Friday, June 25, 2021

A "smooth solve", as they like to say in the crossword-solving-biz, with just a few potholes and lots of fun clues -- 27D, Spring recreation?, TRAMPOLINE, being the bounciest of them, and 47A, Start of a giant's chant, FEE, being -- ironically for a giant, but mandated because of the NYTimes rules about answer length -- shortest, answer. 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 ...

15 Apr 20218min

Neither Jean nor Mike got off to a ROCKYSTART with this crossword, ironic since all of the themed answers benefited from having, well, a ROCKYSTART. For example, 18A, Coyote outfoxed in cartoons, ROADRUNNER, maps to ROCKYROAD; 24A, "Get Out", for one, HORRORFILM, maps to ROCKYHORROR; and so on. A few old favorites dropped by -- 65A, Cookie in the shape of its first and last letters, OREO (the official cookie of the NYTimes crossword), and 50A, Mauna ______ (Hawaiian volcano), KEA (the officia...

14 Apr 202113min

AWGEE, it's AWEEBIT of an INSIDEBASEBALL theme. Jean, of course was enthralled, but Mike was too busy searching for the missing G from 46D, Doin' nothin', CHILLIN, to take much notice. Fortunately he did find that missing G in the puzzle, and for all the details, have a listen!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!

13 Apr 20219min

A punderful Sunday crossword, based on the notion of running two companies together at high speeds in the hope that they will produce something interesting ... oh, wait, we've just been told that that's what nuclear physicists do. In any event, this was a fun crossword, with clever cluing throughout, from 42D, Little sounds, INLETS, to 103A, Shot across the bow, ARROW, to 58A, Rulers' staffs, SCEPTERS, something for everybody to enjoy and/or groan at. We love feedback! Send us a text... Conta...

12 Apr 202113min

One of us (that would be Jean) found today's crossword to be a walk in the park, the other (that would be Mike) less of a SHOOIN and more like a POLARBEARPLUNGE (to borrow an answer from yesterday's crossword), his experience ably summarized in the clue, 25A, "Heavens to Murgatroyd!". Just a friendly reminder that if you want to subscribe to the New York Times crossword, nytimes.com/crosswords is all that you need to know; and if you want to follow along as we discuss our solutio...

11 Apr 20219min

In today's episode, Mike learns how to pronounce MEME and LOLCATS; Jean teaches Mike how to pronounce MEME and LOLCATS; and we have a Fun Fact about an answer that appeared earlier in the week, ECOTONE. Download and enjoy!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!

10 Apr 202110min

Apparently Pun Prison had a breakout today, but fear not -- the escapees got stuck in today's crossword, where they are waiting for your ... enjoyment? Here's just one, to give you the idea: 27A, Cry on arriving for a boating trip?, WHATSUPDOCK. Alas, they don't get any better (or is that worse)? All kidding aside, it was a pleasurable and not too difficult puzzle from the clearly pun-obsessed crossword constructor Jake Halperin. We give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Se...

9 Apr 20217min

A nice Wednesday crossword. Jean got through it lickety-split and tickety-boo. Mike got through the first top 2/3 fairly expeditiously but then went into tai-chi mode, due to his lack of knowledge of 37D, Native Caribbean plant whose fruit grows in clusters, the delicious SEAGRAPE, and his belief that 64A, A giant one rises in Citi Field after ever Mets homer. was somehow a reference to ADELE (as opposed to the correct answer, APPLE). Both Jean & Mike, although solving, as us...

8 Apr 202112min