Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - The answer might be UGLI, but the clue is beautiful 😀

A delightful Saturday crossword by Carolyn Davies Lynch and Jeff Chen - edited adroitly, as always, by Will Shortz. Your intrepid cohosts had vastly different experiences solving today's puzzle, but they both agreed that it contained a cornucopia of clever clues. Deets inside, as well as the winner of this week's JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award™️). Show note imagery: Sir Georg SOLTI, conductor extraordinaire We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listen...

4 Feb 202413min

Today's crossword, a debut by Ryan Judge, was a major challenge. There was no theme, just a slew of diabolically deceiving clues, leading to a remarkably enjoyable solving experience. Beyond that, it's Friday, and we have a fascinating fact for Fun Fact Friday, and listener mail! So have a listen, and as always, let us know what you think - crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Show note imagery: DRMARTENS, we presume We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a ...

3 Feb 202424min

An astonishing Thursday crossword by Simeon Seigel, with a mind-boggling theme that's almost impossible to describe, and absolutely impossible to forget, in a grid that is RIFE with NOB-scratching posers. In short, we loved it, and the author, Simeon Seigel, should take a bow. Show note imagery: Adolph OCHS, who purchased the New York Times in 1896 and promptly lowered the price from 3 cents per issue to a mere 1. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail!...

2 Feb 202417min

Although we strive mightily to provide a fair, impartial review of each and every crossword, that goes right out the window when our favorite cartoon bear, BOOBOO, graces the grid. Fortunately, for the sake of our reviewing reputations , that does not happen often: BOOBOO has shown up a total of 12 times in the NYTimes crossword, and only one of those explicitly references Yogi's pal and straight man (er, bear). Show note imagery: The AMSTEL river in the Netherlands, which, as fa...

1 Feb 202416min

An intriguing Tuesday crossword, with, as usual, an unusual theme - this one revolving around tanks. Beyond that, we had a few standout clues, including 32D, High-flying metaphor for independence, LONEEAGLE, dovetailing nicely with 34D, _______ high, SKY; and the very punny 45A, Woman with a habit, NUN. In short, a nice piece of work by Freddie Cheng, his 15th for the NYTimes. Today's crossword included an "Oh That's How You Pronounce It Segment", specifically on how to pronounce ACAI ...

31 Jan 202417min

Both cohosts found today's crossword to be a tad tougher than usual, a small sacrifice to be made for the greater good, that being an ingenious theme, brilliantly deployed in today's grid. The dynamic duo who constructed today's opus, Garrett Chalfin and Andrew Kingsley, have published 6 and 21 NYTimes crosswords, respectively, and that experience shines through today. Definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Show note imagery: From left to right, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Phi...

30 Jan 202412min

Today's crossword was a SMASHINGSUCCESS, and although we don't want to overly HEROIZE the author, Nathan Hasegawa was clearly ATTHETOP of his game when he put this together. The vocabulary level was definitely trending upward -- see for example 13A, Like "t", "k", and "p", in phonetics, PLOSIVE, to 49A, Tremble, PALPITATE (wasn't that a Star Wars emperor?) -- but it was the theme that truly sealed the deal. Deets inside! Remember, solving the NYTimes Crossword is a great way to exercis...

29 Jan 202422min

It's Warrington & Warrington - not a law firm, but a daughter-father team responsible for this fine bit of Saturday cruciverbalism. Jean found it to be quite straightforward. Mike latched on to the little-known (because it doesn't exist) DANCER insect -- not to be confused with the correct answer to 36D, _______ bug (long-limbed predatory insect), DAMSEL*. *although Argia vivid, the vivid dancer, does exist, and it is a type of damselfly. Small world, entomologically speaking! Show not...

28 Jan 202417min