Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

A spectacular Thursday, um , spectacular! Sid Sivakumar shows us how to BOUNCEBACK, with a crossword that is definitely not SOSO. We give it a 5+ squares on the JAMCRS. Listen to the podcast to find out why. 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 fine first crossword by Margaret Seikel, during the solving of which Jean almost gets stuck in BRENNERPASS, Mike can't CATCH the point of CATCHPHRASE, Jean makes the ELEVATORPITCH that LAPTOP is the answer to 55A, it might have an apple on it, to which Mike, being semantically persnickety, replies HUSH. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line,...

Without seemingly any BROUHAHA (HOHO) or ADO, David Steinberg put together a fine crossword - a 5.0 squares on the JAMCRS 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 and strike up a conversation!

Heavens to BETSY, the 2012 & 2016 women's Olympics gymnastics captain was ALYRAISMAN (not, as Mike surmised, AMYRAISMAN). A few newer favorites show up - YAK from last Thursday's JAW, GAB and YAK spectacular, and NES from ... yesterday! It's good to see old friends. Speaking of which, why not become a friend of Jean & Mike Do the New York Times Crossword. It's really ea...

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a BUTTERFLY, which plays a prominent role in today's stellar crossword (we rate it a perfect 5 square on the JAMCRS). 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!

HOHO, a tough Saturday, you might need some TYLENOL to get through it! But any crossword that includes MAHNAMAHNA deserves ... we'll say a 4.5 squares on the JAMCRS (Jean & Mike Crossword Rating 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 and strik...

A fast, fun, fireworks-free Friday crossword by Kate Hawkins (edited as always by the indefatigable Will Shortz). It included such gems as 24A - Fastest creature on two legs (up to 45 m.p.h.) - OSTRICH, 28A - One might be left in the dust - SHOEPRINT, and 37D, Plot point in a rom-com - MEETCUTE. We'd rate this one a 4.5 squares on the JAMCRS (Jean & Mike Crossword Rating Scale). We love f...

CHATTERBOXes Jean and Mike recorded their longest podcast yet, but that's because there was much to YAK, JAW, and GAB about.  Both Jean and Mike laughed uproariously at CACHINNATE (n: to laugh uproariously), and especially enjoyed 55D - Members of a defunct union - EXES and 21A - Entry-level workers? - DOORMEN. Definitely a 5-square crossword! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info:...

In which Jean learns about DIRKs, Mike learns that WEAKTEA is not just ... WEAKTEA, and both agree that they'd like to see more of Carl Larson's WORKPORTFOLIO, rating this crossword a 4.5 out of 5 squares. 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 s...

Alas, poor Yorick, he ... didn't get to do the Tuesday NYTimes Crossword. But you can ... or if you got stuck, listen here for some hints that might guide you to the solution! Our favorite crossword weapon makes an appearance today - EPEE. The volcano that we just lava also pops up -- ETNA.  Jean's favorite clue? 31D Things that rhythm lack? AEIOU Mike's favorite clue? 14A, Like an...

An extremely exciting example of extraneous use of "ex" in a crossword 😀 No, jk, it was a fine Monday, including such fun clues as (Jean's favorite) 11D, "Like that'll ever happen" (SARCASTIC), and (Mike's favorite) 44A, "What alumni do on important anniversaries" (REUNE). Side note: this is our 65th episode, so the podcast now qualifies for medicare :...

A noteworthy crossword, definitely something to sing about!  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!

The author, Trenton Charlson, was able to CRAM SCADs of interesting clues in today's puzzle, and they were SASSIER than most, earning it a 4.5 squares on the Jean & Mike Crossword Rating Scale (tm). Jean had to work for her in supper in the bottom left corner, Mike became FIXATEDON the clue for "obsessed with", and both learned of the existence of BASSALE.  We love feedback! Sen...

On our new (trademark pending??) crossword rating scale, this was a 4.5 squares (Jean gave it a 5, Mike, a 4). It was a relatively easy Friday, with Jean cruising through it in 40 minutes, and Mike still below his average but could have done faster had he remembered the Shakespearean role of DESDEMONA, as opposed to his first guess (and famous hit by The CLASH), DESMEDONA. In other news, Jean info...

It was a Thursday crossword, so no surprise that it contained a surprise -- an interesting and TIMEly WRINKLE that Jean spotted, and to which Mike, er ... um ... WHATIMEANT ... tried to force into a rebus. (Spoiler alert: it did not end well 😀) Two answers -- ENOS and ONCE -- made an encore appearance today, although the clues were different yesterday.  Finally, Mike spotted one small error in th...

Look, up there in the sky, it's a crossword, it's a word chain, it's ... both?? Yes, Brandon Koppy delivers a stellar Wednesday crossword, one that you'll have to wrap your head around -- and listen to today's episode to have that joke, and other aspects of the crosswords, explained. Today's favorite clue: What might be tested by parking a car in Harvard Square? BOSTO...

ALICEPAUL pops up in a crossword honoring WOMENSSUFFRAGE and AMENDMENTXIX. In another news, Jean & Mike review some helpful tips on how to improve your crossword-solving skills. Subscribe to the New York Times Crossword @ nytimes.com/crosswords Talk to us, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@iclou...

A marvelous Monday puzzle, featuring the return of that famous Garlic mayonnaise and possible yodeling term, AIOLI; one of Mike's all-time favorite English words, lollygags (leading to the answer, LOAFS); and other STUFF, besides. 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...

In today's episode, Jean & Mike learn a new sandal brand (TEVA) and a potential vacation destination (VARESE), Mike discovers that LAILA ALI is the daughter of the famous boxer; and no matter what, you can DEPENDON the New York Times to come up with some amazing puzzles (the present one being a fine example of the genre!). We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener...

A grueling Saturday delight by Joe DiPietro (edited as always by Will Shortz), including an exceptionally tough top-left corner minefield with tricky clues such as "Unrepaired" (ASIS), "Something the force is responsible for?" (SALES), and "Finer cut, usually" (SIDEA) - yikes!  We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cr...

Jean & Mike concur that this was a relatively merciful Friday, one that they ASSERT should not create too much ANGST 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!

Quickly, D'Artagnan, to the Musketeermobile! A superb Thursday crossword in which, yes, the THREEMUSKETEERS play a prominent roll, and a WHEELIE fun time was had by ... ONE? by ALL? 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 & Mike solve this puzzle AMAIN, Mike requests a BROWN BETTY, and both are amused and somewhat bemused by that notion that COLLATE is an advanced photocopier instruction. Like what you hear? Room for improvement? Let us know at crosswordpodcast@icloud.com We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're o...

It's tip Tuesday! Besides our usual witty repartee, we also provide a few tips to help you become better crossword solvers, and as promised, here are some external links worth checking out: 12 European Rivers That Will Help You Raise Your Crossword Game The Crossword Travel Guide: 10 Cities You Should Know The Crossword Zoo: 10 Animals You Should Know xwordinfo.com Like what you hear? Let us...

Woo-hoo, it's our 51st episode! It's a Monday, so geared towards newer solvers, but still chock-full of interesting tidbits as is, hopefully, this podcast. Send us feedback, we love to hear from you! crosswordpodcast@icloud.com will do the trick! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're on FaceB...