Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

Today's crossword might've been a shoutout to fruititarians, what with the references to HALLEBERRY, PROFESSORPLUM, PRINCESSPEACH, and a very popular singer (especially in the New York Times Crossword), FIONAAPPLE. The latter crossed with 40D, Tech release of 2017, IMACPRO -- a nice touch since, of course, they are made by Apple. There were quite a few cultural references in today's puzzle, including 33D, Singer with the 2019 # 2 hit "Don't Start Now", DUALIPA, and 7D, "Heidi" aut...

2 Kesä 202113min

Jean tears through today's crossword, as, allowing for heteronyms, does Mike. There were quite a few teaching moments in today's crossword: 57A, Fashion designer associated with the item spelled out by the starts of 17-, 26- and 42-Across, COCOCHANEL -- alluding to the Little Black Dress that apparently is a staple of most women's wardrobes. 26A, Bicolor cookies also called half-moons, BLACKANDWHITES, not OREOOOOOOOOOOOS (that's an OREO being eaten while falling off a cliff). 32D, _...

1 Kesä 20218min

The Goldilox of Sunday crosswords -- not too hard, not too easy, just right -- with an entertaining chess theme and a reference to what we presume is Will Shortz's favorite pointy object, 88D, Tool for a duel, EPEE. There were a few standout clues -- 64A, Pickup line?, RAM, and the tremendous 55D, Cub's place to play home games, DEN (very nice!). As all good crosswords do, it did raise a few questions, such as 25A, Where snow leopards and blue sheep roam, HIMALAYAS -- blue sheep?...

30 Touko 202113min

The gloves are off, the gauntlet is cast down, yes, it's a Saturday crossword, so you might need some PLOTARMOR to protect you from the absolute deluge of tough clues. starting with, well, speak of the devil, 1A, Protection of a protagonist for narrative purposes, in slang, PLOTARMOR. The fun continues with the clues beneath it, 15A, Get in the pool, say, RIDESHARE, which bumps into the even slier 7D, Bunch of hipsters?, MANBUN -- and that's just the top-left corner! The bar for the rest of ...

30 Touko 202112min

A somewhat challenging Friday, with head-scratchers in all 4 quadrants. Jean struggled in the middle of the crossword, with 40A, "Vice" principal?, DICKCHENEY, while Mike struggled with, well, it would be faster to say what he didn't struggle with -- he got 42D, Province named for a daughter of Queen Victoria, ALBERTA, right off the bat. Everything else he had to work for. In today's episode of Fun Fact Friday, we talk about Otis Boykin, best known for his work with resistors and pacemakers....

29 Touko 202110min

Sufferin' succotash! It's Sylvester, one of Mel Blanc's many, many creations, and the basis of the theme, which involves exchanging S's for TH's, e.g., 35A, When an armistice is signed, as 58-Across would say, MOMENTOFTRUCE. Mike wasn't quite sure about 50-A, Looking pretty, as 58-Across would say, INGOODFAITH, but Jean assured him, INGOODFAITH, that INGOODFAITH was a legitimate answer. A good Thursday offering, we give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a tex...

28 Touko 202113min

Mi, mi, mi -- sorry, we're just warming up to analyze a Will Nediger crossword that had three ME references, all tied to 53A, Ominous request from a teacher ... or a hint to the first words (and following letters) of 17-, 26- and 43 Across, SEEMEAFTERCLASS. The answers to those clues were, incidentally, BUSINESSMEETING, GYMMEMBERSHIP, and GERMANMEASLES. There was a lot to like in this crossword -- Will Nediger does not know how to write anything less. Most notable were 14A,...

27 Touko 20219min

Jean found today's crossword to be a piece o'cake, while Mike found it more of a torture, er, torte, as he wandered down various dead-end alleys (1A, Evidence of a recent scrape, SCAB (not SCAR); 6D, Go here and there, ROVE (not ROAM); 17A, Many a graduate of 37-across; Abbr., ENGR, not MNGR; etc., etc.). Both Jean and Mike enjoyed the delicious irony that 9A, Expensive Super Bowl purchases, TVADS, was kitty-corner to 64A, Rival of Hydrox cookies, OREOS (and since OREOS were involved,...

26 Touko 202115min