Friday, February 7, 2025 - Have a sip of TEXASTEA 🫖

A perfect midweek crossword by Luke K. Schreiber that has echos of yesterday's puzzle. You will recall (or if not, check out our podcast), that yesterday we had a slew of cryptids that couldn't quite be seen clearly. Today we have 13 animals that are, essentially, in hiding; and that entertaining similarity is due, no doubt, to the NYTimes Crossword editor (and person who we hope can be buttered up enough to show up for an interview with us), Joel Fagliano. Show note imagery: A TEASEL We lov...

3 Loka 202415min

Kevin Curry and Jeff Chen have teamed up to create a fun Tuesday crossword, based on an ingenious attempt to merge myth and mystery. We won't say any more about it here (as October is No Spoiler Month), but we have plenty to say about it in today's podcast, so do have a listen. Beyond our dissection of today's puzzle, we are also delighted to announce the winners of our latest Triplet Tuesday Contest, and ... it was a tie! Congrats to our winners, as well as all who participated: you'll get ...

2 Loka 202424min

Today's crossword, by Alexander Liebeskind, does what all good Monday crosswords should do: offer entertaining clues and not crush the spirit of crossword solvers just getting their feet wet. Our favorite entry? 39D, Loud and unhappy sports fans, in slang, BOOBIRDS, although we were also quite taken by 6D, Empire whose capital city was Tenochtitlán: AZTEC. Show note imagery: Tenochtitlán, in all its ancient glory We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail...

1 Loka 202411min

Joe Deeney has gotten accolades for writing terrific crosswords, and today's puzzle, we are pleased to report, continues the streak. The theme is ingenious, there are lots of gems everywhere you look in the grid, all-in-all a nice bit of work. Deets inside, as well as a return of our "Oh, That's How You Pronounce It" segment, -- which, astonishingly, may provoke the need for another OTHYPI in the near future! Show note imagery: A CATCAFE! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We ...

30 Syys 202422min

You know when a grid has words like HORCHATA and AORTAE lurking inside that the puzzle is going to be tough, and that is most definitely the case today, in this epic Saturday crossword by Margaret Seikel, her 9th for the NYTimes, and her first Saturday entry. Jean got through it much faster than Mike, but both were able to persevere and had a grand time, as today's podcast makes abundantly clear. It's Saturday, and we've picked our JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), which ...

29 Syys 202422min

Today's crossword, Jake Bunch's second for the NYTimes, and his second Friday, was splendid: even though Friday crosswords are typically themeless, this did have a meta-theme, really, really intriguing clues. Beyond those mentioned in the podcast, we had 59A, Composer for whom Poland's largest airport is named, CHOPIN; 26D, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.: Abbr, STS (oh, of course!); and an answer that only shows up rarely in the grid, but we are happy whenever it deigns to drop by, 11D, Simply delectabl...

28 Syys 202417min

This is Jesse Guzman's first ever NYTimes crossword, and they've started off with a bang, with a theme that took both cohosts (working independently, as they are wont to do) quite some time to suss out, but that AHA! moment was assuredly worth the wait. There were some other great clues in the grid, including 61A, They take off marks at school, ERASERS (😀); 58A, Final circuit in a track race, BELLLAP (🧐); and we have the delightful juxtaposition of 56A, Unit of explosive power, KILOTON, and 4...

27 Syys 202418min

This is Peter Gordon's 129th NYTimes crossword, and a perfect example of why the NYTimes keeps publishing his work. The theme is brilliant, the clues sharp and, pardon the pun, upbeat -- quite a lot to like. We have the deets inside, just waiting for you to download all that goodness. Our Triplet Tuesday Contest is going strong, so if you haven't participated yet, listen to Tuesday's podcast and then submit your entry, for a chance to win bragging rights and some fabulous swag. As promised,...

26 Syys 202417min