinfo.com, Jeff Chen and Jim Horne, and today's high-quality puzzle reflects that: the theme is ingenious, multilayered and ... well, we'd say more, but we want to keep you in some (mild) suspense before you hit the ol' download button! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!
Saturday, August 13, 2022 - PAIGE the librarian? What an awesome APTONYM!
August 14, 2022 00:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Opinions on the difficulty of today's crossword were mixed: Jean finished it in 19 minutes, Mike finished it in slightly less than forever. What the dynamic duo do agree on is that this was a fantabulous crossword, we are both METAFANs, and that it deserves (along with Thursday's, for the first time we have a tie) the JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award)!! We also have listener mail, and our "Win a Free NYTimes Crossword subscription" contest is rapi...
Friday, August 12, 2022 - Where's today's podcast? Would you believe ... THEDOGATEIT?
August 13, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBSend us a Text Message. A relatively straightforward Friday crossword, with some elegant subtleties in the grid that need to be seen to be appreciated. For instance, let us draw your attention to the intersection of 54A, Response to someone who got the answer instantly, YOUNAILEDIT, and 36D, Crushed a test, ACEDIT. [That was apparently the section of the grid devoted to smarties.] We also had 21A, _____ blanc, VIN, and 45A, _____ noire, BETE (where blanc is white and noire is black, in Fren...
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - An ADORABLE crossword!
August 12, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBSend us a Text Message. An absolutely ingenious theme deftly implemented by David Tuffs, rounded off with some great clues -- 8D, Pasta named for quills, PENNE (huh!), 55A, Phone-y document, FAX, (ha, ha!), and 4D, Title monster in an H.P. Lovecraft story, CTHULHU, (heh, heh, heh! ). All the deets, as well as a reminder about our current contest, are as close as a click or a tap, so click (or tap), listen, and enjoy. Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icl...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - Faster than a speeding bullet, it's ... a SALUKI??
August 11, 2022 02:00 - 11 minutes - 7.87 MBSend us a Text Message. A definitely easier-than-yesterday crossword, Jean got through it expeditiously; Mike mysteriously forgot how to spell AUTO, opting for OTTO, hence hilarity and longer-than-normal-solve-times ensued. Still, you have to like a crossword with clues like 55D -- One of six in this clue, WORD -- and we did! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversati...
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - RAPA NUI, when you *really* need to get away from it all!
August 10, 2022 01:00 - 12 minutes - 8.67 MBSend us a Text Message. A definitely tougher than usual Tuesday offering -- probably because Bruce Haight's at the helm -- but a fun solve, with LOTSA challenges and curiosities in every corner of the grid. From 33A, 1st-yr law students, ONELS (obvious in hindsight), to 37A, What "C" faucets are in Italy, confusingly, HOT (huh, who knew?). Even though we were ONEDGE while working through this puzzle, we FESS that we liked it -- a lot! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cr...
Monday, August 8, 2022 - Today's crossword was XTRA fine!
August 09, 2022 01:00 - 9 minutes - 6.45 MBSend us a Text Message. A nice start to our crossword solving week courtesy of Kathy Lowden, with several answers definitely worth remembering because they might show up later in the week, but with several orders-of-magnitude more difficult cluing: we're looking at you, IAMB, PHO and BRASSY. Just a reminder, we're running a contest this week -- a year's subscription to the NYT Crossword. If you want to enter, just drop us a line, [email protected], and you will be entered! Good ...
Sunday, August 7, 2022 - ETNAS -- winner of the 2022 most aptly named piece of lab equipment contest 😀
August 08, 2022 01:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSend us a Text Message. We are back after a week's hiatus, and welcoming us back is a superb crossword by Tina Labadie, her debut -- but you wouldn't know it from the finely crafted clues! We have all the deets inside plus ... a new contest! All emails (to [email protected]) between now and next Sunday will be entered in a drawing for a year's subscription to the New York Times crossword! One entry per contestant per day, please, and good luck! Contact Info: We love listener mail...
Sunday, August 7, 2022 - ETNAS -- winner of the 2022 most aptly named piece of lab equipment contest 😀
August 08, 2022 01:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBWe are back after a week's hiatus, and welcoming us back is a superb crossword by Tina Labadie, her debut -- but you wouldn't know it from the finely crafted clues! We have all the deets inside plus ... a new contest! All emails (to [email protected]) between now and next Sunday will be entered in a drawing for a year's subscription to the New York Times crossword! One entry per contestant per day, please, and good luck! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswo...
