Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

To answer the question posed in the episode title, yes we can, because this crossword is an absolute delight -- a fun but not impossible theme, and the "aha" moment if you get it will keep you energized for hours. Jean does a great job explaining the theme, so rather than re-explain it here, we exhort you to simply fire up whatever it is you listen to this podcast on, and enjoy! We love...

If you like droll comedy, you'll love today's crossword. From 17A, "Please continue your generous support of the church", MASSAPPEAL, TO 58A, "This medicine will reduce your temperature in no time", FEVERPITCH, everywhere you turn in this grid you'll find something that will make you laugh or groan, or in the worst (i.e., best) case, both. For us, it was both, as...

The authors of today's crossword, Jessie Bullock and Ross Trudeau, just got engaged - and this crossword was their announcement! The theme revolved around the song from Aladdin, ICANSHOWYOUTHEWORLD, and various clues that suggested representations of the earth (POCKETATLAS, GOOGLEEARTH, etc.). Hopefully they'll find married life as enjoyable as we found this crossword, and we give both t...

HOWSWEETITIS and TWOTHUMBSUP pretty much summarizes our review of  today's frothy , fun, and nostalgia-hued puzzle by Bruce Haight. Who can't help but smile at 49A, "The Jackie Gleason Show" catchphrase, HOWSWEETITIS, or the delicious twist that would always follow 39A, "Columbo" catchphrase, JUSTONEMORETHING? Probably all the people who weren't even born when th...

A perfect Sunday crossword by Stephen McCarthy, with some extraordinary anagrams. For your consideration we offer 5A, It might be put on for stage PAGEANTRIES, GREASEPAINT, and 42A, You might be MARVELING AT this as it whizzes by, MAGLEVTRAIN. These are just two of the 10  jaw-droppingly good anagram-related clues that grace this puzzle. The other clues weren't too shabby either. Who could re...

Today's crossword was a Saturday, hence the call for all SYNAPSES on deck. Jean's responded as usual, and she whizzed through today's crossword; Mike's also responded as usual, which is why, although he did TRY, he ended up BTEN in the vicinity of 50A, Synthetic material also called frozen smoke, AEROGEL (not AEROSOL).  Life is just FULLOFSURPRISES! Still, overall a good puzzle...

There was not a STALEJOKE to be found in today's grid. There might have been one at some point, but Will Shortz undoubtedly would've ULTIMATELY exercised his VETOPOWER to set things straight.  There were lots of fun clues in today's puzzle, too many to list here, but we do have to give a shoutout to 48A, Superhero misidentification, ITSAPLANE, as well as acknowledge the two sporting...

A crisp Thursday offering from the pen of Oliver Roeder, today's crossword had lots of sparkling clues. The pièce-de-résistance was 36A, Life preserver? ... or a hint to six squares in this puzzle, CEREALBOX (and we'll just pause here to let that sink in 😀). Other clues worth applauding for included (this is not an exhaustive  list by any stretch) 17A, Stand-in for the unnamed, ETAL (ni...

A BLANKCANVAS is how crosswords (and podcast episode write-ups!) begin, but then with a little AGILE thinking you end up with ... a WHITELEPHANT? No, a PLUM puzzle that's just ready to pick! We hope that you'll pick, download and listen up to today's podcast, featuring Jean's deft explanation of today's theme, as well as a loving recitation of a William Carlos Williams poe...

Today's crossword had lots of dipping - a NIB in INDIAINK, BREAD in CHEESEFONDUE, etc. Jean's favorite clue in the grid was 18A, Small part in a superhero film?, ANTMAN, and Mike was enthralled with 14A, Parts of clown costumes, REDNOSES, just because he likes the idea of REDNOSES. It's Triplet Tuesday, and Mike flames out spectacularly -- the details are all within, so download and...

Monday's are generally regarded as the easiest of the New York Times crosswords, but that doesn't mean that they aren't a lot of fun. This one had a lively theme, the opportunity to misspell 14A, Visually challenged "Mr." of cartoons, MAGOO (Mike thought it was MCGOO for a time), and a clue that's guaranteed to induce a chuckle or three,  45A, One who says that you&ap...

Double, double, toil and trouble refers not only to a witch's spell, but also to this crossword, which caused a lot of toil and trouble -- specifically at the junction of 6A, Sarcastic internet laughter, LOLZ, and 9D, Star man?, ZAGAT; both Jean and Mike (working independently, as always) decided that the answers should be LOLS and SAGAN. The authors of the crossword, Aimee Lucido and Ella De...

