Sunday, March 23, 2025 - This crossword will DONICELY!

This was a fine crossword to solve, but it must've been a bear to construct. Jeremy Newton was up to the task, though, serving up a perfect midweek puzzle. He had us at 16A, Times noted in Captain Kirk's logs, STARDATES; enthralled us at 11D, Finito or kaput, DUNZO; and endeared us with 13A, Establishment whose name means "lounge" in French, SALON. Show note imagery: IBIZA, regrettably not our home-away-from-home. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! ...

20 Nov 202510min

Joe Deeney's crosswords always seem to include a little extra spice, a little extra pizzazz: we present today's puzzle as an exemplar, and that's not just because we've been itching to use exemplar in a sentence 😀. As evidence, we have 59A, Timeless, to a poet, ETERNE; our favorite E. C. Segar heroine, 58D, Toondom's Olive, OYL; and the rarely seen 39A, Gets back together, REUNES. We have a Triplet Tuesday Contest, in which Mike attempts to atone for last time, when he momentarily...

19 Nov 202513min

This was a not-at-all-MID, nor, for that matter -MEH, Monday crossword: the theme was above average, the clues crisp and clever. We especially want to give a shoutout to 22D, Sch. with a T section, MIT; and the presence of both 10D, Nickname for Dorothy, DOT, and 59A, Play-_____, DOH, in the grid. Kudos to Rena Cohen for this, her 6th NYTimes crossword. We also are delighted to announce our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) winners (yes, plural!) -- deets inside. Show not...

18 Nov 202510min

If you like Shakespeare, and if you like puns, you will be in ecstasy by the time you've finished today's crossword. And even if you are not a huge fan, we predict that you'll find this crossword to be a hoot. What makes it so special, you ask? Check out today's podcast, where all will be revealed! Show note imagery: The logo of TCM, Turner Classic Movies We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're on FaceB...

17 Nov 202512min

If this crossword were a drink, it would be a chamomile tea. However, it was even better than that: a bliss-inducing, soul-lifting crossword. We certainly feel happier for having solved it, and we hope you'll feel the same for having listened to this podcast! Show note imagery: PTOWN, aka Provincetown, Cape Cod 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 strike...

16 Nov 202511min

Several clues in today's crossword gave both cohosts reason to pause. Most notably we had a debut at 6D, Aesthetic associated with classical literature and vintage fashion, DARKACADEMIA; we also had the mysterious 1D, Cool, in streaming slang, POG; and we were intrigued to discover 62D, ID whose lowest possibility is 001-01-0001, SSN. In addition to these fascinating clues, we have a fascinating fact, in honor of Fun Fact Friday. Ever wonder what happened to telegrams? Tune in, and find...

15 Nov 202514min

This was a tricky Thursday crossword and a magnificent debut for Kyle Perkins. Jean struggled and Mike strugggggled, to get to the happy music; both eventually persevered, but not before much gnashing of teeth had taken place. We have all the dental records inside, so have a listen (as one will, to dental records 🙄), and enjoy! Show note imagery: Awe inspiring downtown La Paz, Bolivia. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@ic...

14 Nov 202516min

The father and daughter duo of Brad Wiegmann and Nicole Wiegmann have teamed up to create a wonderful connect-the-dots-er-squares puzzle-within-a-puzzle. Elizabeth Gorski, an NYTimes contributor with a whopping 219 crosswords to her credit apparently pioneered this approach: and the Wiegmann opus is a fine addition to the oeuvre. Besides the crossword, our investigative team is hot on the trail of the mysterious Janus-faced 55A. The answer was BUDICE, but the clue depended on where you read t...

13 Nov 202515min