Sunday, July 31, 2022 - We have to spell SRIRACHA? SRSLY? IGUESS ... SRIRACHA!
August 01, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 8.11 MBSend us a Text Message. A middle-of-the-road Sunday crossword, appropriate considering all the road references lurking in today's grid -- 108D, Inits. on the road, MPH; 109D, Inits. on the road, (yes, again) AAA; 27D, Fwy. or expy., RTE; 64A, Flagship vehicle line for Mercedes-Benz, SCLASS -- and there might've been more, it's a big grid! Just a head's up, we are taking the week off to recoup and recharge, but we do have a vast collection of podcasts in the ol' archive that will hopefully ...
Saturday, July 30, 2022 - LUGES and LOGES and LILTS, oh, my!
July 31, 2022 01:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBSend us a Text Message. A tricky Saturday crossword (as one would expect!), with vast swathes of white squares and just a few oases of black to break up the monotony. The cluing was suitably obfuscatory -- 51D, Supervisory challenges, EGOS; 26D, Location designed to attract whales, HOTELCASINOS (!); and 56D, Suffix for a rank, DOM (!!!) are just 3 examples, we explore more in today's episode, as well as pick our JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award); and ... we have listener ...
Friday, July 29, 2022 - Uno v. SBARRO - who will win??
July 30, 2022 01:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBSend us a Text Message. A nice Friday crossword by a veteran constructor, Robyn Weintraub. Jean found the puzzle to be a piece of cake, Mike found it to be almost impossible, until the crossword deities smiled benevolently upon him, and reminded him that a better answer for 21A, Employment history, would be CAREER, rather than RESUME or CRVITA. Robyn is known for her great clues, and today's puzzle is exemplary. In other news, it's Fun Fact Friday, and today' we explore the mysterious lif...
Thursday, July 28, 2022 - This crossword was HASHTAG SWELL
July 29, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 7.97 MBSend us a Text Message. A curious Thursday crossword by Bill Pipal and Jeff Chen (always a good OMEN to see M. Chen in the masthead), that asks you to do what we generally try and AVOID, i.e., CUT CORNERS. The result is a crossword about which we have no choice but to wax RHAPSODIC, for reasons that will become clear in today's installment. Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike u...
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 - The name's Kurosawa, AKIRA Kurosawa!
July 28, 2022 01:00 - 13 minutes - 8.97 MBSend us a Text Message. Have you ever considered how many phrases involve articles of clothing? Fortunately Enrique Henestroza Anguiano has, and this witty Wednesday crossword is a result. Jean had no trouble with the grid. Mike didn't so much forget how to spell 48D, Traditional garment in West Africa, as discover that he never even knew how to spell it -- for the record, it's CAFTAN (as in today's grid) or alternatively KAFTAN, but never, ever CAFTEN -- Mike's guess being based on that fa...
July 26, 2022 - ROSHAMBO and RIFFLING in one crossword? Heart be still!!!
July 27, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 9.79 MBSend us a Text Message. A fine Tuesday crossword by Lillian Simpson, with a debut entry for 25A, Certain spousal state (which we will not state right here, you'll either have to be a good guesser or listen to the podcast to find out), a jaw-dropper as far as Mike's concerned with 46D, Leaf (through) (and again, download / listen up to get the 411 on that); and finally 50A, More eye-roll inducing, maybe, CHEESIER (which these show notes seem to be degenerating into, so we are going to stop r...
Monday, July 25, 2022 - The last answer in today's grid? It could've been ... THEBITTEREND
July 26, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBSend us a Text Message. A marvelous Monday crossword, with a grid that just sings -- thanks in no small part to some great musical references - from LIL Jon (and Wayne), to Yoko ONO, to one of those discoveries that make you want to shout with joy, DRU Hill (definitely check them out if you are unfamiliar ... or even if you are, their music clearly will abide many, many listenings). For more on them and the rest of this sizzling grid, you are just this far away (we are holding our fingers ...
Sunday, July 24, 2022 - Felicitations!
July 24, 2022 22:00 - 12 minutes - 8.45 MBSend us a Text Message. A shout-out to today's constructors, Jessie Trudeau and Ross Trudeau, who got married this very weekend. Whether the placement of today's crossword on this particular Sunday was just a coincidence, or possibly a wedding present from the NYTimes, doesn't really matter, because the crossword was certainly a present to its solvers - a fun romp with a diverting theme. We have all the deets inside, so raise a toast to the happy couple, then download, listen up, and enjoy!...
