Latest Puzzling Podcast Episodes
Fill Me In #388: I wanted this to be a celebration, not an embarrassment.
Fill Me In - April 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsFill Me In is almost entirely rooted in the unnecessary glorification of the E Division ... and despite all of Brian's attempts at celebration, Ryan makes a complete disaster of everything. All that, plus a contest puzzle (!!!) from Stephanie Lane and Norah Sharpe (aEiS, WotED). If you get bo...
Fill Me In #387: It may not be sultry, but it slaps.
Fill Me In - March 28, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Brian is joined by musical theater connoisseur Rachel Fabi for an in-depth analysis of Bad Cinderella. Actually, yes -- but we also talk crosswords and most notably draw your attention to These Puzzl3s Fund Abortion, a charity puzzle pack in support of reproductive healthcare. All tha...
Fill Me In #386: There’s a whole suite of obfuscators.
Fill Me In - March 21, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian are joined by Norah Sharpe (aEiS) for a recap of the first ever Naked Crossword Challenge! (It's not what you think.) Also: bassless accusations, "facts" about Mountain Dew, and Kealoa featuring CREED vs. CREDO. Stuff to click: Norah Sharpe aka Shannon Rapp – website...
Fill Me In #385: These things don’t have guacamole in common.
Fill Me In - March 14, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsYou know what an extra long show (usually) means? More Ben Zimmer! This week, Ryan and Brian are joined by their dear friend The Barnacle who educates on demonyms and other wonderful topics. Also: a week in crosswords and a rousing edition of Kealoa featuring EON vs. ERA. Click ahead to read B...
Fill Me In #384: The natural gaseous amalgamation.
Fill Me In - March 07, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian learn about Michigeese, Saturn's Hexagon, the seaplanes of Canada, and some lyrics from a musical Ryan has to guess. Also: a week in crosswords and a rousing edition of Kealoa featuring ASAP vs. STAT. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill M...
Fill Me In #383: I kept this secondly for a reason.
Fill Me In - February 28, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian learn about Jupiter, flying to the moon, Velma, the Underwater Music Festival, charity puzzles you get by donating to the Red Cross, and the values of TSA PreCheck. There's a week in crosswords, some algorithm tweaking, and a rousing edition of Kealoa featuring AVER vs...
Fill Me In #382: What is keeping Jupiter together?
Fill Me In - February 21, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Brian can't seem to do anything right, Ryan is tested on his knowledge of music, and we leave the opening countdown in the MP3 for no discernable reason. There's a week in crosswords, some interstellar existentialism, and a rousing edition of Kealoa featuring LENTO vs. LARGO. If yo...
Fill Me In #381: It happened, and you weren't in it.
Fill Me In - February 14, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsAt roughly twelve minutes per viewer mail, we can all only hope Ryan didn't get his wish of 7+ "My Cousin Vinny" messages. (HINT: He didn't.) Also: Puns & Anagrams (and why they are good), crosswords for charity (and why they are good), and Split Decisions (just kidding). Stuff to click: Hayl...
Fill Me In #380: Milk is before Mr. Baseball.
Fill Me In - February 07, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week's episode is loaded with late 1980s nostalgia, the 12-Guess Movie Game, an excessive rant about some bad decisions from the New York Times, a rousing game of "Kealoa" featuring A TON vs. A LOT, and a bold reminder to make a donation to get some puzzles from Grids For Kids. If you ge...
Fill Me In #379: Waaay better than an anary.
Fill Me In - January 31, 2023 12:22 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsIt's a long show, but it's worth it, as Ryan and Brian are joined in the studio by Shannon Rapp (aka Norah Sharpe / an Expert in Sconces / "the name is fake but the puzzles are real."™). We've got surprising homophones eunuchs/UNIX, more Eric than you knew was possible, a Thunder Round of non-NY...
Fill Me In #378: It’s a little like radio signals to Saturn.
Fill Me In - January 24, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian learn about the Eric Conspiracy, dip into the FMI time capsule courtesy of fans who are listening to shows from 2019, and tackle a Sondheim-themed Learned League quiz. Also: this week's "Kealoa," featuring ELUDE vs. EVADE. If you get bored, write something for the Fi...
Fill Me In #377: The last stop on the WOTY junket.
Fill Me In - January 17, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian are graced with the return of The Barnacle! Ben Zimmer stops by with the inside scoop on the Word of the Year (which earned us an "explicit" rating). Other news: 64-card decks, Brian doesn't know the difference between Latin and French, and this week's "Kealoa," featuri...
Fill Me In #376: Thank you for that emotional ride.
Fill Me In - January 10, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian find great joy in an FMI tribute puzzle, attempt to learn the word "veridical," fail to remember what is or is not a sea, and play a second rendition of "Kealoa," this time featuring ROAM vs. ROVE. If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you...
Fill Me In #375: Not exactly sure what kind of animal Flounder is.
Fill Me In - January 03, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsHappy New Year! This week, Ryan and Brian learn more about The Little Mermaid, reflect on the value of a V-neck sweater, and introduce a new game show, "Kealoa!" If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon. Do you enj...
Fill Me In #374: I don’t understand it, but I love talking about it.
