Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

Many of us needed to TAKEABREAK after Thursday's epic struggle, and this puzzle by Robyn Weintraub filled the bill nicely. It had some clever cluing, like 24A, One who might have a brush with fame?, ARTIST, and tricky word acrobatics, like 15A, What's before after, at the end?, EVER.  Of course, based on the law of conservation of crossword difficulty (which we just made up), Saturday is...

A fabulous Thursday challenge by Sid Sivakumar, with a gimmick that has to be seen to be believed ... except that you *can't* see it. Intrigued? Listen to the podcast to hear the whole story! 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 and strike up a conversa...

Today's crossword features SLEWS of PRETTY funny puns, like 17A, Ways to cross a river in Switzerland?, BERNBRIDGES, and 28A, First showing at a film festival in France?, CANNESOPENER (oof). Jean cruises through today's puzzle like it's a Monday, but while Mike was able to DOIT, he finds  the top left corner ETRE (eh, to be) a pretty tough slog. We love feedback! Send us a text... C...

In today's podcast, Jean revs up the Tip Tuesday apparatus with tips about cars, Mike extols the virtue of listening to musicians that appear in the crossword (e.g., Joe Satriani), and both agree that today's crossword deserves an EASYA -- because it was, easily, worth an A, the equivalent of 5 squares on the JAMCR scale We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener...

A somewhat "crunchier" crossword than usual for a Monday, including words like 56A, Perfect example (EPITOME), 39D, Calm and impassive (STOLID) , and a reference to 48D, Portrait painter Rembrandt PEALE (aka, we hope, the "other" Rembrandt). Still, we do not EGRET for a moment having done this VINE crossword 🙄. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener...

Jean cruises through today's crossword, while Mike crashes his ASTIN, excuse us, *ASTON* in this light-hearted Sunday exercise in punnery. It earns a 4.25 on the JAMCR scale, and ... that's AWRAP! 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 and strike up...

A relatively straightforward Saturday crossword, with lots of new words thrown in to the mix, including 36D, French dessert of fruit encased in sweet batter, CLAFOUTI, 40D, Language from which "peyote" comes, NAHUATL, and  a reprise of an oldie but goodie, 1A, Pattern of five shapes arranged like this puzzle's central black squares, QUINCUNX. All in all, a nice Saturday frolic by Vi...

In today's podcast, Jean contemplates the eternal question -- is it UTAHN, or Utahan. Mike, meanwhile,  engages in a painful rationalization of BATFLAPS as the answer to 15A, Showboaty home run celebrations. The correct answer was, of course, BATFLIPS, but, well, ACCIDENTSHAPPEN. Listen in to learn more about today's crossword-- which earns a very respectable 4.5 on the JAMCR scale. We l...

G'day mate! You call that a crossword? THIS is a crossword, a fine one, in fact, celebrating all things from the land DOWNUNDER, aka AUSTRALIA -- from DIGERIDOO to VEGEMITE, and several other clues in between. Jean & Mike also briefly ponder whether Will Shortz is stranded at an airport, because no less than 3 clues alluding to being stranded at an airport, involving either a FOGIN or ICE...

Jean & Mike give a VULCANSALUTE to Rich Proulx, who, HOPEFULLY, will not HANGLOOSE too long before he graces us again with his presence -- this crossword was a VICTORY for all concerned, 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. 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...

Today's crossword was an EPIC example of the cruciverbalist's CRAFT: the clues were all AONE, really -- we're not just BLOWININTHEWIND (they said with a KNOWINGWINK).  Beyond today's crossword, it is Tip Tuesday, so listen in for some excellent advice on how to enhance your crossword solving skills. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop u...

One of the BEST FLOWER-themed crosswords we've seen, the author does not need an ALIBI for this very GOODTHING. Mike spent too much time on this puzzle, yes, it GRATES, and Jean tried to set an indoor speed record for a Monday: listen to hear how she fared. Remember, tomorrow is Tip Tuesday, so tune in for tips on how you can become a better crossword solver. We love feedback! Send us a text....

