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

This was a fun, frothy Monday crossword by Ailee Yoshida, her second for the NYTimes. The theme was (as always) ingenious, and, being a Monday, the grid was populated with words that we mainly know. I...

17 Des 202413min

This was an extraordinary Sunday crossword by David Kwong, his 24th for the NYTimes. David is a magician, fitting since there is so much magic in today's grid ... and art! In fact there is a palette o...

16 Des 202427min

This was a remarkable NYTimes crossword, first because it was a debut Saturday crossword for Owen Bergstein (not too many cruciverbalists debut on a Saturday), and second, because Owen is a high schoo...

15 Des 202423min

Our cohosts had slightly different experiences solving today's crossword ... Jean found it to be a tricky but straightforward Friday, Mike found solving it more akin to climbing the Hoover Dam one-han...

14 Des 202423min

This was a fine Thursday crossword by Daniel Bodily, including a slick theme, smartly implemented. There were some great clues, including 42A, It makes Max profits, HBO 😀 ; 24D, Plant used in xerisc...

13 Des 202419min

This was a fabulous Wednesday crossword, a collaboration between Kathy Bloomer and the prolific Jeff Chen, that includes a theme that is clever, complex, and some other word that starts with the lette...

12 Des 202418min

This was a quintessential NYTimes crossword, featuring an arty theme with a twist, and a SWARM of supporting clues guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, including 51D, Give a take, OPINE; 6D, Like...

11 Des 202419min

Another Monday, another debut crossword constructor! This was from Elliot Caroll, and both cohosts found her work to be a bit crunchier than usual for a Monday, as evidenced by their longer-than-avera...

10 Des 202413min