Saturday, July 23, 2022 - This crossword deserves a CHEFSKISS
July 24, 2022 00:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBSend us a Text Message. A majorly difficult Saturday crossword, with a fair number of rarely mentioned celebrities (at least here in 2022). Even the most recent, 18A, Defense secretary under Obama, PANETTA, is not exactly a household name; 31A, First person to fly solo around the world (1933), WILEYPOST, probably also isn't a frequent topic at the kitchen table; and 27A, Marion ________, Best actress winner for "La Vie en Rose", COTILLARD, was a new name for Mike, and a spelling challenge ...
Friday, July 22, 2022 - A WORK_OF_ART!
July 23, 2022 01:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Well, to be precise, today's crossword is a work of David Steinberg, but it definitely is also a WORK_OF_ART. There were so many great answers, it's hard to single them out, but we certainly appreciated the artistry in working both BLUR and SLUR into the grid, as well as the tactical deployment of WHAMO!. The clues were also nicely done: 24D, Bolt for the finish line?, USAIN; 43D, Put down, WRITE (woah!); and 42D, Latin lovers, officially speaking, POPES (double woah...
Thursday, July 21, 2022 - Planet of the ... BONOBOS?
July 22, 2022 01:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBSend us a Text Message. You'll need to be flexible to solve today's crossword, because that's what some of the answers are - they flex when you least expect it (which would be ... all of the time, because answers tend to either go across, or down, not both). Jean, following her usual MO, cottoned onto the trick quite quickly, Mike, following his, did not. There were some intriguing clues in today's crossword, including some very interesting revelations about OCEOLOT anatomy that you won't ...
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 - PICKACODANYCOD
July 21, 2022 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.44 MBSend us a Text Message. A crunchier than usual Wednesday crossword, not because of the presence of OREOs in the grid, but rather because today's constructor, Josh Kindler, is so adept at his craft. The clues ranged from sorta-kinda obvious, e.g., 53D, It's rigged!, SAIL, to somewhat more obscure, e.g., 45D, King of the Titans, in Greek mythology, KRONOS, to the we never saw that coming, e.g., 38A, Part of a botanical garden, FERNERY. [For the record, the most excellent Green Bay Botanical C...
Tuesday, July 19, 2022 - To quote W. Shakespeare, IAMB what IAMB
July 20, 2022 01:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBSend us a Text Message. A fun Tuesday crossword by Andy Kravis, with some great clues like 52D, "Performer" in a tiny circus, FLEAS (😄); 2D, "What did the _____ do when it was still hungry? Go back for seconds" (dad joke), CLOCK (🙄); and 48A, Bum around London, ARSE (😏). We would also be remiss if we didn't point out a reference to what appears now to be the preferred font of the New York Times Crossword, 31A, Typeface akin to Helvetica, ARIAL -- ironic as that would appear to be the onl...
Monday, July 18, 2022 - A real LULU of a crossword
July 19, 2022 00:00 - 11 minutes - 7.73 MBSend us a Text Message. A HEAP of cruciverbal goodness in today's grid, easier than yesterday's BYLEAPSANDBOUNDS, and very unlikely to leave one ATSIXESANDSEVENS, or, for that matter, ONPINSANDNEEDLES. In short, the perfect start to our crossword solving week, we give it a cheery 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!
Sunday, July 17, 2022 - Read 'em and weep!
July 18, 2022 01:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBSend us a Text Message. Considering how frequently ANTE shows up in the grid, perhaps it's not surprising that an entire crossword devoted to Texas Hold 'Em ought to eventually make it into the New York Times, and ... today's the day, thanks to a fabulous debut puzzle by Greg Slovaceck. This crossword caused a wee bit o' controversy because it involved rebuses, which some solvers always seem to have problems with. Rather than go over it here, we'll cover it in a future episode -- everythi...
Saturday, July 16, 2022 - Hark, Robin, it's the BATPHONE!
July 17, 2022 00:00 - 12 minutes - 8.65 MBSend us a Text Message. Another tough Saturday crossword (hmm... there seems to be a trend here), with a particularly diabolical southwest corner, with clues like 31D, California city in the Mojave Desert, BARSTOW, 32D, Emergency device in DC, BATPHONE (oh, that DC) and 29D, Buttercup relatives, ANEMONES, ready to trap the unwary. In other news, we've found a highly deserving crossword for our JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) -- the deets, as they say, are inside. Cont...
