Saturday, December 5, 2020

Both Jean and Mike had issues with today's crossword - Jean missed class the day they covered the moons of Saturn (41D, Moon of Saturn, TETHYS), and Mike is utterly convinced that the only true 23D, Director Cameron, is JAMES Cameron (not CROWE). They also are convinced that an 's' made a break for it in 49D, Just deserts, DUE. Apart from this, the crossword felt like, well, a Friday -- and we give it a 4 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love li...

7 Aug 202114min

Today's crossword involves two animals, both clued as Hybrid creature of myth, that are either ancient and indeed mythical or possibly escapees from S.T.A.R. labs: MERMAID and CENTAUR. And these are central to today's theme, details of which Jean spells out in her inimitable style in today's episode. Beyond that, there were some very clever clues, Jean's favorite, 55A, Where you might search for a lead?, IMDB, and Mike's favorite, 57D, Maneuverable, in nautical lingo, YAR (mainly becaus...

6 Aug 202111min

In today's episode, Jean talked about the ARTE of crossword solving, Mike reflects on a Donkey Kong called ACE, and both discuss the possibility of FGOTUS. All that and more awaits, so just download and listen up!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 up a conversation!

5 Aug 20218min

A technical tour de force by Trip Payne, who managed to CORNERTHEMARKET on cool themes this week, by placing permutations of THEMARKET in the corners of the grid. (Be sure and check it out on xwordinfo.com if you haven't solved it yourself). In other news, Mike goes down in flames in Triplet Tuesday, but Phoenix-like, emerges from the ashes to ... well, to complete the podcast. Details within; download and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! ...

4 Aug 202111min

In today's episode, we learn of the origin of Stan, debate the merits of "eke by" versus "get by", and admire Nero's ego. For all the details, (or DEETS, as it has occasionally appeared in the New York Times Crossword), download and listen up.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 up a conversation!

3 Aug 20216min

A tough Sunday, with a spectacular, dare we say stellar theme, but some really tricky naticks -- 35A, Japanese beer brand, KIRIN, versus 31D, Sharing maternal lines, ENATIC (yikes!), and 109A, Wine that may be Spumante or frizzante, PROSECCO, versus 94D, Clear, as crystal, BUS (double yikes!). The grid was a technical tour de force, with IX-based rebuses representing stars: if you connected those stars, you got the Big and Little Dipper! That must've taken forever to create, we doff our...

26 Juli 202116min

A challenging Saturday (of course!) crossword, with some major obscurisms lurking in the grid. Certainly 29D, Happenstance, cutely, COINKYDINK, and 20A, Hallux, less formally, BIGTOE, qualify, as, at least for Jean & Mike, does 1A, Popular brand of alcoholic seltzer, WHITECLAW. Other clues were just deliciously deceptive, such as 14A, One might be off the hook, HOMEPHONE, 30D, Record producer?, NOTETAKER, and 36D, Airdrops?, MIST. A good 'un, we give it a 4.5 squares on the JAMCR sc...

25 Juli 202111min

We wouldn't say that Jean CRUSHEDIT, but she did turn in a STOUT performance. Mike's effort, meanwhile, wouldn't win any SPEEDTEST, but he did manage to finish with a SHRED of dignity intact, his streak kept ALIVE by a dearth of popular culture references. For all the details, download and listen up! 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 up a...

24 Juli 202113min