If Saturday's crossword was a main course, this was definitely dessert, somewhere between flan and merengue pie, that ought to SATE those looking for a COMFIER puzzle. It had a lot of fun cluing, like 55A, Square things (ATONE) and 53D, Rest of the afternoon? (SIESTA). Jean cruised through it as usual, Mike assumed that, on the basis of NA, that 18D, Mission-driven org., would be NATO; alas,...

it's Saturday, which means that, in crossword terms, ITSWAR. There were tough clues like 31D, Turning the tables? (DJING), 35A, Where people get in hot water? (JACUZZIS), and 14A, Traveler with a turbine (HOVERCRAFT), as well as ARCANE clues like 11D, Longtime head of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (SEIJIOZAWA). You could definitely be forgiven for saying PANT, PANT, once you got this one done...

It's a fairly gentle Friday crossword and even though it took both Jean & Mike time to find footholds -- they had NOIDEA where to start initially -- they did manage to plow through it fairly quickly as they went, mentally, MANOAMANO with the crossword creator, Sam Buchbinder. Mike didn't even have to SLEEPONIT, getting it all done in one go. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contac...

What's all that HOOPLA about? This crossword, a most WORTHY effort by Francesca Goldston and Jeff Chen (Will Shortz, ed.). Jean's only serious snafu was imagining John Lennon ONACOD (as opposed to ONACID), and Mike's only issue was ... the entire crossword. Still, we give it a 5 squares on the incredibly precise JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love...

We might be a TOUGHCROWD, but we certainly wouldn't begrudge a round of applause for this BUENO Wednesday crossword by Ross Trudeau, with several laugh out loud answers, including (especially) the theme. Jean cruised through it, Mike hummed a SADSONG while hung up on the image of sheep grazing around a TARN, watching a video by famed actress Lisa TONET.  Definitely a 5 squares on the JAMCR sc...

Do we like the New York Times crossword? YESWEDO, in general, and this one in particular: we give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Today's Tip Tuesday, so be sure and listen in for some (hopefully, HAHA) tips on how you can improve your crossword solving skills. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we&apo...

A crossword to SOOTH: even CORONA shows up in a non-threatening way, in this gently themed, sparkling puzzle by Evan Mahnken (and it would sparkle even without the Kohi-i-NOOR diamond). 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 and strike up a conversation!

A Sam Ezersky spectacular that Jean breezed through, DARNTOOTIN, but Mike thought was SOMETHINGELSE. For more details, listen to the intrepid duo's puzzle solving adventure right here. 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 and strike up a conversation!

 Jean gets stuck in the bottom left corner, and Mike makes a HUMANERROR at the corner of 49D - Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas _____ and 52A - Singer/dancer/actress Falana. Still, any time that we can almost complete a Saturday crossword is ONEFINEDAY, and any puzzle that includes such memorable answers as TARN (42A - Alpine Lake) and works in both THESENTINEL and CITADEL has to be a 5 squares on...

It is AXIOMATIC: you can RELY on the New York Times to deliver a great Friday puzzle. Mike was QUIK to solve this one, Jean took her THYME, but both agree that it was a HIT! 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 and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword hits all the right buttons. It's a tour de force by Adam Fromm, who most definitely did not phone this one in. You likely won't get done in a TRICE, but if you do complete it, you will surely ROAR ... IWON! It's a definite 5 on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com....

In today's podcast, Jean & Mike honor International Podcast Day by ... doing this podcast, for a relatively straightforward, educational crossword, that still managed to earn a perfect 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. 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 the...

You probably won't need to issue an SOS for today's crossword. There are no RISKY ABYSSES, aka naticks, into which you might get trapped, i.e., this crossword is not restricted to the PHENOMS and PROS in the audience. It's Tip Tuesday, so be sure and listen in for some great [hints]  as well. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cr...