Friday, July 15, 2022 - Gentlest DISS ever: don't be so niminy-piminy 😀
July 16, 2022 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.11 MBSend us a Text Message. Any crossword that works PRIM and PRAM into the grid, and niminy-piminy into the clues, deserves recognition, and we doff our hats in honor of Matthew Stock and Nam Jin Yoon's fabulous Friday puzzle. The mere presence of 33A, Drink with an onomatopoeic name, SLURPEE, and 54A, Utter disasters, TIREFIRES, tells you that you're probably going to be in for a good time, and the rest of the puzzle has that same spiciness, rather like a 42A. Thick tortilla that's the nation...
Friday, July 15, 2022 - Gentlest DISS ever: don't be so niminy-piminy 😀
July 16, 2022 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.11 MBAny crossword that works PRIM and PRAM into the grid, and niminy-piminy into the clues, deserves recognition, and we doff our hats in honor of Matthew Stock and Nam Jin Yoon's fabulous Friday puzzle. The mere presence of 33A, Drink with an onomatopoeic name, SLURPEE, and 54A, Utter disasters, TIREFIRES, tells you that you're probably going to be in for a good time, and the rest of the puzzle has that same spiciness, rather like a 42A. Thick tortilla that's the national dish in El Salvador, P...
Thursday, July 14, 2022 - MNEME, a good person to have on your Trivia team!
July 15, 2022 02:00 - 13 minutes - 9.14 MBSend us a Text Message. Jean found today's crossword to be a piece o' cake, Mike found it to be more like molasses ... apt considering how long it took him to solve this! When you take a close look at the clues, however, you'll quickly discover that there are a lot of gems. To see what we mean, check out 8D, It often comes in 60-, 72- and 84-month lengths, CARLOAN; 9A, Penguins and Sharks are found in it, RINK 😀 ; and 43D, Light shows?, SITCOMS 🤣. Those are just 3 examples. If you haven't s...
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - A crossword with BITE
July 14, 2022 01:00 - 11 minutes - 8.01 MBSend us a Text Message. Another slightly crunchier than usual crossword - that's two in a row for those of you keeping track. What makes a crossword crunchy, you ask? Clues like 9D, Classic beer of there Pacific Northwest, familiarly, OLY; 29A, Primary place to park?, MAINLOT; and even 27D, Grp. for women who drive, LPGA, are splendid examples: not horribly hard (especially with gentle crosses), but not too easy -- basically just right for a Wednesday 😄 Contact Info: We love listener mail!...
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 - Take a peek of these PICOTs!
July 13, 2022 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.55 MBSend us a Text Message. A crunchier than usual Tuesday crossword, although it did start with a fan favorite in 1A, Alan of "Marriage Story", ALDA. For examples of said crunchiness, we need look no further than 19A, Movie co. with a presence at Sundance, IFC; 54A, Long ways to go?, LIMOS (cute!); and the subtle 42A, That's not true, LIE. A great puzzle, we give it a cheery 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. It's also Triplet Tuesday, during which Jean refuses to give partial credit. To hear wh...
Monday, July 11, 2022 - A colorful Monday
July 12, 2022 01:00 - 9 minutes - 6.31 MBSend us a Text Message. A colorful Monday grid, with GREEN, WHITE and BLUE making an appearance, all in the aid of ... nope, no spoiler alerts here. Also, Jean set a PB (Personal Best) for a Monday crossword, but did she break the 5 minute barrier?? Again, no spoiler alerts - to get the full 411, you know what to do: download, listen up, and enjoy! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there an...
Sunday, July 10, 2022 - A crossword DESTINED to AMUSE, DAGNABIT!
July 11, 2022 01:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBSend us a Text Message. A super Sunday crossword, with an ingenious theme, deft cluing, and while a challenge, about 1,000,000,000 times easier than yesterday's Mt. Everest of a puzzle. From clever clues like 120A, Tipsy trips, BARCRAWLS; to treats like 9A, Reward for sitting, say, TREAT; and TIL's such as 27D, New York resting place for Mark Twain, ELMIRA, and the artful 23A, Where some stable relationships form?, STUDFARMS, there was something in the grid for everyone to savor. As me...
Saturday, July 9, 2022 - Medic!
