Tuesday, April 6, 2021

It's a Robyn Weintraub Friday puzzle, and that means tough, fair, and LOL clues all over the grid. To get things rolling, take a look at 25D, Big wheel at a party?, BRIE. She also ought to win an award for 17A, Olympics haul of fame?, GOLDMEDALS, which was just fractionally better than 44D, Irrational thing to celebrate? PIDAY. There's much more in the grid and on the podcast -- which also includes a Fun Fact Friday segment on Olympic diving -- so be sure and download and listen up! We ...

10 Jul 202111min

If you are one of those folk who think that rebuses should be banned, then you may appreciate the irony that two bands - AM and FM - show up in each of the rebuses in today's grid, in an ingenious fashion, with AM needed to solve the across clue, and FM required to solve the down clue. Jean has all the details (and remember you can always checkout xwordinfo.com to see the solved puzzle and clues). Curiously, the app required that you write AM/FM to get the solve (although FM/AM, AM, FM, A and...

9 Jul 202113min

A "crunchy" Wednesday crossword, with enough tricky clues to slow solvers down, although, it is often a good idea to take it -- as they say in life, in Aesop's fables, and in this puzzle -- SLOWANDSTEADY. The constructor embedded most of the grid's humor in the top-left corner, with 3D, Don't knock until you've tried it, DOORBELL, running into 20A, One who whistles while working, REF. The placement of 47A, "Quiet you", quaintly, OHDRYUP, running into 49D, Fiji alternative, DASANI, was intrigu...

8 Jul 202110min

A relatively easy Tuesday crossword, one might even say a GIMMEGIMMEGIMME 😀: both Jean and (unusually) Mike tore through it. The best clue was definitely 19D, Website where you go to see the stars?, YELP, but there were some others of note, such as 13D, "Aren't I great?", YAYME, and Mike's favorite, 57D, The "N" of N.B., NOTA. A nice crossword, we give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. In today's Triplet Tuesday episode, Jean puts on a stellar performance, nailing all 3 answers. For all the...

7 Jul 202112min

Jean had a RAREBIT of an issue with today's crossword, but it was nothing MAJOR. Mike, meanwhile, was intrigued by 17A, Marine inhabitant that's an animal, not a plant, despite what it's called, SEACUCUMBER, and appreciated its location in the grid near what it clearly was a case of -- 1A, Negative media coverage, in brief, BADPR. One clue that stood out, was the delicious (and crossing RAREBIT, especially well-placed) 10D, Olio di ______ (bread dip at a trattoria), OLIVA. Sounds delicious, o...

6 Jul 202110min

A lot of sizzle in today's crossword, appropriate for the 4th of July. Both Jean & Mike, even though they were solving independently, experienced HIGHANXIETY, and had reasons to WAIL, in the same places. The first was at the corner of 102D, Delicious food, in modern slang, NOMS, and 109A, ÷ and † in typography, OBELI (yikes!); the second was 14D, Hair loss, ALOPECIA, crossing with 40A, Jess's best friend in "New Girl", CECE (egads!). There were some ZANY answers (courtesy of 60A, Clownish...

5 Jul 202112min

There were some fireworks in today's crossword (especially in the top-left and bottom-right corners), with tricky clues like 3D, Strengthen, as an embankment, REVET (!), and 6D, Verdi opera set during the fifth century, ATTILA (!!). Jean labored mightily in this corner, while meanwhile, in the bottom right, Mike was inventing answers out of whole cloth, such as 52A, Metal oxide in dental crowns, ZIRCONIA (not ZINCONIA), and 48A, McCarthyite called out in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire...

4 Jul 202114min

A fine Friday crossword that is definitely 10D, Out of the ordinary, REALLYSOMETHING, with lots of places where one might 27D, Crack under pressure, CHOKE, albeit less likely if one had a 26A, What a fitness coach likely leads, ACTIVELIFESTYLE. There were some interesting longer answers, including 17A, Cut-and-paste tool for language learners, GOOGLETRANSLATE, and 52A, Like some headphones, NOISECANCELLING. Both Jean and Mike (solving independently, as always) ran into slight headwinds ...

3 Jul 202116min