Fill Me In - December 20, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian learn a bit more about folding paper, attempt to make sense of soup, and analyze the minutiae of a musicalized Disney princess. Stuff to click: join our Discord for some extremely sparse conversation "Despacito," if (like Brian) you've never seen it Blooming Onio...
Fill Me In #373: Slap it on where it hurts.
Fill Me In - December 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian get some education in math, Italian playing cards, and baseball players who don't belong in the Hall of Fame. If anyone can teach us how to make Rows Gardens, that would be pretty cool. Stuff to click: Peter Gordon's Fireball Newsflash Crosswords Steve Mossberg's ...
Fill Me In #372: I have retroactive wiseness.
Fill Me In - December 06, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan turns FIFTY! Also, he and Brian learn a little more about acrostics, hear from the time-traveling Hersh family, propose a new club (not the sandwich) (though the sandwich comes up in conversation as well). Stuff to click: Alex Boisvert's Crossword Nexus, including the Acrostic...
Fill Me In #371: 56% sugar by weight.
Fill Me In - November 29, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian discuss getting older, examine the history of cereal, and ponder the predictive powers of musical theater programming in central New York. Stuff to click: Crossword Discord -- worried about the demise of Twitter (and Crossword Twitter)? Join Discord! Blockables.app...
Fill Me In #370: I don't know if it's quartz or tornado.
Fill Me In - November 15, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian learn more about the world's quietest room, explore the intricacies of clefs, and consider the realities of time. If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon. Do you enjoy our show? Actually,...
Fill Me In #369: That’s billion with a B.
Fill Me In - November 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian dream of winning the lottery, bemoan the realities of baseball and America, and invent a new kind of pastrami. Puzzle content shows up eventually, but if you like the other typical nonsense, we've got you covered. If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In w...
Fill Me In #368: Oh my god, another goose.
Fill Me In - November 01, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian reminisce various random memories from the 1970s and 1980s, ponder the pros and cons of being forced to watch "Stayin' Alive" in perpetuity, and then declare (but later redact) that Will Nediger can do no wrong. If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wik...
Fill Me In #367: "Why?" is the bigger one … and "How?" comes in second.
Fill Me In - October 25, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian welcome Shannon Rapp back to the program with a fantastic extended Thunder Round all about indie puzzles! It's quite spoiler-laden, so if you want to check out the puzzles first, here are links to the sources: girlbosswords: Themeless 20: Difficult Women (September 15...
Fill Me In #366: It’ll be November soon. You know that because Ryan is miserable.
Fill Me In - October 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan is sad and Brian is grumpy. What does that mean for Fill Me In? Another week of random banter about whatever happens to come up. Many questions about math, music, and "Stayin' Alive," if you're into that sort of thing. If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. ...
Fill Me In #365: A different awkward from the normal awkward.
Fill Me In - October 11, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian are delighted to welcome Kate Chin Park and Will Eisenberg to the studio for a conversation about woodworking, pie-baking, and even a bit on crosswords. (Will and Kate constructed our most recent contest puzzle, so there's a recap of that as well!). As always, the other...
Fill Me In #364: Utterly devoid of value and form.
Fill Me In - October 04, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian ARE IN THE SAME PHYSICAL SPACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS AND THAT'S MORE OVERWHELMING THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE! All that, plus a contest puzzle from Kate Chin Park and Will Eisenberg, which you can download at https://www.dropbox.com/s/jk3z1f2coh9pfzw/fmi363c...
Fill Me In #363: Ryan, you’re exploding with amazement.
Fill Me In - September 27, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian welcomes the mastermind behind Daily Crossword Links (and reigning Lollapuzzoola Champion) Matt Gritzmacher! Anyone looking for new crosswords to try (especially if you thought the #nytxw was the only game in town) -- get thee to Daily Crossword Links. Also -- a new con...
Fill Me In #362: Soap bubbles, sophomores, and the breakfast test.
Fill Me In - September 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian consider the legacy of The Phantom of the Opera, the responsibility of Yu Darvish, and the squishability of something that is both wet and soft. All that plus a contest puzzle from Neville Fogarty and Rachel Fabi, which you can download at https://www.dropbox.com/s/7865...
Fill Me In #361: I’m on board only because I followed the cool people, not because I understand where the train is going.
Fill Me In - September 13, 2022 07:00 - 2 hours ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsDon't tell Ryan, but this week, Rachel Fabi and Neville Fogarty break into the studio and coerce Brian into the longest episode of Fill Me In ever! And to make it even stranger, it has more puzzle content than usual ... and a lot of it is about cryptic crosswords! Neville gives a master class ...
Fill Me In #360: I can sacrifice one Dorito to the street.
Fill Me In - September 06, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian conceive of a new crossword game show, discuss what foods may and may not survive the five-second rule, and take a deep dive into ass. You can still get the puzzles from Lollapuzzoola! If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling ...
Fill Me In #359: Still trying to jump the shark, a whole season later.
Fill Me In - August 30, 2022 07:00 - 2 hours ★★★★★ - 101 ratingsThis week, Ryan and Brian conclude Season Seven without having achieved "the arc" (which was apparently to have made a movie?!) -- and Ben Zimmer shows up to talk us through the highlights of Lollapuzzoola from behind the scenes. It's a long show, and we considered cutting out the vegetable ta...
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