Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

A challenging Friday crossword, and as you will hear in today's episode the co-hosts were of two minds regarding this puzzle. But with clues like 63A, Counter offer?, FREESAMPLE (😀), 45D, Infant's interjection, GOO (aww), and 24D, Fill with gas, AERATE (not TOPOFF), it is hard to deny that this was a fine bit of cruciverbal construction. We also have a fun fact for Fun Fact Friday ™️, a...

Although the Society for the Suppression of Crosswords Without X's might beg to differ, we found today's crossword to be fun and (especially for Mike) a challenge. Clues like 60A, Cream alternative, ECRU; 14A, Clearly, in a text, OBVI (well, OBVI!); and 33D, Say it all?, ENUNCIATE, give you a taste for what's in store, a delicious puzzle, with a delectable theme. Five squares on the...

Just when you think the NYTimes crossword constructors can't possibly come up with a new theme ... they come up with a new theme, as Joe Deeney so aptly demonstrates, and Jean so deftly describes, in today's episode. Besides that, we also have email from a listener in South Africa. So to hear all that, subscribe, download, listen up, enjoy and ... drop us a line when you get a chance! We...

A cheery Monday crossword, thanks to a theme that celebrates the best of us. Most of the clues were familiar / on the easier side, as befitting a Monday, but 51D, Coffeecake with cross-sectional swirls, BABKA, and 17A, Miles Davis classic that's the all-time best-selling jazz album, KINDOFBLUE, might be the exceptions (YMMV, of course).  A logistical note: we will be not be publishing a podca...

A nice Sunday puzzle by Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa: Jean tore through it, Mike got lost in the grid and if it weren't for the St. Bernards might never have been found.  The theme was BOOTiful, and there were some joyous clues in the grid, such as 46D, Angles above 90 degrees?, HOTYOGA (😀); 82A, Linguistic group including Zulu and Xhosa, BANTU (got it!); and 87A, Highfalutin, LAHDIDAH...

A special Canada day crossword, no, just kidding, Canada did not show up at all  in today's grid: but it was a great puzzle nonetheless, not the most difficult Saturday ever (whew!), but the cluing was crisp, novel, and they did manage to slip in 52A, Study of riddles, ENIGMATOLOGY, definitely a debut and, runner-up in the "most difficult word to slip casually into a conversation" c...

A good cruciverbal workout courtesy of Carly Schuna, today's crossword has something for everyone: a mysterious Gen-Z  phrase (35A, "I can relate", in Gen-Z slang, THATISSUCHAMODE); a (for Mike) tricky baseball reference (23A, Up, ATBAT); and a quotation that is as true now as it was when it was first (possibly apocryphally) uttered in the 1700s, (27D, "When in ________, don&ap...

A challenging Thursday crossword , but with a terrific payoff: another one of those tour de force themes that the NYTimes Thursday crosswords are famous for. We won't spoil that by discussing it here in the show notes, but we would like to point out a few non-themed clues: 54D, Mexican beach resort, informally, CABO; 15D, Notorious initials, RBG (not, as Mike initially postulated, BIG); 8D, C...

This was a super crossword , and we're not just saying it because 51D, Superman, most of the time, KENT, flew into the grid. Rather it's because of an ingenious theme (deets inside), and some very timely clueing -- SMOG, COALMINE, and AIRSHOWS (literally!). There were some other fine clues as well, such as 39A, Having a fermented quality, WINY; 22A, Fabric derived from wood pulp, RAYON (...

A fun Tuesday crossword: the theme was a bit hairy, but in a good way, and the rest of the clues felt crisp and novel. Beyond those delved into in the episode, 17A, One-act Strauss opera adapted from an Oscar Wilde play, SALOME; 33A, Famed 1990s TV psychic, MISSCLEO; and our favorite industrial designers, 38D, Chair designer Charles or Ray, EAMES, all caught our eye(s). Triplet Tuesday has returne...

A nicely done Monday crossword by Taylor Johnson and Christina Iverson, and we therefore raise a glass of 32D, Powdered orange drink, TANG, in their honor. There were 3 debut answers in today's grid, and our favorite was the slightly deceptive 42A, Certain bluegrass musician, BANJOPLAYER (as opposed to a certain bluegrass musician, which would've been even more challenging). We were also...

John Westwig shows how it's done, with a brilliant Sunday crossword (his 8th for the NYTimes) - terrific theme, sparkling clues that make you dig for the answers (sometimes with a trowel, a few that require something more along the lines of an oil rig), a perfect Sunday opus.  We loved it, and to find out why, check out today's episode! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: W...

