Friday, August 21, 2026 — It's a Proper Noun Playground! 😱
This, Adryel W. Robles Ojeda's second NYTimes crossword, was uber difficult, thanks to a plethora of relatively obscure names, abetted by some rather cryptic crosses: we loved it (as today's podcast m...
22 Aug 16min
Thursday, August 20, 2026 — Yoda Would've Found Today's Crossword a Snap 😀 🔦
Most of the time, Thursday themes do something unexpected with the answers, but occasionally the twist involves the clues. Hoang-Kim Vu has provided a sparkling example today, and apart from our Yoda ...
21 Aug 14min
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — Woah, the Fun Factor Meter Exploded! 🥳
Kareem Ayas has a real knack for writing entertaining crosswords, and those skills are on full display today. The theme was LOL, and there were marvels throughout the grid. Besides those mentioned in ...
20 Aug 11min
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 —No, You Can't Forfend the Use of Forfend! 🙄
Kudos and congrats to Jeremy Venook on getting his debut crossword in the NYTimes! 🎉🥳 He had us when he name-dropped URIAH Heep, and kept us enthralled with a theme that was ideal for a Tuesday. Wel...
19 Aug 13min
Monday, August 17, 2026 — Green Day and Pink Floyd and the Kingsmen, Oh, My! 😎
You would expect that someone who has published 85 (!) NYTimes crosswords, including 31 Mondays, would craft a fine Monday puzzle, and your expectations would be met and then some. Zhouqin Burnikel ha...
18 Aug 11min
Sunday, August 16, 2026 — Today's Crossword Features CADGE, Uncaged!! 🙄
This marks Sam Brody's fourth NYTimes crossword, and we found it quite appealing. The theme was suitably punny, and we learned oodles. For instance, we now know 40D, Bum, CADGE, Mike can now speak kno...
17 Aug 20min
Saturday, August 15, 2026 — Blake Slonecker Dials It Up To Eleven!
This was a challenging Saturday crossword, requiring that both cohosts really put their backs into it — which, since we are talking about crosswords, involves moving hardly a millimeter while staring ...
16 Aug 16min
Friday, August 14, 2026 — Zhou Zhang's Friday Debut is a Beaut!
Zhou Zhang is gradually working through the days of the week: this crossword marked her Friday debut. The only days on which she has not published are Tuesday and Saturday, but we expect those in shor...
15 Aug 20min
