Sunday, November 8, 2020

Writing the clues for today's crossword must've been quite the chore, but Brian Callahan has done himself proud. It took a bit of cultural archeology to make sense of 64A, Coneheads, e.g., for short, ETS (a reference to SNL characters); it took no effort at all to meander down the wrong path while contemplating 1A, "Catfish" channel: MTV (oh, that sort of catfish); and we still cannot believe that after 82 years, 6A, Contract from a publisher, BOOKDEAL, still turned out to be a debut. H...

29 Jul 10min

This was an astonishingly good Sunday crossword by John Kugelman, thanks to a jaw-dropping display of anagrammatic magic. We've got all the deets inside, so be prepared, to be amazed! Show note imagery: THOMASEDISON, who in 1904 obtained a patent for an electric car, was only about 100 years or so ahead of his time. 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 s...

28 Jul 16min

This was a relatively straightforward Saturday crossword, but the clues included 7 debuts (and 2 that have not been seen in donkey's years): that made for an intriguing grid, and we definitely enjoyed the solve. Of course, based on the Law of Conservation of Crossword Difficulty (which, as we recall, won Margaret Farrar a Nobel prize in Cruciverbalism in 1960), it means that tomorrow's crossword could be nigh well impossible. We'll find out then! Show note imagery: Brooke Ashby, a WVU Mountai...

27 Jul 13min

This was an excellent debut crossword by Fritz Juhnke: the clues and answers were fascinating, offering plenty of opportunities for AHAMOMENTs. There were several answers that neither cohost had ever even heard of (but have now!), always a good sign when working on an end-of-the-week crossword. Besides the crossword, we have a terrific Fun Fact Friday™️ segment for your edification, so have a listen, and, as always, let us know what you think! Show note imagery: A REGNANT, King Charles III, o...

26 Jul 21min

This was a delightfully crunchy crossword by Ginny Too - her third NYTimes crossword in about a year. There were a boatload of novel clues†, which made the solve just that much more satisfying. We have the deets inside, so have a listen, and please tell others about us on social media. Show note imagery: Behold, a MELISMA (multiple notes sung over one syllable) †like 14A, † symbols on manuscripts, OBELI We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a lin...

25 Jul 19min

Joseph Gangi has had 4 NYTimes crosswords published, all of them Wednesdays. He clearly has the difficulty level down pat, and his themes are always inventive: today's crossword being a case in point. Apart from the clues scrutinized in today's podcast, we'd like to draw your attention to 33A, "I don't mind ___ / Except as meals. / And the way they feels": Ogden Nash, EELS; 37D, Word aptly hidden in "turned yellow", DYE; and our favorite rapper, 61D, ______ Nas X, LIL. Show note imagery: The ...

24 Jul 13min

In honor of the heatwave that some of you may be experiencing, Jeremy Newton has crafted a cool crossword to cool you down. ☃️ You are cordially invited to chill out with us as we frolic through the grid (and, of course, another great edition of Triplet Tuesday™️). Show note imagery: CICERO, who presumably was at a very bad party when he uttered his famous phrase, "Silence is one of the great arts of conversation". We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! ...

23 Jul 16min

Alright, here's a challenge: what word has appeared in the NYTimes crossword grid a whopping 926 times, counting today? We'll let you ponder that, and wait until the end of these show notes for the "big reveal". There were a lot of very fine clues in today's puzzle. We were fans of 4A, What an angry customer may leave, NOTIP. We also liked the zing of 60D, Something to pick up at a beach, TAN; and finally we enjoyed trying to figure out how much our local walk-in clinic would charge for 54D, ...

22 Jul 12min