Tuesday, October 20, 2025 - Winter in Wisconsin? Brrrrrrrrrring it on 😀 ☃️

One of the most enjoyable moments in NYTimes-crossword-solving, is when one is completely floored by an answer, only to discover, with a bit of research, that it is apparently the 5th most popular word of the year, and that you are the only person in a 10 mile radius who has not heard of it. We had such an experience in today's puzzle -- a fine effort by Brandon Koppy -- and we leave it to you, the listener, to determine which answer we are referring to. [Hint: it won't take you long to do so...

24 Huhti 12min

We had a fine Tuesday crossword by a frequent contributor to the NYTimes, Alex Eaton-Salners. There are many perfectly good reasons why AE-S has had 73 puzzles published in the pantheon of crosswords, and they are all on display in today's work. So check it out, and, as always, let us know what you think. In other news, we have our latest Triplet Tuesday Contest winner, and very soon that winner will have ownership of a lovely bit of northeast Wisconsin swag, and a lovely t-shirt to boot. For...

23 Huhti 19min

This was Thomas van Geel's second NYTimes crossword, and it is an awesome example of an LOL theme. Have a listen, and you'll see what we mean. A reminder, this is your last day to enter last week's Triplet Tuesday Contest, and potentially win some magnificent swag. Just check out last Tuesday's episode, and then send your entry our way. Show note imagery: Mount DENALI We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, w...

22 Huhti 10min

Today's crossword was somewhat of a gently sloping foothill for Jean, and an Everest atop an Everest for Mike. The former made it through the crossword in a longer-than-usual-but-still-reasonable time frame, whereas for the latter it seemed that several civilizations rose, prospered, and fell, before he finally got the happy music. We've covered the theme in today's episode, but some of the (many) notable clues that did not make the cut include 103D, Support line?, ISECOND 😀; 71D, Blood...

21 Huhti 20min

We are delighted to announce the purely coincidental arrival, on the same day that this fabulous crossword brought us BARBIECORE, of crosswordcore™ -- the rules of which are quite straightforward, and we are very pleased to be able to set forth, for the first time AFAWCT, right here: Rule 1: wear and/or decorate with any color you want, as long as it's black or white 😀 Rule 2: Other than rule 1, pretty much anything goes ... it is a rather laissez-faire core.The puzzle that inspire...

19 Huhti 14min

Our cohosts took highly divergent paths towards victory on this crossword - Jean took the high road, and had a lovely time; Mike took the low road, and for his pains got repeatedly stuck in the mire. Still, there was a lot to admire in today's grid, and to find out what that was, check out today's episode. Show note imagery: The JETSONS! 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 ...

18 Huhti 17min

This was a slightly crunchier than usual Wednesday*, for one very good reason. We're not going to tell you that reason just yet, but we cerealously believe you'll like it once you hear it 😀😉🙄. Besides the terrific theme, we had numerous intriguing and occasionally perplexing clues, such as 18A, Flying Cloud and Royale, for two, REOS; 60A, "Nelson's blood", RUM; and the fun to say 33D, For sure, for short, DEF. Show note imagery: Fred and Barney, making a splash *the crossword, not the day: th...

17 Huhti 12min

In today's episode, we have a two-fer. First, an awesome crossword, a debut by Per Bykodorov that is just brimming with microtome-sharp clues, and an LOL theme. But wait, there's more 😀 We have our latest Triplet Tuesday Contest, your chance to go (asynchronously) head-to-head against Jean to see who can grab the TTC ring. The rules are straightforward and brilliantly (ok, adequately) explained, so have a listen, and then get your entry in by next Tuesday at 6 PM CDT (2300 Zulu time for...

16 Huhti 18min