July 26, 2023 - We are AMPED about today's crossword (and the discovery of the CLUAN 😀)

OK, perhaps "obsessed" is a little over the top, because technically ZEST itself only showed up once, as per custom; but the clues and answers were still quite snappy. Our particular favorite? 46D, Pr...

1 Apr 202511min

Simeon Seigel tends to write crosswords just like this one - filled with clever and novel clues. We present, as exhibit A, ... 105A, Its southernmost point, Pamana Island, is more than 750 miles below...

31 Mar 202515min

We have returned after a brief, unplanned hiatus, and welcoming us back were Christina Iverson and Jacob McDermott, who have prepared a delightful, and notably not-soul-crushingly-difficult Saturday c...

30 Mar 202511min

We'd give this crossword an APLUS, for no other reason than that it gave us an APLUS, as in 54D, Highest grade. But lest we be accused of grade inflation, we would like to submit as evidence 29A, "Ol...

26 Mar 202516min

This was a nice debut by Victor Schmitt, yet another "cute n' clever" theme that definitely lives up to its name. (We note parenthetically that "Cute n' Clever" would be an awesome name for a pet stor...

25 Mar 202516min

Jean made short work of today's crossword, armed as she was with a PANOPLY of answers, whereas Mike, for whom PANOPLY was the only gimme in the grid, had to toil a wee bit longer -- and by a "wee bit"...

24 Mar 202524min

This was an excellent Saturday crossword -- with clue difficulty mostly ranging from scarily difficult to "you must be joking, Ms. Hoody". These sorts of puzzles make for a deeply satisfying solve (if...

23 Mar 202516min

This was a good, challenging, but ultimately doable -- provided you've had lots and lots of practice! -- Friday crossword. The clues were quite fresh, and apart from those mentioned on the podcast, we...

22 Mar 202525min