Fill Me In

This week, Ryan and Brian learn about the powers of Patreon (not the money part), the films of Park Chan-wook (not the Evil Dead part), and the last four candidates for Ryan's new middle name! Vote in this awe-inspiring semifinal ! 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, Ryan and Brian try to learn about Canadian geography, Latin computer programming, and French literature, but best of all, it's the next round of voting for Ryan's middle name! Vote again and again and again . We hear you. We always hear you. 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...

Vegas, baby! Ryan is winning big and Brian is ... actually, still in Syracuse. And yet, the show must go on. Voting continues on Ryan's middle name -- it's now the Sweet 16, so vote again and again and again , it's the only power you have in this world. 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...

It's Round Two (the round of 32) of Ryan's Middle Name -- vote AGAIN in the bracket (and see the previous round's scores here ). This week, Ryan and Brian do some non-NYT puzzles in the Thunder Round, so solve them if you haven't: Sat. 9/28/24 Spyscape ("Bridge of Spies") by Shannon Rapp and Will Eisenberg ( online link ) Tues. 10/8/24 Universal by Shmuel Schmell ( PUZ link ) Wed. 10/9/24 Vulture...

This week, Ryan and Brian get Viewer Mail from Alex Verdugo, a Little Known Fact from Matthew Gritzmacher, and launch the Official Ryan's Middle Name Bracket . There's also a new Contest of Now, available at https://bemoresmarter.com/contest 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 s...

This week, Ryan and Brian encounter a spicy meatball, try (and fail) to understand how multiverses work, and envision a Punnett square combining baseball and government. 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 re...

This week, Ryan and Brian argue about what is and is not meat, try to remember movies they may have never seen, and learn exactly what's exciting enough for Brian's personal Mount Rushmore. There's also a new Contest of Now, available at bemoresmarter.com/contest . If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patr...

This week, Ryan and Brian enjoy frothy beverages whilst podding, examine the peculiar lyrics of "Pippin," and try out a not-particularly-thrilling variation on Kealoa. Solve our current contest puzzle at bemoresmarter.com/contest . 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, Ryan and Brian bring two new challenges to the table, one you should try and one you should not. They are a new Contest of Now (at bemoresmarter.com/contest ) and the notion of mixing beer and milk. You decide which we endorse. Also: how many Fleet Streets, how many spellings of Zihuatanejo, and how many middle names is Ryan allowed to veto ? If you get bored (how could you?!), write so...

It's the return of many things: crosswords in real life, the ground level club of indeterminate length, references to Episode #442, the long lost FMI musical, and best of all, cohost Ryan Zwickel Hecht! (Also, solve our Contest of Still Going On at bemoresmarter.com/contest ) If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate t...

Ryan is away this week so once again, Brian is joined by The Great and Powerful Barnacle, Ben Zimmer! Topics include baseball nightmares, rhyming word etymology, #rip Googlewhacks, and a brand new Contest of Now at bemoresmarter.com/contest Stuff to click: Ben's new newsletter at https://buttondown.com/benzimmer Ben's old "From A to Zimmer" post on hapax legomenon Ben's passion project, The Crossw...

Front runners are beginning to emerge in the "pick Ryan's middle name" game, but is the voting secure? This week, Ryan and Brian yak about  Bangor , the rising number of Raising Cane's , and whether or not names like Cottontail , Intriligator , and Wecht are real. Sounds like a bunch of tittle-tattle. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeli...

Season Ten! Sounds exciting, no? Well, if you know the show then you know exactly how exciting it is. This week's topics: Wilbur , chicken , more chicken , Kealoa,  Greek phrases , middle names , a contest puzzle , a Thunder Round , some glitchy Zoom, and a big shout out and thank you to our loving and dear Patreon supporters . Also: buy the Lollapuzzoola set if you haven't yet! If you get bored (...

PLOT TWIST! If you know, you know. And if you don't — give it a listen. Season 9 wraps with one of the most delightful surprises in the history of FMI, and we're not even talking about a brand new contest puzzle (!!!), available at bemoresmarter.com/con457 . And anyone still looking to take part in Lollapuzzoola from home, the puzzles are available here . If you get bored (how could you?!), write...

This week, Ryan and Brian aren't the only ones apparently ramping up to Lollapuzzoola – buy your puzzles now at bemoresmarter.com . Also, Ryan wants YOU to choose his new middle name AND what to get tattooed on himself. What a world! 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 get big news from Brooke Husic and Sid Sivakumar about Lollapuzzoola, which happens in less than two weeks (August 24, 2024). Learn who's writing the puzzles, and sign up now at bemoresmarter.com to get all the content while it's still hot and fresh. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate t...

This week, Ryan and Brian learn more than they even knew existed about Ample Hills Creamery, the interrobang, and the Willow Lane parking lot in Bethesda, Maryland. How will you find out when their pizza is? You locate the squeak, and then that's where you put it. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  Patre...

This week, Ryan and Brian examine both intended and unintended puns, induct several new members into the BFVWE club, and suffer through enough Kealoa to shoo away our loyal audience. (We're sorry.) 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 con...

This week, Ryan and Brian learn more (but perhaps not enough) about Russian geography, more (and definitely more than needed) about diuresis, and find vast disappointment in this week's NYT puzzles. (Spoiler alert.) 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...

This week, Ryan and Brian debate the merits of Cheez-It varieties, find certain canned foods disgusting, and and return to Kealoa with some random rivers. Also, breaking news: the theme for this year's Lollapuzzoola is revealed! 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...

This week, Ryan's show lasts about three and-a-half minutes longer than Brian's thanks to the boonies of Maine and its relative lack of internet signal. Still, there's some discourse on shorts and trunks , diaereses and umlauts , and whether drinking counts as eating. If you get bored (how could you?!), write something for the Fill Me In wiki . And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our  P...

This week, Ryan and Brian confuse umlauts and diaereses, liquids and solids, good pencils and bad pencils, and "Fill Me In" and "White Christmas." Watch Ryan solve his 1000th NYTXW in a row on Wednesday 7/3 @ 10:15pm ET/7:15pm PT on twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics 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...

This week, Ryan and Brian recap Westwords (spoiler-free!), continue The Stopwatch Saga, learn more about minor league baseball alternate names, and struggle to understand the timelines of presidential family trees. Stuff to click: The Syracuse Brannock Devices The Malmö Oat Milkers Ramen is too spicy Denmark has the least spicy food in the world Westwords (if you want to still sign up) Lollapuzzoo...

This week, Ryan and Brian learn about international cuisine, discover more music involving cheese, and celebrate the reunion of a man and his stopwatch. Phew, that's a lot to get through in 90 minutes. Stuff to click: The Saucy Nugs Guy Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese Dead Milkmen - Beige Sunshine 15 Delicious Reasons to Visit Taco Bell around the World Westwords -- not too late to sign up (an...

This week, Ryan and Brian analyze some music ( this , this , and this ), attempt to clarify when exactly this particular episode of FMI was published, and return to the NYT crosswords for what will certainly once have been a cranky Thunder Round. 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...