Thursday, April 22, 2021

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

Mayday, Mayday! And, no, we're not just referring to the date. This was a tough crossword, with some delightful verbal misdirection. Exhibit A, 6A, One whose business is home-based?, UMP, and 22A, Popular camp assemblies, SMORES. Jean momentarily got stuck in the top right, convinced that 26A, Passes, was ELAPSED, rather than ENACTS; Mike got mired in the middle of the grid for what felt like a day and a half, having convinced himself that 43A, Motif in much Christian art, was ACORNTREE (rath...

2 Touko 202116min

A nice crossword to round out the work week, with a lot of long answers that can be challenging, although the modern culture references were down to a minimum, giving Mike a leg up. There were definitely a few tricky clues, such as 5A, Brogues, e.g., DRESSSHOES(!), and the amusing 27A, Ones getting you down?, GEESE 😀. We definitely appreciated this crossword, and give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cr...

1 Touko 202112min

Attention, haiku lovers, your time has come! Well, almost ... there is a haiku in today's crossword, but it is just ONESYLLABLETOOLONG. Today's puzzle was a challenge: almost by definition embedded poems, quotes, etc., require you lean on the crosses, and there were a few toughies, especially 3D, "... not to mention everything that could go wrong!", ORWORSE, and the question of spelling 31A, Pepper between jalapeño and cayenne on the Scoville heat scale, SERRANO. Not a bad crossword, we give ...

30 Huhti 202110min