Fill Me In

This week, Ryan and Brian dig deep into butts, shoulders, clams, and Caesars. How do you take yours? Try out the  Contest of Still Going On (a standard crossword) , and win either a puzzle subscription or a brand new car*. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it d...

This week, Ryan and Brian dive into Lucky Charms , question the motivations of the Kingston Trio , and discuss a challenge to the "get what it's called" rule. All that, plus there's a brand new Contest of Now (a standard crossword) . If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Act...

This week, Ryan and Brian don't know which cities are fictional, which currencies are spelled which way, or how much a baseball is worth. There's a  Contest of Still Going On (which is a Rows Garden puzzle) , and here's a link to the next season of Fireball Newsflash Crosswords . If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, dona...

This week, Ryan and Brian learn about nicknames, heavy metal music, and history from 1981. All that, plus a new Fandom Feast , a new Anti-Match Quiz from Scott Weiss, and a brand new Contest of Now, which is a Rows Garden puzzle! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actual...

This week, Ryan and Brian talk about vacations and children and fanfic, oh my! This is your reminder to always get what it's called ... plus, there's a  Contest of Still Going On  (it's a standard crossword)! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matter...

Ryan is in Sweden with all the furniture and meatballs, Brian is in Syracuse with all the recording equipment. More baseball than sandwiches this week, but not as much as you might think, all things considered. All that plus a new  Contest of Now (it's a standard crossword)! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate t...

Ryan struggles between his opposed needs of traveling the world and watching the World Series, while Brian just ... struggles. There's an active  Contest of Still Going On (it's a variety cryptic), and lest you thought the sandwich stories were a thing of the past -- they are not. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, do...

Go tell your plowman! This week, Ryan challenges Brian with Broadway history, Brian challenges everyone with a brand new Contest of Now (really!), and Alex Verdugo can't leave well enough alone. Things to click: The Contest of Now! Get the puzzle here . Submit your answer here . Read the PUZ file notes for instructions. Ryan's latest Fandom Feast .  If you get bored (how could you?!), write someth...

This week, Brian is joined by Shannon Rapp for a super-sized episode with an insider's recap of the Midwest Crossword Tournament, hefty sandwiches (including cheese preferences and Shannon's Mount Rushmore), and a non-NYT Thunder Round with puzzles from the LA Times, Apple News, Universal, USA Today, and Fireball! Stuff to click: Daily Crossword Links , for all the puzzles in the Thunder Round Mid...

This week, Ryan and Brian eat on the show. Sorry. Also: Blue Jays, Buckwheat Boyz, Bakers, and a Brinck Report. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matter! Please consider leaving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. This will help new listeners find...

This week, Ryan and Brian sound like a couple of grumpy middle aged men -- but maybe that's what you're here for. It's almost October, which for some listeners, bears the bad news of it being baseball post-season. With any luck, everyone will lose this week and it can all be over. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, do...

This week, the Thunder Round features Ryan and Brian attempting to unravel everything about the Wall Street Journal meta-week of contest puzzles. In addition, there's at least 6.022x10^23 sardines, bananas, and beets, as well as a battle of classic literature. Shana tova! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to o...

This week, everything is fine. Ryan and Brian get new insight on asymmetrical grids, dig unnecessarily deeper into peanut butter sandwiches, and find irritation in capitalism. Next week, the Thunder Round will be Wall Street Journal puzzles ! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our...

This week, Ryan and Brian find more sandwiches in the viewer mail bag, ponder the power of the throat lozenge, and enjoyed the Fri/Sat puzzles more than the rest of the week (and a lot more than 1/7 of the week). Stuff to click: The XWordInfo Merch Store Scott Weiss's Anti-Match Quiz (with proceeds going to The Trevor Project) The latest from Adventures Assemble Mad Dog Cryptic #27 (discussed on t...

This week, Ryan and Brian find their thunder in a new set of puzzles -- August's Sunday puzzles from the Washington Post, all constructed by Evan Birnholz. Also, if this show evolves from a crossword podcast to a sandwich podcast by the end of Season 11, that may be considered a success. Stuff to click: Washington Post puzzles: WaPo's site | another access point for PUZ files   Jack Dreyer makes c...

In 2008, there were literally zero people who would have thought that two idiots like us would get to something we could realistically call "Season Eleven" of this podcast, but here we are. We start with sandwiches, continue with crosswords, and there's only the tiniest sliver of baseball at the end. Stuff to click: "Um, Actually" Owen Bergstein-Borgstein's recommended sandwich reviewing YouTube c...

This week, Ryan and Brian recap Lollapuzzoola (puzzles are still available!), get a beatdown on beaming up, learn that some people believe cake cannot be savory, and in a post-Lolla stupor, Brian concedes that tacos are sandwiches. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actua...

This week, Brian can barely think straight, what with Lollapuzzoola looming in five days . Ryan tries to pick up the slack with talk of potato cakes , Paul McCartney , and Scott Weiss's newest Anti-Match Quiz . If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matt...

This week, Brooke Husic drops by the FMI studio to offer the Announcement of the Year — who is making puzzles for Lollapuzzoola! Is there more? Well, yes: how to count, how to order food in Russian, how to alienate a brilliant web designer ... typical stuff. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . D...

This week, Ryan and Brian can't say real words ("reminiscences"), create fake words ("touichisón"), attempt to explain things astronomical, acoustic, and binary, and argue about (so sorry) sandwiches. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matter! Please...

This week, Ryan and Brian celebrate 500 episodes with some fond memories, celebratory tributes, fictional lyric performances, little known facts, sticks, canes, deckers, Dodgers, and more than anything, a sincere and overwhelming sense of gratitude to everyone who has been a part of the FMI universe over the years. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And...

This week, Ryan and Brian predict patterns, fear asteroids, reminisce spreadsheets, promote other things like tournaments and YouTube channels , and marvel at two more relevant publications from The Barnacle. All that, plus a brand new audio Contest of Now , courtesy of Jenna LaFleur! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic...

This week, Ryan and Brian recap Westwords, sports from many years ago, trees from Connecticut, Ryan's once and future middle name, and Menudo. In other news, there are now Fill Me In t-shirts!!! If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the  Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matter! Please consi...

This week, Ryan is on vacation, so Ben Zimmer saves the day and joins Brian with renewed excitement over the  National Spelling Bee , the National Puzzlers' League , and the National League East-leading Mets . Also: follow-up news on the 2025 Tonys Anti-Match Quiz , as well as several upcoming puzzle get-togethers ( Westwords , SPAMcon , Boswords , and Lollapuzzoola )! If you get bored (how could...

This week, Claire, the kids, and I learn more about hot lead in the New York Times, the Pope in the mini crossword, and Phil Silvers musicals in the 1950s. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patreon . Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matter! Please consider leaving us a 5-star review on Apple...