Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Happy Mother's Day from those of us at Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword HQ, as well as the editors of the New York Times Crossword. The latter brought you a Mother's Day Concert, with songs that could be interpreted as referencing the miracle of childbirth. For example, 24A, Mom's comment to her child during prenatal bonding? [Frank Sinatra, 1954], IGETAKICKOUTOFYOU, and 66A, Mom's remark as contractions grow stronger? [The Ramones, 1978], IWANNABESEDATED. Jean cruised through ...

10 Touko 20219min

Ah, a David Steinberg puzzle, that means quality! And the maestro does not disappoint. with a DELUGE of ingenious and deliciously deceiving clues (35D, Composition test, ASSAY (not, as probably 90% of solvers initially thought, ESSAY); 50A, The old you?, THOU; and 56A, Camper's gear chain, REI, just to name three). Basically everywhere you look in the puzzle -- from 1A, Supreme Court members?, NBAALLSTARS, and 37D, Correction for a wild pitch?, AUTOTUNE; to 2D,...

9 Touko 202113min

A somewhat challenging crossword, with some answers that were OUTOFLEFTFIELD -- but it's a Friday, so headwinds are par for the course. Jean had to dig for 2D, Home of many a tech startup, PALOALTO, while Mike had to talk himself out of RENTS as the answer to 44A (the correct answer being, as all good tennis players know, REDOS). Today's winner of the Most Interesting Clue Award (MICA) goes to 51D, Some deer, ROES (not, as Mike learned while watching The Sound of Music, DOES). The MICA runner...

8 Touko 202112min

If you saw RED in today's crossword, DONTPANIC -- there *was* RED in today's crossword -- 4 RED squares, in fact, where you had to turn right and keep going in order to solve the clues. Jean hit a rough patch in the bottom right, while Mike, solving 11D, Nickname for tap-dancing legend Bill Robinson, BOJANGLES, got the Sammy Davis Jr. song stuck in his head, where it remains lodged even now. SOSAD! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cro...

7 Touko 202111min

A fun crossword if you like NUMBERS, this one name dropped those in the PRIME and FIBONACCI realms, managing to arrange the answers so that they included numbered squares that were, of course, respectively PRIME (2 and 23) and FIBONACCI (34 and 55). Impressive! They also managed to slip 18A, Expand to 800%, OCTUPLE, into the grid, and we would be remiss if we did not point out our favorite, 16A, Price of a horror film?, VINCENT. We approve, and give it a 4.5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We lov...

6 Touko 20217min

Not that we believe in product placement, but this was a JUUL of a crossword, as the constructor, Nina Sloan, provided a bevy of insulting candy names, from GOOBERS to DUMDUMS, leaving out, presumably because of space, the delicious YOURMOTHERWEARSARMYBOOTS bar. One clue stood out in particular -- 5D, Fit on a hard drive?, ROADRAGE -- brilliant! For that alone we give this a perfect 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. In today's tips, Jean recommends crossword-solver.io, and Mike admonishes list...

5 Touko 202113min

It's a gigantic crossword! No, not really, it is just 15x15, but it did manage to fit a giant's trademark FEEFIFOFUM into the answers. It also slipped in one of our favorite shows, 25D, Discovery Channel program that debunked popular beliefs, MYTHBUSTERS, and therefore EARN our respect. We were glad to see a shoutout to 26A, Island nation in the western Pacific, PALAU, as well as one of our all-time favorite deities, 49D, Greek goddess of wisdom, ATHENA. A nice crossword - Ross Trudeau ...

4 Touko 20217min

After the Herculean efforts yesterday's crossword demanded, today's was a much kinder solve, although it did have its moments -- 2D, Classical poem form, EPODE, and 5D, Floral archway, PERGOLA (well, one of us had troubles with it, at any rate). There was a charming segue between yesterday's puzzle and today's Yesterday offered the clue, Pickup line, NEEDARIDE, and today we had 3D, Drive's home, say, GIVESARIDE. Nice scheduling, Mr. Shortz! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact In...

3 Touko 20218min