Friday, January 22, 2021

Today's crossword was simultaneously exciting (as New York Times crosswords usually are), but also a LOWKEY affair, as several keys appeared in the lower half of the themed answers (running vertically), FIREESCAPE, STORAGESPACE, BIRTHCONTROL, FIRSTSHIFT and OPENTAB. Both Jean and Mike, solving independently as always, finished up at the exact same square -- the intersection of 26A, Twitter thumbs-up, informally, and 19D, Western _______ (college course, informally), The issue, informal...

12 Maj 202113min

In today's episode, Jean STEMS the urge to put PITS in as the answer for 67A, Cherry throwaways, while Mike knows that he OTTO rethink 34D, The _______- is falling [Chicken Little], because his answer, SCE, doesn't make any sense. To hear the details, and -- bonus -- learn who on the team loathes BEETS, 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 ...

11 Maj 20217min

Happy Mother's Day from those of us at Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword HQ, as well as the editors of the New York Times Crossword. The latter brought you a Mother's Day Concert, with songs that could be interpreted as referencing the miracle of childbirth. For example, 24A, Mom's comment to her child during prenatal bonding? [Frank Sinatra, 1954], IGETAKICKOUTOFYOU, and 66A, Mom's remark as contractions grow stronger? [The Ramones, 1978], IWANNABESEDATED. Jean cruised through ...

10 Maj 20219min

Ah, a David Steinberg puzzle, that means quality! And the maestro does not disappoint. with a DELUGE of ingenious and deliciously deceiving clues (35D, Composition test, ASSAY (not, as probably 90% of solvers initially thought, ESSAY); 50A, The old you?, THOU; and 56A, Camper's gear chain, REI, just to name three). Basically everywhere you look in the puzzle -- from 1A, Supreme Court members?, NBAALLSTARS, and 37D, Correction for a wild pitch?, AUTOTUNE; to 2D,...

9 Maj 202113min

A somewhat challenging crossword, with some answers that were OUTOFLEFTFIELD -- but it's a Friday, so headwinds are par for the course. Jean had to dig for 2D, Home of many a tech startup, PALOALTO, while Mike had to talk himself out of RENTS as the answer to 44A (the correct answer being, as all good tennis players know, REDOS). Today's winner of the Most Interesting Clue Award (MICA) goes to 51D, Some deer, ROES (not, as Mike learned while watching The Sound of Music, DOES). The MICA runner...

8 Maj 202112min

If you saw RED in today's crossword, DONTPANIC -- there *was* RED in today's crossword -- 4 RED squares, in fact, where you had to turn right and keep going in order to solve the clues. Jean hit a rough patch in the bottom right, while Mike, solving 11D, Nickname for tap-dancing legend Bill Robinson, BOJANGLES, got the Sammy Davis Jr. song stuck in his head, where it remains lodged even now. SOSAD! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cro...

7 Maj 202111min

A fun crossword if you like NUMBERS, this one name dropped those in the PRIME and FIBONACCI realms, managing to arrange the answers so that they included numbered squares that were, of course, respectively PRIME (2 and 23) and FIBONACCI (34 and 55). Impressive! They also managed to slip 18A, Expand to 800%, OCTUPLE, into the grid, and we would be remiss if we did not point out our favorite, 16A, Price of a horror film?, VINCENT. We approve, and give it a 4.5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We lov...

6 Maj 20217min

Not that we believe in product placement, but this was a JUUL of a crossword, as the constructor, Nina Sloan, provided a bevy of insulting candy names, from GOOBERS to DUMDUMS, leaving out, presumably because of space, the delicious YOURMOTHERWEARSARMYBOOTS bar. One clue stood out in particular -- 5D, Fit on a hard drive?, ROADRAGE -- brilliant! For that alone we give this a perfect 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. In today's tips, Jean recommends crossword-solver.io, and Mike admonishes list...

5 Maj 202113min