Saturday, September 30, 2023 - Like SPUMONI, this crossword had many layers 😀

This is Ari Halpern's third NYTimes crossword, but his previous crossword appeared seventeen years ago. We're hoping that's because Ari found other things to do in the interim, and not because he's su...

27 Touko 202510min

This was a brilliant crossword by Dylan Schiff. Solving it was terrific fun, but creating it must've been a real bear (to borrow from a recent NYTimes Crossword answer). You'll see why when you check ...

26 Touko 202519min

Both cohosts found today's crossword to be a tad on the easy side (for a Saturday), but it nonetheless had some brilliant clues. Among these were 32D, Eton ___ (traditional English dessert), MESS (yum...

25 Touko 202512min

Our intrepid cohosts -- solving, as always, independently -- had very different experiences whilst filling in the grid. Jean got through this relatively readily, whereas Mike muttered many imprecation...

24 Touko 202517min

This crossword was the embodiment of what makes the NYTimes Crossword so outstanding: a fantabulous theme amid a sea of novel and some LOL supporting clues. Just check out today's podcast, and then ra...

23 Touko 202515min

There was art in today's grid -- specifically at 29A, "The most beautiful deception of all," per Debussy, ART, and more generally, everywhere else; because only the most artful of crosswords make thei...

22 Touko 202513min

This was Rena Cohen's first Tuesday crossword, and like the other three that she has constructed for the NYTimes, it was excellent: a brilliant theme and a constellation of ingenious clues made the wh...

21 Touko 202518min

This was a fun, fast, frothy Monday crossword. It would be a great crossword to solve with the young'uns, for reasons that will become evident as you listen to today's episode. Also, as presaged in ye...

20 Touko 20258min