Wednesday, January 27, 2021
If yesterday's crossword left you in a FUNK, then you can RELAX, because today's puzzle AMPS up the AHAS, and drops the number of Z's to practically zero. Jean's favorite clue was 61A, "I only got a seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in ________", James Brown, FUNK; Mike also loved that clue, but if forced to pick a different favorite, he'd go for 69A, Part of w.p.m., Abbr., WDS -- simply because of the meta-ness of an abbreviation of an acronym.We give today's puzzle ...
28 Jan 202110min
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
YAWN, there are certainly a lot of ZEES in this puzzle, it's making us SLEEPY ... Nope, jk, we're fully awake, in fact startled, perhaps, by the crunchiness of today's puzzle. Exhibit A is 17A, Having panache, PIZZAZZY, and 35A, State that many people want to get to on vacation?, STRESSLESSNESS, It was a very ZESTY puzzle indeed! For Tip Tuesday, Jean suggests committing to memory the names Ernie Els, Mel Ott, and Arthur Ashe, while Mike suggests app settings to expedite the puzzle solving p...
27 Jan 202116min
Monday, January 25, 2021
EGAD there's a lot of firing going on in today's crossword -- the theme was YOUREFIRED, and 4 answers were two word phrases with the last word being a synonym for being fired -- CAN, AXE, SACK and BOOT. MERCY! In other news, EPEE got a rest today, in lieu of which we had 23A, Old weapon in hand-to-hand combat, BATTLEAXE. In lieu of UGG, we had a much rarer if not debut clue, 53A, Bit of fashionable footwear, ANKLEBOOT. Jean was temporarily misled at 52A, English Channel, informa...
26 Jan 20217min
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Warning: if you are addicted to chocolate, you might want to avoid today's puzzle, because it's awash in cocoa-based-deliciousness. There are a number of punny clues, each of which is a combination of two candies, many of which involve chocolate. Jean did her usual tear through the crossword, Mike got naticked at the juncture of 48D, Got hip, with "up", WISED, and 60A, Links grp., USGA. It turns out that the UPGA, Upper Peninsula Golf Association, is a thing, and WIPED up, well, it made sense...
25 Jan 202113min
Saturday, January 23, 2021
This was a glorious Saturday crossword, with Doug Peterson & Brad Wilbert pulling out all the stops! From 1A, Bands popular in the '70s, MOODRINGS, and 1D, Sight in a produce aisle, MIST, to 56A, Franchise with the "Dominating the Deep" DVD set, SHARKWEEK, and 30D, Things that generate a lot of cookie dough?, BAKESALES, they did not give an inch. Jean had trouble on the APORT side of the crossword, while Mike was done in by 43A, Nut chewed as a stimulant, KOLA, which he, as probably...
24 Jan 202117min
Friday, January 22, 2021
A nice Friday puzzle by Daniel Larsen, with some deliciously deceptive cluing -- e.g., 37D, When a poser might be presented?, PHOTOOP, 38D, Place for a stud, EARLOBE, 12D, Pot supporters, TRIVETS, and Mike's favorite, 33A, Two swings and a slide, maybe, PLAYSET. Jean finished the puzzle in 18 minutes. Mike also took 18 minutes, alas, 2.5 of them. 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...
23 Jan 202115min
Thursday, January 21, 2021
It's a twisty, turny crossword, a technical tour de force by Daniel Mauer. Jean solved it, Mike tried to solve it STAT, but did not find it a SNAP, so his streak, once again, DIED, as did, apparently, MRPEANUT (according to 37D, Classic figure, killed off in a 2019 Super Bowl ad campaign). Our latest contest is now ongoing -- if you are the first person to send an email to crosswordpodcast@icloud.com with the subject "Yes, please!" then you will win a one-year subscription to the New Y...
22 Jan 202114min
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Today's crossword was written by Andy Kravis, Natan Last, and the J.A.S.A. Crossword Class, so the adage "too many cooks spoil the broth" does not apply here, since this was a very tasty morsel indeed. Jean tore through it, of course, while Mike panicked while answering 1A, "God is the perfect ______", Robert Browning, writing POEM, thereby leading him to conclude that the answer to 4D, One up, for example, was MIED. Fortunately, the ONEPERCENT of his neurons that were working at this p...
21 Jan 202112min
