Saturday, September 11, 2021 - ITSMAGIC

It wasn't quite RAGNAROK, but today's crossword was a major challenge, with deliciously deceitful clues, like 9A, Avon lady, for one, BRITON, 3D, What's on the fast track?, ACELA, and 60A, Hip joints, HOTSPOTS ... actually anywhere you look in this puzzle you'll find that same ultra-high quality, as we have come to expect by the master of cruciverbal cunning, Sam Trabucco. Definitely a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener m...

16 Maj 202114min

It was ALLSYSTEMSGO for Jean, who set a new best time for a Friday crossword, typing so quickly that relativistic effects caused her fingers to noticeably elongate. Mike meanwhile, had a spot of bother in the top left corner, thanks primarily to 2D, "________Camp", 2020 Oscar-nominated documentary, CRIP, and 3D, "Woman's rights pioneer Elizabeth _________ Stanton", CADY. But thanks to 52A, One way to crack a code, BRUTEFORCE, he too was able to persevere. It's Fun Fact Friday, and in t...

15 Maj 202113min

While today's crossword had a few of THEUSUALSUSPECTS - LAB, TASE and ARSON -- it also had some more ANOMALOUS entries -- movie titles that were (for the most part) questions, the answers to which were ... other movie titles. For instance, 38A, Who framed Roger Rabbit? [1995], turned out to be the aforementioned THEUSUALSUSPECTS. It must've taken TRUEGRIT to construct this crossword, hats off to the J.A.S.A. Crossword Class (and their teachers, Andy Kravis and Natan Last), who provided such a...

14 Maj 20219min

A full-bodied crossword, thanks, undoubtedly, to the presence of VO5 in the bottom left corner. In today's episode, Jean and Mike ponder whether any Georgia teams have a VIDALIAONION as their mascot; whether sailor-scholars pronounce et alii as et al aye-aye, and if anybody, ever, has used SESAMES in a sentence. Download and listen up for all the details! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're on FaceB...

13 Maj 202110min

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