Latest Word play Podcast Episodes
Monday, July 8, 2024 - All rise (and smile), PAULA Poundstone is in the grid!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 09, 2024 02:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Quality control at the NYTimes crossword desk is remarkable, week after week they crank out great, great, puzzles -- and today's is just a fine example, a theme that is light and airy -- if it were a food stuff, it'd definitely be a meringue pie. Deets inside, so have a...
Sunday, July 7, 2024 - Wwee lliikkeedd tthhiiss ccrroosswwoorrdd!! 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 08, 2024 00:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A magnificent start to our crossword-solving week, courtesy of David Karp. The theme is inspired, the rest of the puzzle just as well crafted, definitely 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, and certain a contenda, as they like to say, for this week's JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Cr...
Saturday, July 6, 2024 - Ouch!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 07, 2024 01:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword pegged the meter as far as difficulty was concerned, each clue only wanting to begrudgingly give up its secrets, and some not at all! We have the whole blow-by-blow (by-blow-by-blow-by ...), so download today's podcast to hear about our epic struggle. W...
Friday, July 5, 2024 - A SRSLY super crossword!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 06, 2024 01:00 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A very nice bit of work by Trent H. Evans, his 11th crossword for the NYTimes. Jean found it a piece o'cake, Mike found it more of a bowl of CRANACHAN (see our Tuesday, July 2 episode if your knowledge of CRANACHAN is wanting, after which you'll probably be wanting some ...
Thursday, July 4, 2024 - Kaboom!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 05, 2024 00:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's firecracker of a crossword was really two puzzles in one - a crossword, that was not particularly difficult, and an ingenious, completely different puzzle embedded within. Jean cracked both, but Mike was a tad wobbly when it came to the second, as you will hear i...
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - A firecracker of a crossword!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 04, 2024 01:00 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. There was a lot to like in today's crossword, the sixth by Juliana Tringali Golden. A futuristic theme, a lot of fun clues, and any puzzle that can work SMAUG into the grid (65A, The Hobbit dragon) deserves our respect. We also have a dollop of listener mail to round of...
Tuesday June 2, 2024 - The name's Fleck, BELA Fleck. 🪕🎶
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 03, 2024 01:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword (by Josh Goodman, his second!) is an homage to one of Alabe Craft / Ideal Toy / Mattel's greatest inventions, the Magic 8 Ball 😀. There were quite a few pop-culture references today -- 28D, Actress Diane of 1998's Parenthood, WEIST; 35A, Estefan with a...
Monday, July 1, 2024 - This crossword was Just Right 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 02, 2024 01:00 - 8 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A debut crossword by Margi Stevenson, and an excellent debut it is -- not too easy, not too hard, but just right. and to find out why that last subclass was so droll, have a listen to today's podcast, where all will be revealed! Show note imagery: The last SAAB 9-3 ever...
June 30, 2024 - ⚠️ Warning! Bad puns ahead! ‼️
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - July 01, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. If you like bad puns, then you will love today's crossword. If not ... well, you'll likely still marvel at the artistry that went into today's puzzle. We now consider ourselves charter members of the Ginny Too Fan Club, and after listening to today's podcast, we think y...
Saturday, June 29, 2024 - No JUNKART in today's gri... OHWAIT, we stand corrected 🙄
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 30, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. In a remarkable role reversal, Jean found today's crossword to be epically and especially tough, but after inexplicably uttering the phrase "hold my beer", managed to wrestle said puzzle into submission, in a legendary, marathon session which will no doubt inspire many l...
Friday, June 28, 2024 - Are we there yet?
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 29, 2024 01:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Enrique Henestroza Anguiano has set a high bar for this weekend's crosswords, with a Friday tour de force -- challenging, educational, and fun, definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. To find out why it deserves such high praise, do check out today's podcast. Sho...
Thursday, June 27, 2024 - A crossword you can really sink your teeth into!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 28, 2024 00:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's theme was, simply put, delicious -- and not the least bit cheesy. You'll understand why once you've listened to today's episode and/or solved the crossword, so have at it and ... bon appetit! Show note imagery: A mural, made by a MURALIST in Kaukauna, Wisconsin ...
Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 27, 2024 01:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Our intrepid cohosts experienced slightly different solving sojourns as they worked (independently as always) on today's puzzle. Jean cruised through it like a hot knife through a Dairy Queen Blizzard, Mike ... did not, because for an astonishing span of time, in the vic...
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - Want whiter teeth? Today's podcast can help 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 26, 2024 01:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. There are two universities in today's grid, but only one of them can help prevent cavities. To decipher this cryptic sentence, as well as enjoy the rest of our analysis of this fine work by Seth Bisen-Hersch and Jeff Chen, all you need to do is download and listen up to ...
Monday, June 24, 2024 - A magnificent Monday crossword!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 25, 2024 01:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. This was Anthony V. Grubb's debut NYTimes crossword, and it was a delight - slightly crunchier than usual, with some challenging clues - but a terrific theme nigh-well guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Deets inside, so check it out! Show note imagery: An exampl...