The misdirections were flying fast and furious in today's epic by Nam Jin Yoon. Consider 48A, Marvel producer, MIRACLEWORKER, not KEVINFEIGE (it doesn't fit, and Marvel ≠ MARVEL).  Right above that, 45A, Background for someone who's good with numbers, MUSICALTHEATER (!), and 34A, Star clusters?, FANBASES (!!). One of those classic Saturday puzzles that requires all neurons on deck,...

Jean found today's crossword to be a bit of a slog, but Mike (surprisingly) cruised through it in excellent time, although it was touch-and-go at the beginning. There were a lot of amusing clues in today's offering, such as 26D, Traffic directors?, CONES, 51A, That's a wrap!, SARAN, and 61A, Person who is willfully alone, SOLEHEIR. If these didn't bring a smile to your face, th...

HOHO, another exciting crossword from Jake Halperin (with, we presume, a dollop of assistance from Will Shortz), who CALLSITLIKEITIS, calling a spade a spade, and a funny bone a FUNNYNERVE -- because that's what, it turns out, it really is. There are three other misnomers that he lays to rest in this fine bit of gridsmanship: to find out what they are (among other things), download and listen...

Today’s crossword featured a fine example of grid art — a face that definitely HADABLANKLOOK, and SHOWEDNOEMOTION - which coincidentally is what Jean & Mike look like when they have their puzzle-solving faces on. Apart from the Mona Lisa-like grid, there were some interesting answers: 56A, Brand with the record for a single car driven the most miles (3+ million and counting), VOLCO (huh!); 5D,...

Today's crossword was a colorful one, well, red, at least, thanks to the theme -- 4 multi-word answers, the first word of which could be preceded by LITTLERED, as in 17A, Educated, but not streetwise, BOOKSMART, as in LITTLEREDBOOK (as in Mao's bestseller). Mike had a spot of difficulty, uncertain of and therefore focused on 11D, Judicial capital of Bolivia, SUCRE, whereas his real error...

A slightly more difficult Monday than usual -- crunchier, as they say -- but that's to be expected when Alex Eaton-salners is at the helm. You know that trouble's ahead when one of the first clues, 2D, Wake-up calls played on bugles, REVEILLES, requires that you spell REVEILLES. Not too long after, 20A, Spiral shapes, HELICES, requires that you recollect that long-ago-or-possibly-never-e...

Today's crossword puzzle was ... a puzzle, literally, with 5 shaded areas that when fitted together spelled out that homage to Kodak (maybe), PICTUREPERFECTMOMENTS. There was not a  lot  of humor in the clues, but 74A, Beehives, but not hornets' nests, UPDOS, and 100A, Songs that can be trilling, ARIAS, were noteworthy. There was a lot to like in today's oeuvre, so to get the full 4...

There are many reasons to love today's crossword, and a new world's record for use of words containing GHTs is not the least of them. With a minimum of cultural references (Mike's bane),  and the pun-meter dialed up to 11, it was one of those puzzles that starts of as Impossible and then ... well for many people it stays there's but if you're lucky, well-rested, and have b...

Both Jean and Mike had issues with today's crossword - Jean missed class the day they covered the moons of Saturn (41D, Moon of Saturn, TETHYS), and Mike is utterly convinced that the only true 23D, Director Cameron, is JAMES Cameron (not CROWE). They also are convinced that an 's' made a break for it in 49D, Just deserts, DUE. Apart from this, the crossword felt like, well, a Frida...

Today's crossword involves two animals, both clued as Hybrid creature of myth,  that are either ancient and indeed mythical or possibly escapees from S.T.A.R. labs: MERMAID and CENTAUR. And these are central to today's theme, details of which Jean spells out in her inimitable style in today's episode. Beyond that, there were some very clever clues, Jean's favorite, 55A, Where y...

In today's episode, Jean talked about the ARTE of crossword solving, Mike reflects on a Donkey Kong called ACE, and both discuss the possibility of FGOTUS. All that and more awaits, so just download and listen up! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're on FaceBook , so feel free to drop by there an...

A technical tour de force by Trip Payne, who managed to CORNERTHEMARKET on cool themes this week, by placing permutations of THEMARKET in the corners of the grid. (Be sure and check it out on xwordinfo.com if you haven't solved it yourself).  In other news, Mike goes down in flames in Triplet Tuesday, but Phoenix-like, emerges from the ashes to ... well, to complete the podcast. Details withi...

In today's episode, we learn of the origin of Stan, debate the merits of "eke by" versus "get by", and admire Nero's ego. For all the details, (or DEETS, as it has occasionally appeared in the New York Times Crossword), download and listen up. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we...