Monday, October 4, 2021 - The NYTimes Crossword - always a sight for SOREEYES
Mondays are traditionally the easiest crossword puzzles of the week, designed to gently welcome novice solvers to the fold, and this one definitely succeeds. It has some intriguing clues -- 1D, Handy way of communicating, in brief?, ASL; 56A, 1967 hit by the Tremeloes suggested by the starts of 17-, 27- and 46-Across, HERECOMESMYBABY; and a nod to one of Mike's favorite books, 7D, "_____ and Crake" (Margaret Atwood novel), ORYX. But it also has some old chestnuts, such as 41A, Airport guesses...
5 Loka 20218min
Sunday, October 3, 2021 - Up the ZAMBEZI without a paddle!
It's hard not to like a puzzle that manages to work in 63A, Final creature encountered in "Dr. Seuss's ABC", ZIZZERZAZZERZUZZ, on its way to working a grand total of 40 (count 'em) Z'S into the grid, a genuine tour de forze, um, we mean force. Jean had trouble in the upper right, in particular with 33A, Jurisdiction of a Catholic Church official, DEANERY crossing with 34D, Kilt-wearing Greek infantryman, EVZONE (really?). Mike, meanwhile, worn out by having worked on this puzzle for an embarr...
4 Loka 202118min
Saturday, October 2, 2021 - Open SESAMES
A thoroughly pleasurable Saturday crossword. Jean got through it fairly expeditiously, never thinking that she'd hit a brick wall anywhere in the grid. Mike flailed around for a time in the lower left corner before MNEMOSYNE heard his prayers and reminded him that, among other things, there never was and never will be any such game as CORNDART. A fine crossword, we give it a happy 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Just a reminder - to enjoy these podcasts to their fullest, we recommend trying th...
3 Loka 202112min
Friday, October 1, 2021 - Quick, to THEBATCAVE!
A fun Friday crossword, tough but fair, with just a few potential natick sites -- all of which Mike managed to find, and details in this week's episode. Today's Fun Fact (it is, of course, Fun Fact Friday) was about ambigrams, those wonderful works of art that look the same after being rotated / reflected. 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 ...
2 Loka 202116min
Thursday, September 30, 2021 - Most decidedly not HUMDRUM
A very sound Thursday crossword -- and sounds are at its heart, with a number of clues that require you mash sounds together to get an answer. Jean's favorite was 26A, [Lightsaber] + [Impatient fingers] = Boring, HUMDRUM, while Mike was partial to 48A, [Cow] + [Thunder] = Snake eyes, e.g., LOWROLL, not only for the humor but because that was where he cottoned on to the gimmick. A fun solve, we give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love li...
1 Loka 20218min
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 - SHH, this crossword has a SECRET
It's always a good sign when Alex Eaton-Salners' name is on the puzzle, and he does not disappoint today, with a puzzle built to AMUSE. There are multiple answers that when deprived of the circled letter in their midst become their opposite, e.g., 13A, Stay in power, RESIGN (with the S circled), becomes REIGN; and 23A, Hold on to, HEAVE (with the E circled), becomes HAVE. Very cute! There were some other examples of Alex's word-play-prowess at work: 32D, Perfumes with a thurible, CENSES (oh m...
30 Syys 202110min
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 - Say, what's your ANGLE?
A geometrically themed crossword, with various ANGLEs making an appearance, at, as one might expect, an angle. Jean solved the crossword in almost record time, but Mike, alas, fixated on the name DEBDUBOIS for considerably longer than he ought to have before finding the correct answer to 7D, Co-founder of the NAACP and author of "The Souls of Black Folk", WEBDUBOIS. A few other noteworthy grid entries include the occurrence of both ALBA (1D, Actress Jessica), and ELBA (12D, Actor Idris with a...
29 Syys 202113min
Monday, September 27, 2021 - INTHEBANK
A fun Monday, with a droll theme, revolving around 61A, Guaranteed ... or where you can find the ends to 17A (POLEVAULT), 23A (PENNANDTELLER), 37A (DAYLIGHTSAVINGS), and 50A (BOTTLEDEPOSIT), INTHEBANK. One of the more interesting clues was 51D, River of forgetfulness, in myth, LETHE, interesting because just two days ago we had a reference to the Greek goddess of memory, MNEMOSYNE. Coincidence? Ha! More likely the work of clever and indefatigable editor Will Shortz. Thank you, Will! We ...
28 Syys 20218min
