Tuesday, September 10, 2024 - HEMINGWAYESQUE, fun to say, a challenge to spell, and impossible to work into casual conversation 😀
Today's theme was about as NYTimes-esque as they come, just a fun exploration of attributes of the English language, and something that almost surely could not have been constructed without a computer to do the heavy lifting. Without spoiling anything out here in the show notes, let's just say that the theme involved finding three answers that met certain criteria, and those answers were the output of a Python program. To be fair, the author of the crossword wrote said program, and could've d...
11 Syys 202412min
Monday, September 9, 2024 - You know it's a classy puzzle when Dame Judi DENCH is in the grid
Tim D'Alfonso has constructed an excellent Monday crossword -- his debut! -- with a smile-inducing theme and some fun cluing, including 42D, Your of yore, THY; 43D, Start of a donkey's bray, HEE; and the nostalgia-inducing 25D, ________ Sketch (classic toy), ETCHA. This was a great puzzle and likely a confidence-builder for those just starting to do the NYTimes crosswords, we approve: 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Show note imagery: Dame Judi DENCH, as M, in Skyfall We love feedback! Send us...
10 Syys 202410min
Sunday, September 8, 2024 - A crossword that definitely gives it The Ol' College Try
Occasionally at JAMDTNYTC HQ, the cohosts opinions are so divergent that one might be inclined to think they are talking about different puzzles: but they most definitely were talking about one puzzle today, that of 9/8/2024, which Jean found to be a piece o' cake, and Mike found to be ... not that. Deets inside, so have a listen, and, as always, we welcome listener feedback! Show note imagery: Assumption of the Virgin, by TITIAN We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love list...
8 Syys 202420min
Saturday, September 7, 2024 - Why do spammers always call on the heckelphone? 😂
After last Saturday's killer crossword we were hoping that Joel might give us a break, but nooooooo, he still had the pedal to the floor, cruciverbially speaking. There were almost no gimmes in the grid, but a plethora of head scratchers, characteristic of David P. Williams, who has written 5 NYTimes crosswords -- 1 Friday, and the rest -- Saturdays. Definitely tough, definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Show note imagery: a heckelphone, aka an OBOE We love feedback! Send us a text...
8 Syys 202420min
Friday, September 6, 2024 - CITI never sleeps ... but it does zone out from time to time 😀 🏧
A challenging Friday crossword, more so in the top-left, less so in the bottom-right. There were a plethora of awesome clues in today's puzzle, including 5A, They often have multiple horns, SKABANDS (what, not TRICERATOPS?); 62A, Competition with many missions, SPACERACE (nice!); and the outstanding 11D, Chicken or mashed potato, DANCE (ha!) Show note imagery: A Rembrandt, by ... Rembrandt! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodc...
7 Syys 202424min
Thursday, September 5, 2024 - Yoinks, it's a ZEDONK! 😀
We had an exceptional Thursday crossword -- no rebuses (rebusae(?)), but an inspired theme from the most brilliant Joe Deeney. We cover it in detail in today's episode, and you can see Joe's oeuvre at xwordinfo.com as well.Show note imagery: Look, ma, it's a ZEDONK!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!
6 Syys 202417min
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - No ELAND is an ELAND unto itself 😂
A witty Wednesday crossword by Kareem Ayas, his fourth for the NYTimes since 2023, so he is on a roll! The theme was surprising, especially for a Wednesday, and we'll just let that sentence hang in the air rather than go into the deets here -- but rest assured that the podcast does just that. Besides our in-depth dive through the grid, we also have a spot of listener mail, so to get in on all of that, download now! Show note imagery: For the record, SERRANOS are mid-orange We love feedback!...
5 Syys 202414min
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 - 🎶 Oh, we've got TUPLE, right here in River City! 😁
This is Alex Eaton-Salner's 70th NYTimes crossword, and it got to be their 70th, in part*, because of an ingenious theme, and in part because of the superstition that to turn down a crossword with BORIC in the grid (8D, Kind of acid used to make Silly Putty) is exceptionally unlucky** Show note imagery: PEI, in its place *we suspect: editor Joel Fagliano plays his cards pretty close to the vest **hey, it's just a superstition 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We lov...
4 Syys 202416min