July 10, 2022 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBSend us a Text Message. A true test of cruciverbal mettle and stamina, with some awesomely difficult clues. They aren't hard to find, either: just point randomly anywhere on the grid and you'll be likely to find one. For instance, 33D, Mozart's "Voi, che sapete", and others, ARIETTAS (egads!); 39D, Pool side, SOLIDS (oh, that kind of pool 😀); and 16A, What a snake or dragon can represent, LUNARYEAR. And those weren't the hardest in the grid -- Jean and Mike are still trying to figure out h...
Friday, July 8, 2022 - A TOTEMIC Friday crossword? NUHUH!
July 09, 2022 01:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBSend us a Text Message. A superb. Friday puzzle by Kyle Dolan: Jean found it straightforward, Mike had to dig deeply for clues like 4D, Representative, TOTEMIC (which definitely was not, as far as Friday clues go); 10D, Mission Santa ____ (National Historic Landmark in California), INES (now officially on our bucket lists); 14D, Question at a press conference, maybe, WHOSNEXT (no, WHOSONFIRST 😀). The topper was 22A, Point ____, ocean spot farthest from land, NEMO, which coincidentally and...
Thursday, July 7, 2022 - Double, double, toil and trouble ... or, er, something like that!
July 08, 2022 01:00 - 12 minutes - 8.64 MBSend us a Text Message. If today's crossword makes you fear you are seeing double, do not adjust your, er, eyes, because you are -- thanks to Philip Wolfe's cleverly constructed theme. We have all the deets inside, as well as a slight addendum to a discussion of yesterday's theme, just waiting for you to download, subscribe, and enjoy! A friendly reminder: the New York Times Crossword would love to have you as a subscriber, and it makes a great gift for, well, you (as well as your friends...
Wednesday, July 6, 2022 - This crossword is a RAREGEM
July 07, 2022 01:00 - 11 minutes - 8.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Sam Koperas and Jeff Chen provide a master class in crisp crossword clues, with numerous LOL examples. There are too many to list here, but trust us (better yet, download the podcast and listen to us!) -- the grid is bursting to the seams with 'em. It definitely pegs the scale on the JAMCRmeter (that's Jean And Mike Crossword Rating meter), kudos to both constructors (and Will Shortz, it goes without saying but we just did anyway). Contact Info: We love listener mai...
Tuesday, July 5, 2022 - More SALAD? YOINK!
July 06, 2022 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.59 MBSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword is an homage to Taylor SWIFT, but even if you can't hum FEARLESS or SHAKEITOFF, fear not - the clues are straightforward (respectively 20A, Like daredevils, informally, and 41A, Get over a minor injury, say) and the crosses gentle. Beyond that, we have to pause in admiration of the inclusion of YOINK, which Mike originally took to be YOIK, as immortalized by Daffy Duck, but the crosses fortunately helped straighten him out. In other news, it's Tri...
Monday, July 4th, 2022 - Go, ROYALS!
July 05, 2022 01:00 - 8 minutes - 5.99 MBSend us a Text Message. Jean's favorite team -- the Kansas City ROYALS -- gets into the grid, as did Mike's favorite DC (and MARVEL!) supervillain -- ARCLIGHT -- so that's yet another cause for celebration, beyond, of course, the fact that, it's the 4th of July. Speaking of which, today's crossword was Bruce Haight's 59th, so while he hasn't had quite as many crosswords published as the US had had birthday's, he's definitely making headway! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a l...
Sunday, July 3, 2022 - Grammargrams, get your red hot grammargrams, right here!
July 04, 2022 01:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBSend us a Text Message. Today's fine crossword by Tom McCoy featured grammargrams, a concept so rare that even Google couldn't find it, but thanks to WordPlay (the NYTimes Crossword column) we know that it's a real thing. You didn't need to know what a grammargram was to solve the puzzle - Mike is living proof of that - but it did help - and Jean (of course) is living proof of that. In other news, we have a belated JAMCOTWA to announce, and want to wish a happy 4th of July to all our Ameri...
Saturday, July 2, 2022 - To be clear, a HEXAHEDRA is not a Harry Potter spell
July 03, 2022 00:00 - 8 minutes - 6.18 MBSend us a Text Message. A tough-ish Saturday crossword by Evan Kalish, with clues like 51A, Verb whose past tense form is an anagram of its present tense, EAT (that took a while!); 60A, Assign new keyboard shortcuts to, REMAP (yay, one for the nerds!); and 53D, Plant that symbolized purity in ancient Egypt, FLAX (not FLAN, which while delicious is not necessarily pure), all giving a taste (especially the latter 😀) of the difficulty level involved (high). We loved this crossword, and rate ...
