Monday, February 22, 2021
We have no doubt that the illustrious editor of the New York Times, Will Shortz, was PEPPERED with questions after today's crossword was published, and might've thought, GIMMEABREAK. Nonetheless, controversy swirled around the answer to 29D, Evian and Perrier, EAUS, as opposed to (as any bon étudiant de la belle langue Français* could tell you), the correct answer, EAUX. Jean was serenely unperturbed by this faux pas, but Mike blames his suboptimal solving time on having passed out for severa...
23 Helmi 202112min
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Are you feeling INARUT? Matthew Stock has just the ticket, a crossword with great APPEAL that will have you SINGININTHERAIN in no time! Jean got through today's crossword in her usual exemplary fashion. Mike wasn't quite the STARPUPIL, he REWROTE a staggeringly large percentage of his answers before finally hitting ORO, so for him it wasn't so much a matter of WEARETHECHAMPIONS as POURSOMESUGARONME 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop u...
22 Helmi 20217min
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Saturday is traditionally the hardest crossword of the week, and Ali Gascoigne does OBLIGE, with this ACE example of the genre. Jean's favorite clue was 14D, Protective suits?, SECRETSERVICE; Mike's was 13A, Things often hit during rush hour, CARHORNS. There were a few "today-we-learned" moments, including 15A, "I Wish" rapper, 1995, SKEELO, 39D, One doing some stitching, SEAMER, and 2D, ________ von Der Leyden, first female head of the European Commission, who negotiated Brexit for the E.U....
21 Helmi 202114min
Friday, February 19, 2021
A tough Friday, with a real quagmire in the bottom right -- from 47A, Ganja, HERB, to 53A, Way of Life?, CEREALAISLE (nice!), to 56D, Helen of Troy, e.g., DEMIGODDESS, to 51D, R&B singer Erykah, BADU and finally 47D, Gardner of "S.N.L.", it was a who's who of who-knows, who-knows 😀 What we do know is that, bottom right corner not withstanding, we liked this crossword a lot, and give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Today was also fun-fact-Friday: Jean discusses demigoddesses, and Mike...
20 Helmi 202115min
Thursday, February 18, 2021
There was so much to RAVE about in this crossword that we just have to RATE it a 5 on the JAMCR scale. The author started off with the best of INTENTIONS, and thanks to several verbal INVENTIONS, pulled off an amazing feat that simply left us INAWE: 4 squares that could be either T or V, and the answers, spelled either with a T or V, were both plausible. For example, 17A, Designs, could be either INVENTIONS or INTENTIONS; 3D, Some accommodations, could be either HOVELS or HOTELS. Brilliant! W...
19 Helmi 20219min
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
A nice Wednesday crossword, although both Jean & Mike had a spot of bother in the top-right corner. Both independently came to the conclusion that 12D, "Never-ending" offerings at Olive Garden, was SALADS, as opposed to the other never-ending offerings, PASTAS. Both (also independently) assumed that 25A, Least bit, was ATAD. There was also some unpleasantness with 18A, "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" network, but in the end both (independently) fought their way out of that verbal quagmir...
18 Helmi 202115min
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
A solid Tuesday crossword, even though the theme was liquid -- various types of beer, to be precise, embedded in longer clues (e.g., 26A, British fashion designer who's the daughter of Linda and Sir Paul, STELLAMCCARTNEY (after Stella Artois), and the rather cryptic 57A, Long, straight-sided smoke, CORONACIGAR. Jean enjoyed the appearance of 23D, Drink that can cause brain freeze, SLUSHIE (her original answer for SLURPIE from a day or two ago). Mike was slightly disappointed to learn ...
17 Helmi 202115min
Monday, February 15, 2021
The New York Times crossword is going to the dogs ... but in a good way, with this themed puzzle that provides a shoutout to various presidential woofers. Jean was intrigued by 40A, The Buddha is often depicted meditating under it [Obama], BOTREE, while, predictably, Mike's favorite was 7D, Apple on a desktop, IMAC. We give this puzzle a well deserved 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@i...
16 Helmi 202111min
