Latest Word play Podcast Episodes
Monday, April 22, 2024 - Happy Earth Day! 🌎
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 23, 2024 01:00 - 4 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A celebration of Earth Day and a word ladder, who could ask for more? We love word ladders, so today's crossword, by David J. Kahn (his 189th!!), hit the sweet spot. There were also several Earth Day related clues not tied to the word ladder -- 18A, Sustainably produced ...
Sunday, April 21, 2024 - A crackerjack of a crossword! 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 22, 2024 01:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Michael Schlossberg has created a dazzling Sunday crossword with a doozie of a theme, definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We have all the deets inside, so we cordially invite you to have a listen (and don't forget to subscribe!) Show note imagery: TEDTtalks, ...
Saturday, April 20, 2024 - BOOMROASTED!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 21, 2024 01:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Another challenging Saturday crossword - no surprise there, Saturdays are designed to be the toughest crossword of the week - but at least the trivia / pop culture references were mercifully few. Jean had a spot of bother in the middle of the crossword, while Apple afic...
Friday, April 19, 2024 - Flying to Sweden? Why not land in LUND? 🙄
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 20, 2024 01:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. An entertaining and educational Friday crossword by Kate Hawkins - just the way we like 'em! Jean knew pretty much every answer in the grid, although it took some time to connect each word/phrase to its clue! Mike, meanwhile, knew ... PHASERS and EDEN, although many of t...
Thursday, April 18, 2024 - Today's crossword was a real ROMP
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 19, 2024 01:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword did not have the rebuses (rebusae?) that one of us (cough, Mike, cough) forecast yesterday, but it made up for that omission with a terrific, and terrifically taxing, theme, and an accompanying throng of challenging clues. We're still gasping, in awe an...
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - The ayes have it!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 18, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Another fabulous midweek NYTimes crossword, thanks to a glorious theme that is about as NYTimes-ish as they come. We will leave you in suspense as to what that theme might be, or ... you could just download today's episode where all will become clear, in particular why t...
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - This crossword was the absolute TOPPS!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 17, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A splendid Tuesday crossword by Adam Vincent (edited most ably by Joel Fagliano), with quite a few lively clues to keep the solver interested. We are referring to (beyond those mentioned in the podcast proper) to 51A, San Fran athlete, NINER; 65A, Deserving of a fire emo...
Monday, April 15, 2024 - Today's exotic crossword food? Not OREOS, not ENOKI, no, it's ... ASIANPEARS! 🍐
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 16, 2024 02:00 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. We are philosophical about today's crossword (a debut by Amanda Winter), mainly because today's crossword -- particularly the theme -- contained a large dollop of philosophy. We will leave you in mild suspense as to the exact nature of that philosophy, but you may assuag...
Sunday, April 14, 2024 - 🎶 All we are saying, is give PAESE a chance 🎶 🙄
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 15, 2024 00:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A crunchier than usual Sunday crossword by John Rippe and Jeff Chen, a side-effect, perhaps, of a brilliant theme that had Jeff Chen's fingerprints all over it. There were many clever clues - 35A, Something you might break into, SONG (ha!); 9D, Game with annoying pop-ups...
Saturday, April 13, 2024 - A crossword that was most definitely not EASYMAN
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 14, 2024 02:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A challenging debut (!) crossword by Jess Rucks. Our intrepid cohosts found said challenge in different areas of the grid, Jean in the mid east, Mike in the northwest. But, after exploring their respective mind palaces - Jean's approximately the size of Green Bay, Wiscon...
Friday, April 12, 2023 - Beware the BLANKETHOG!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 13, 2024 02:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A challenging Friday crossword by Evan Kalish, although not as difficult as some crosswords, it did take at least one of our cohosts a while to get any traction. But once they did, ..., well, it still took them a tranche of time to solve, and they enjoyed every minute of...
Thursday, April 11, 2024 - Professor Plum, in the pantry, with ... a crossword puzzle??
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 12, 2024 01:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A delightful Thursday crossword by reliably delightful crossword constructor Dan Caprera, today's puzzle has much to commend it. The theme is spot on, and while the rest of the puzzle is based on tougher than usual clues, it is all for a good cause -- as you will hear in...
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - Mmmm, there's nothing better than an APPLEBETTY
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 11, 2024 01:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword was Bill Thompson's 10th NYTimes publication, and based on this, we can't wait for his 11th. The theme was extremely clever, and there were OCEANS of great clues, including 55D, "Gee, I wish I was back in the _______" (song from "White Christmas"), ARMY...
Tuesday, April 10, 2024 - GOYA and ERTES, definitely an ARTY duo!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 10, 2024 02:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword had a fine theme -- discussed herein -- but the rest of the clues also did their part. We particularly enjoyed 4D, Lady Gaga hit included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list, BADROMANCE (BADROMANCE, but great song!); 59A, Occam's __...
Monday, April 8, 2024 - Hey, who turned out the lights? 😎
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 09, 2024 02:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A fine and timely crossword by Peter Gordon (his 128th!!) , celebrating that rare celestial event, an incoming asteroid that only Bruce Willis can ... no, scratch that, the juxtaposition of the sun and moon causing much confusion among animals and consternation among new...