Friday, July 1, 2022 - Shall we talk about the crossword? PRAYDO
July 02, 2022 01:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBSend us a Text Message. A fine Friday effort by Christina Iverson and Caitlin Reid, although both of our dynamic duo (solving, as usual, independently) spent more of their solve time looking for mistakes than filling in the grid. In short the puzzle was relatively straightforward, until -- cue the ominous music -- it wasn't! To hear the deets, as well as (probably) learn a new fact for Fun Fact Friday, all you need to do is subscribe, download and enjoy! Contact Info: We love listener mail...
Thursday, June 30, 2022 - As a famous soothsayer once soothed, beware the I's of June -- or something like that
July 01, 2022 01:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSend us a Text Message. A brilliant Thursday crossword by Samuel A. Donaldson and Doug Peterson, that starts off -- as all great Thursday crosswords do -- by imbuing the solver with a sense of befuddlement and disbelief. Then, with a little luck, or in this particular case with a lot of luck, the answer emerges from the fog, and the solver can bask in the radiance of a job well done. Forgive us for waxing poetic here, but as you'll see in today's episode (or by looking at the grid - go to x...
Thursday, June 30, 2022 - As a famous soothsayer once soothed, beware the I's of June -- or something like that
July 01, 2022 01:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBA brilliant Thursday crossword by Samuel A. Donaldson and Doug Peterson, that starts off -- as all great Thursday crosswords do -- by imbuing the solver with a sense of befuddlement and disbelief. Then, with a little luck, or in this particular case with a lot of luck, the answer emerges from the fog, and the solver can bask in the radiance of a job well done. Forgive us for waxing poetic here, but as you'll see in today's episode (or by looking at the grid - go to xwordinfo.com), it truly i...
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - Look, up there in the sky, it's a test, it's a blood type, it's half a great Swedish rock band, it's ... AB!
June 30, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 9.85 MBSend us a Text Message. In today's exciting installment, we go through the 4 stages of Rebus Identification, as today's crossword provides an excellent example of a rebus-festooned-grid. [Full disclosure: we do get a small gratuity every time we use festooned in the show notes, thanks to the generosity of the Society For the Promotion and Preservation of Festooning*]. As you can tell, we had oodles of fun doing this crossword, and to find out why, all you need to do is download/subscribe an...
Tuesday, June 22, 2022 - A True Treasure of a Tuesday!
June 29, 2022 02:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSend us a Text Message. A brilliant crossword by Scott Graham, all revolving around the twentieth letter of the English alphabet. Jean loved the implicit theme. Mike missed most of it, but in today's episode Jean sets him straight, as also puts him through the wringer, it being Triplet Tuesday™️. Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!
Monday, June 27, 2022 - Hooray, it's the HOYAS!
June 28, 2022 01:00 - 10 minutes - 7.43 MBSend us a Text Message. You might want to wear shades when solving this crossword, and RUBIN a dollop of SPF -- for reasons that will become abundantly clear once you've done so (solved the crossword, with or without the sunglasses and lotion). Apart from the brilliant theme, the grid had a few gems -- the rarely seen HOYAS making its 11th appearance in the NYTimes crossword, the slightly rarer SELFIE (10 times), and the very elusive MONKEYSUNCLE making just its 3rd appearance in the grid...
Sunday, June 26, 2022 - Argh, beware, SHIPMATES, this here be a SALTY crossword
June 27, 2022 01:00 - 11 minutes - 8.24 MBSend us a Text Message. If you like movies, and you like puns, you'll love today's puzzle, which is teeming with them. Who can resist simultaneously giggling and groaning at 61A, Staunch dedication to one's upper leg exercise routine?, THIGHFIDELITY, or 94A, Tire-puncturing way across a river, BRIDGEOFSPIKES? And even if you don't like those, there is still a lot to admire in today's grid. All the deets lie within, so subscribe/download and enjoy. Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop ...
Saturday, June 25, 2022 - TAQUERIA mockingbird??
June 26, 2022 01:00 - 14 minutes - 9.77 MBSend us a Text Message. A fine Saturday crossword by Adam Aaronson. Jean tore through it so quickly that her keyboard melted, whereas Mike's keyboard was in no danger whatsoever, except from a mild fist pounding from time to time. We have all the deets inside, as well as the always suspenseful bestowing of the JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), so hit subscribe, click download, and do enjoy! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]...