Tuesday, December 15, 2020

A witty Wednesday crossword by Kareem Ayas, his fourth for the NYTimes since 2023, so he is on a roll! The theme was surprising, especially for a Wednesday, and we'll just let that sentence hang in the air rather than go into the deets here -- but rest assured that the podcast does just that. Besides our in-depth dive through the grid, we also have a spot of listener mail, so to get in on all of that, download now! Show note imagery: For the record, SERRANOS are mid-orange We love feedback!...

5 Sep 202414min

This is Alex Eaton-Salner's 70th NYTimes crossword, and it got to be their 70th, in part*, because of an ingenious theme, and in part because of the superstition that to turn down a crossword with BORIC in the grid (8D, Kind of acid used to make Silly Putty) is exceptionally unlucky** Show note imagery: PEI, in its place *we suspect: editor Joel Fagliano plays his cards pretty close to the vest **hey, it's just a superstition 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We lov...

4 Sep 202416min

Sala Wanetick and Emily Biegas have collaborated on a fine Monday crossword, with a theme that we won't spoil in the show notes -- but most definitely will in the podcast -- other than to say that we are spoiled ... by the consistently high quality of the NYTime's crosswords. Shownote imagery: For the record, the stars of Vanderpump Rules are not dressed like your typical restaurant workers! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpod...

3 Sep 202411min

Today's crossword was clearly a labor of love and mathematics, for reasons that will become clear as soon as you either check out the crossword, or today's episode. It did seem to have a rather large number of, well, 96A, Brief glimpse of stars, say, CAMEOS -- except in this case the CAMEOS were from a vast array of fields, from art, 81D, Surrealist James, ENSOR; to cinema, 54A, Oscar-winning actor in Farmers Insurance ads, JKSIMMONS; to sports, 124D, Golfer Jon, RAHM; to 111D, Ned who compos...

2 Sep 202422min

Sam Ezersky is well known for writing exceptionally cryptic crosswords, and today he's cranked it up to 11. From clues like 1A, Liquid found in some pens, VAPEJUICE, to 14A, The old man?, CROMAGNON, to 64A, It's pressed for time, STOPWATCH, Sam did not give an inch. Of course, this was a Saturday, so we would expect no less! Show note imagery: YASQUEEN, modern words of encouragement We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@iclo...

1 Sep 202411min

A fine Friday crossword and the second by Colin Adams (just half a year after his first, on February 16th), so kudos! The clues were very well written, making for an intriguing and entertaining solve. We approve!Show note imagery: DEIRDRE of the Sorrows, a heroine of Irish mythologyWe 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!

31 Aug 202422min

Opinions were divided as to the difficulty of today's crossword - Jean found it to be a pleasant Thursday, Mike found it to be more suited for the heretofore undiscovered Impossiday™️, a day that lies between Saturday and Sunday, one suited only for the most insanely challenging of crosswords ... like, for example, today's (to reiterate, according to Mike), as well as barbecues in which Imposible Burgers play a prominent role 😀. Show note imagery: ZOESALDANA, in the Avengers We love fe...

30 Aug 202426min

A delightfully complex theme by Jesse Goldberg, cleverly finessing the rule that the answer to a clue should not appear in the clue. Highly original and entertaining, we approve and thereby bestow a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Deets inside. Remember when listening to this podcast, if you have not solved the puzzle yourself, it is easier to follow along with xwordinfo.com, where you can find the solved puzzle. Our first link in the show notes always leads to that puzzle (and xwordinfo...

29 Aug 202418min