Sunday, June 23, 2024 - A picture-perfect puzzle!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 24, 2024 02:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Michael Schlossberg has a rep for creative and challenging crosswords, and he does nothing to belie that in today's opus, his 13th in the NYTimes (and his 3rd Sunday crossword of the year!). There were some real head scratchers in the grid today, including PAWL,GREAVES ...
Saturday, June 22, 2024 - Yes, PLANTSITTER *is* a career path!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 23, 2024 00:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A fine Saturday crossword by Hoang-Kim Vu, so fine, in fact, that it won our JAMCOTWA - Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award™️. With crisp cluing, amusing answers, what's not to like? Nothing, hence the award! Deets inside, so have a listen. Just a friendly reminde...
Friday, June 21, 2024 - Why, yes, Popeye Village *is* a thing
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 22, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. This is Billy Bratton's 9th NYTimes crossword. He tends to specialize in Friday and Saturday puzzles, and this one is an excellent example of the genre, for reasons that we delve into, at length, in today's episode. Show note imagery: A major Maltese tourist attraction,...
Thursday, June 20, 2024 - Three cheers for the "era of good feelings"
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 21, 2024 00:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A slightly tricky Thursday crossword, especially confounding if one fails to grok the theme, a fate that temporarily befell both cohosts (in different ways: as usual, both cohosts solved alone, otherwise Mike would just slow Jean down to a tai-chi / glacial pace). We h...
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 - Happy Juneteenth!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 20, 2024 01:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. We are baaaack! And to welcome us, Brad Wiegmann and Joel Fagliano have provided a fascinating crossword to help us get back into the groove, so check out today's podcast and let us know what you think! Show note imagery: Hop o' My Thumb (really) Contact Info: We love...
Sunday, June 2, 2024 - Look out, here comes a SQUIB! 🦵🏈
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 03, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword was a real deal - two puzzles for the price of one, and each was a delight. We have all the deets inside, so do have a listen. This is our last podcast for two weeks-- we are taking our yearly Summer sabbatical -- so expect to hear from us starting ......
Saturday, June 1, 2024 - The POSHEST crossword this week!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 02, 2024 01:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A splendid Saturday crossword wraps up our crossword-solving week. Saturdays are by tradition the hardest crossword of the week, with the trickiest clues, and this one was definitely in that league. This was Eric Warren's second crossword in the NYTimes, and the first ti...
Friday, May 31, 2024 - We have a FIENDING for more Aidan Deshong crosswords!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - June 01, 2024 02:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. This is a beaut of a debut by Aidan Deshong, a high school senior just about to graduate, and head off to Harvey Mudd. Perhaps he'll major in Engimatology like legendary NYTimes crossword editor Will Shortz. The clues and answers in today's grid were, simply put, brill...
Thursday, May 30, 2024 - This crossword, like the answer to 22A, is WELLDONE
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 31, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A very nice crossword by Royce Ferguson - his 4th for the NYTimes, and a Thursday debut. The theme was ingenious but not too difficult to suss out, and the number of pop-culture references was on the low side, which affected Jean not at all but did benefit Mike (for whom...
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 - Bottoms Up!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 30, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. While drinks played an essential part in today's grid, it seems unlikely that they were involved in its construction, based on the elegance of the puzzle - not surprising considering that the constructors in question were Jeanne Breen (for her, a debut), and Jeff Chen, ...
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - EVIE Sands, in the grid and (hopefully) on your playlist!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 29, 2024 02:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A nice Tuesday crossword, and, as detailed in today's episode, one eight years in the making!! So, even though PERSEVERANCE is not in the grid, it truly is in the heart of Chris Leatherberry, the constructor of today's fine work. We appreciated all the longer wavelength...
Monday, May 27, 2024 - All rise, ELENA Kagan is in the grid!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 28, 2024 01:00 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. It's hard not to GIVEPROPS to a crossword that has GIVEPROPS in the grid, so we're not even going to try: PROPS to Christopher Youngs for this, his 4th NYTimes crossword! Show note imagery: Yaroslava Shvedova, celebrating her GOLDENSET win at Wimbledon in 2012 Contact ...
Sunday, May 26, 2024 - Look, up there in the sky ... it's a dude, it's a bro, no, it's a ... BRAH??
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 27, 2024 01:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A straightforward Sunday puzzle by John Kugelman, this his 4th for the NYTimes, with a theme for which the word "cute" was invented. The quality of the clues was exceptional, with some real gems noted in today's podcast. But we'd also like to highlight some others, such ...
Saturday, May 25, 2024 - A splendid Saturday solve
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 26, 2024 01:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. This is David P. Williams' fourth NYTimes crossword, and interestingly all four have used the same grid, so apparently DPW has taken the phrase "why mess with success?" to heart. There are some magnificent clues in today's grid, including 47D, Time to take stock?, IPO; 3...
Friday, May 24, 2024 - This crossword is TWICEASNICE
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - May 25, 2024 00:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. For your edification, we present our analysis of a nice -- in fact, twice as nice! -- crossword by Carolyn Davies Lynch that really has a lot to commend it, most notably some really, really difficult clues! Fortunately there were not too many pop-culture references: we ...
Related Word play Topics