A very sticky Saturday crossword, with more traps than a golf course, and calculated to lead you down the garden path (such as may be found in ZENGARDENS). Some of our favorites include 33A, "Elvis has left the building", EVERYBODYGOHOME; 32D, "I'm beat!", WHATADAY; and 28D, Overseas sailors, LIMEY (so named after what they ate to avoid scurvy).  This being Saturday, we al...

A relatively straightforward Friday crossword, and a debut for its constructor, Kunal Nabar. There were some enlightening clues - 22A, Theme park originally conceived as a planned community, EPCOT; some vocabulary stretching clues - 57A, Overly slick, UNCTUOUS; and some amusing clues - Top present during the holiday season?, DREIDEL 😀. A great crossword, definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR sc...

A terrific Thursday crossword by Michael Baker and the indefatigable Jeff Chen, with an LOL theme and some fascinating clueing, including 22A, Co. that, in 1925, said of crosswords "The craze evidently is dying out fast"', NYT ;1D, "Honesty with the volume cranked up", per George Sanders, IRONY, and 26A, org. that might have a beef with beef, USDA 😀 All the deets are insi...

A delicious mid-week snack by Jimmy Peniston, with a unique theme that you can really sink your teeth into. And if that last sentence didn't clue you into the theme, then listening to today's podcast certainly will, so have at it! Remember that the NYTimes Crossword is a scientifically proven way to keep those little gray cells sharp, and they'd love to have you as a subscriber! So...

A perfectly crafted Tuesday crossword, with a theme that was inscrutable for precisely one of our intrepid cohosts (hint: not Jean), and a nicely balanced set of clues. We enjoyed 59A, Attention -grabbing shouts, HEYSs, juxtapositioned with 54D, Attention-grabbing whisper, PSST. In a similar vein we had 5D, Purplish fruit used in smoothies, ACAI, in close proximity to 16A, Purplish fruit used in g...

So, here's the skinny on today's crossword : it's skinny! Well, the grid is, at any rate, and that certainly grabbed our attention.  There's one  other aspect of this grid, besides the aspect ratio (heh, heh) that is worth pointing out, and we do so in today's podcast, so for all the deets please subscribe, download, listen up, and enjoy!  We love feedback! Send us a text....

Joe DiPietro has had 140 crosswords published in the NYTimes, mainly Fridays, although he's done a fair number of Sundays as well. This one was straightforward (for Jean), and a massive Easter Egg hunt (for Mike). Deets inside, so have a listen, and let us know what you think. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com....

Ah, Saturday, typically the toughest crossword of the week, and this one lived up to its reputation, with some sneaky/stunning/super clues. Consider as evidence, 56A, Heavy metal band?, MANACLE; 55A, Exist naturally, INHERE (yikes!);  31A, Natural projection, HORN (um, if you say so!); and the clue/answer that applies to about 90% of the grid, 53A, Exclamation of revelation, ISEENOW. We love feedb...

A fine Friday crossword , a tad on the easier side, in spite of an imposing looking grid. Basically, if you're looking to tackle a Friday crossword, this would be a very good place to start.  Deets inside! What was your favorite crossword of the week? Vote here ! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we&apos...

A superb Thursday crossword by David Harris: the theme was fabulous, the clues sparkling, and the pop culture references (Mike's bane) almost non-existent. Some of the stellar clues that didn't make it into the podcast included 10D, Pashmina fabric, CASHMERE (huh!); 11D, T-Bonz brand, ALPO (which makes more sense once you realize the word is brand , not band 😀); 31D, OverDO it as an ACt...

A unique -- or at least certainly rare -- theme by a debut cruciverbalist, Jennifer Hoelzer, one that was not naughty (even though it did have SMUT in the grid); but it was knotty (although not overly so, as befitting a mid -eek puzzle). And if all of this wordplay is driving you nots, er, we mean nuts, then download today's episode and all will become perfectly clear!  We love feedback! Send...

A terrific Tuesday crossword, with a witty theme and some excellent clueing (Jean's fave was 51D, Cute little mishap, OOPSY, while Mike was partial to 43D, Aardvark, by any other name, ANTBEAR).  In other news, it's Triplet Tuesday, and this time Mike's on the hot seat - will he prosper, or will (as might be appropriate considering the aforementioned temperature of said seat) he go...

A nice Monday crossword: Jean found it to be a piece o' cake, Mike found it to be a more like BUBBLEGUM, sticky in spots -- but still tasty!  We also have another episode of OTHYPI (Oh, That's How You Pronounce It!), featuring the ... well, you wouldn't want us to spoil it now, would you? So, to find out how to pronounce the name that we will not pronounce (er, write) here, we heart...