Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - We long for more crosswords by Dan Caprera 😁

A BLANKCANVAS is how crosswords (and podcast episode write-ups!) begin, but then with a little AGILE thinking you end up with ... a WHITELEPHANT? No, a PLUM puzzle that's just ready to pick! We hope that you'll pick, download and listen up to today's podcast, featuring Jean's deft explanation of today's theme, as well as a loving recitation of a William Carlos Williams poem about fruit! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@i...

19 Elo 20218min

Today's crossword had lots of dipping - a NIB in INDIAINK, BREAD in CHEESEFONDUE, etc. Jean's favorite clue in the grid was 18A, Small part in a superhero film?, ANTMAN, and Mike was enthralled with 14A, Parts of clown costumes, REDNOSES, just because he likes the idea of REDNOSES. It's Triplet Tuesday, and Mike flames out spectacularly -- the details are all within, so download and listen up. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpo...

18 Elo 202110min

Monday's are generally regarded as the easiest of the New York Times crosswords, but that doesn't mean that they aren't a lot of fun. This one had a lively theme, the opportunity to misspell 14A, Visually challenged "Mr." of cartoons, MAGOO (Mike thought it was MCGOO for a time), and a clue that's guaranteed to induce a chuckle or three, 45A, One who says that you're not on the ball?, FLATEARTHER. In short, Freddie Cheng has set the bar high for crosswords for the rest of the week, whic...

17 Elo 20218min

Double, double, toil and trouble refers not only to a witch's spell, but also to this crossword, which caused a lot of toil and trouble -- specifically at the junction of 6A, Sarcastic internet laughter, LOLZ, and 9D, Star man?, ZAGAT; both Jean and Mike (working independently, as always) decided that the answers should be LOLS and SAGAN. The authors of the crossword, Aimee Lucido and Ella Dershowitz, begged to differ, and did. Still, apart from that wee little natick the crossword was fine, ...

16 Elo 202115min

The misdirections were flying fast and furious in today's epic by Nam Jin Yoon. Consider 48A, Marvel producer, MIRACLEWORKER, not KEVINFEIGE (it doesn't fit, and Marvel ≠ MARVEL). Right above that, 45A, Background for someone who's good with numbers, MUSICALTHEATER (!), and 34A, Star clusters?, FANBASES (!!). One of those classic Saturday puzzles that requires all neurons on deck, so to speak, we give this an exhausted and exhilarated 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send...

15 Elo 202114min

Jean found today's crossword to be a bit of a slog, but Mike (surprisingly) cruised through it in excellent time, although it was touch-and-go at the beginning. There were a lot of amusing clues in today's offering, such as 26D, Traffic directors?, CONES, 51A, That's a wrap!, SARAN, and 61A, Person who is willfully alone, SOLEHEIR. If these didn't bring a smile to your face, then 4D, Revolutionary inventions in the culinary world?, ROTISSERIEOVENS, will surely leave you ROTFL. In today...

14 Elo 202115min

HOHO, another exciting crossword from Jake Halperin (with, we presume, a dollop of assistance from Will Shortz), who CALLSITLIKEITIS, calling a spade a spade, and a funny bone a FUNNYNERVE -- because that's what, it turns out, it really is. There are three other misnomers that he lays to rest in this fine bit of gridsmanship: to find out what they are (among other things), download and listen up. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswor...

13 Elo 20218min

Today’s crossword featured a fine example of grid art — a face that definitely HADABLANKLOOK, and SHOWEDNOEMOTION - which coincidentally is what Jean & Mike look like when they have their puzzle-solving faces on. Apart from the Mona Lisa-like grid, there were some interesting answers: 56A, Brand with the record for a single car driven the most miles (3+ million and counting), VOLCO (huh!); 5D, Pennsylvania petroleum center, once, OILCITY (natch!), and 30D, It’s been known to chase Wild T...

12 Elo 202113min