Sunday, April 7, 2024 - Pass the QUESODIP
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 08, 2024 01:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Depending on which cohost you ask, today's crossword was either a) a delicious piece o' cake, or b) the inspiration for Edvard Munch's The Scream. Both agreed that it was an intriguing crossword, thanks to a clever theme that exploited the observation that duplicate let...
Saturday, April 6, 2024 - Byron Walden dials it up to 11!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 07, 2024 03:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword was jaw-droppingly difficult, each clue handcrafted to be more devious than the one that preceded it. From 44A, Notably circular formations on Mars, DUNES (they have dunes on Mars? cool!), to 48A, Flowers that are a a source of the anti-inflammatory dr...
Friday, April 5, 2024 - Hard not to love a grid that's filed with ESPRIT and LOLS, LOL!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 05, 2024 23:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Rebecca Goldstein has a knack for creating festive, fun crosswords, and her streak is unbroken as a result of today's fine work -- so far she's having a BANNERYEAR. The crossword was tough but fair, definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale -- deets inside! Show not...
Thursday, April 4, 2024 - We like our crosswords SHAKENNOTSTIRRED 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 05, 2024 00:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Today's crossword has it all! A unique theme / drink recipe, a nice piece of grid art, and as a reward for the intrepid solver, a flash color to celebrate its successful completion. Several clues we thought worthy of note: 54A, Derby participants in July, BATTERS; 44A, G...
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - Hello, MEEMAW 💘
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 04, 2024 02:00 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A wonderful Wednesday crossword by prolific veteran cruciverbalist Alex Eaton-Salners. The theme was cute, and the rest of the grid a hoot, with a plethora of entertaining and eduational clues scattered throughout. We've got the deets inside, so have a listen and, of cou...
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - 🫠🫶
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 03, 2024 02:00 - 8 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Tuesday's child is full of grace ... as is this, Tuesday's crossword. The reasons for that will become clear as soon as you check out today's episode, so have it! Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook,...
Monday, April 1, 2024 - Yes, it's that day of the year!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 02, 2024 01:00 - 5 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Much hilarity ensues in today's grid, undoubtedly inspired by the day (April 1st). It did make for a tricky Monday, however, and, at least for Mike, a much slower time than average. Still, a worthy attempt, definitely worth 4 squares on the JAMCR sale. Show note imagery...
Sunday, March 31, 2024 - Out like a lamb?
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - April 01, 2024 01:00 - 8 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Another one of those sprawling Sunday grids that we all know and love, 21x21 squares chock-full of delicious puzzlement, along with a heaping side of puns -- because what would a Sunday crossword be without them? This was Spencer Leach's 4th NYTimes crossword, and his f...
Saturday, March 30, 2024 - Red alert, it's an NYTimes Saturday crossword that absolutely, positively, gives no quarter!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 31, 2024 01:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Years from now, people will sing lusty songs of praise, and recall fondly where they were, when they heard this crossword's happy music, it was that tough. Blake Slonecker made solvers work for just about every answer, and your cohosts found it a major slog (fun slog, bu...
Friday, March 29, 2024 - Lots of ENIGMAS in today's crossword, including ... ENIGMAS!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 30, 2024 02:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A tough Friday workout for the little gray cells, thanks to a debut by Jake Bunch with some nice diversions, obfuscation, and plumes of humor. We were delighted to see 40D, Computer acronym since the 1960s, ASCII; 48D, Fancy, WANT (of course!); 33A, Solving puzzles, e.g....
Thursday, March 28, 2024 - A totally tubular crossword 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 29, 2024 01:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. For those of you who haven't played with POTATO HEAD for a while, today's puzzle gives you a perfect opportunity to revisit an old friend, thanks to this fine work by Dominic Grillo. The theme was blatantly obvious -- the giant potato in the middle of the grid being a hu...
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - Nothing ERSATZ about today's crossword, it's a 100% genuine NYTimes Wednesday spectacular!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 28, 2024 01:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. Rich Katz is on a roll - this is his 5th NYTimes crossword in just over a year, and it is a beaut. The theme is ingenious, and the cluing amusing. Cases in point: 37D, Less green, maybe, OLDER; 51D, It might be used while boxing, TWINE (😀); 52D, Did zippo, IDLED; and 53A...
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 - We're baaaaaack 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 27, 2024 01:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. We are back after a brief hiatus, and welcoming us back is this fine crossword by Laura Dershowitz and Katherine Baicker (edited by Joel Fagliano). The theme was a little on the high-brow side and a lot on the punny side, just what one would expect from a good Tuesday NY...
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - We are AGLARE at the presence of AGLARE in the grid 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 20, 2024 02:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. This is Lynn Lempel's 102nd NYTimes Crossword (no, that was not a typo). We don't know how she does it, but we are soooo glad that she does. Check out today's episode for all the reasons (as well as our latest Triplet Tuesday segment). For logistical reasons we need to ...
Monday, March 18, 2024 - You've waited and waited, but take heart, the wait is over ... ALOHAPARTY is in the grid!!!
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword - March 19, 2024 02:00 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 24 ratingsSend us a Text Message. A fine Monday crossword by Trent H. Evans -- his tenth in the NYTimes -- and it has a number of fine clues honoring A-listers, including 59A, Artist who co-authored a book about his mustache, DALI; 38A, Game show icon Trebek, ALEX; and 42A, Queen of the Nile, informall...
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