January 24, 2025 - We'd like to AMEND our definition of EMEND 🧐

A NEATO crossword from the pen of Peter A. Collins, rife with amusing clues (32A, "Squee!", IMSOEXCITED, 37D, Worn down apparel?, PARKAS (awesome!), and 20A, Part of a driver's manual, CLUTCH). There were a few clues that might make respectively, spelling-challenged and Anglophobes blanch -- 36A, Former name of Kazakhstan's largest city, ALMAATA, and 26A, Crown Jewels' quality, LUSTRE. The latter ties in nicely to Thursday's crossword, where the amazing Sam Ezersky challenged us with 48D, Str...

4 Apr 20219min

After yesterday's quagmire, today's crossword is (relatively) straightforward -- not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but there were enough toeholds in every area of the puzzle to give one hope. Jean, for instance, knew 27D, Figure skater Lipinski, TARA, in the center left of the crossword; 21D, Tony-winning musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda during his second year of college, INTHEHEIGHTS, on the right side; 11D, It may keep you on your toes, BALLET, in the northeast corner;, and 4...

3 Apr 20218min

An epically challenging Thursday opus from the fertile mind of Sam Ezersky, today's puzzle was ESSENTIALLY half cryptic crossword, half QUIZ. Jean took a shade longer than usual to figure things out, Mike was lucky to get out with his streak alive. Download and listen up for all the gory 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 FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversat...

2 Apr 202112min

Happy Pre-April-Fool's Day!. And in honor of the occasion, Trenton Carlson has produced a crossword that fooled, well, one of us, with a virtual-natick at the corner of 48A, Dance move that went from trendy to cringe in the 2010s, DAB, and 50D, Mayim who played Amy Farrah Fowler on "the Big Bang Theory", BIALIK. Said cohost also had problems in the middle of the puzzle, briefly contemplating 59A, Key of Beethoven's ninth, to be NMINOR (a really, really low (high?) note). The other...

1 Apr 202115min

While a MONONYM might sound like a one-note Gregorian chant, it is, in fact, a term for a person with a single name, and forms the basis for today's crossword, featuring BONO, PINK, ENYA and EMINEM. What a great concert that would be! It's Tip Tuesday: Jean lists common tests that tend to pop up in the crossword, while Mike reminds listeners to explore the cultural references -- if it's mentioned in the NYTimes it's worth investigating -- and makes a plug for the OED. We love feed...

31 Mars 202113min

The EPITOME of what a Monday crossword should be -- not too difficult, with a GLOB of humor (6D, Try, try again?, REHEAR, and 25D, Shelters for shelties, KENNELS), and a few novel words (41D, Theatergoer's break, ENTRACTE, and the slightly more common but even more difficult to spell word, 67A, Garlicky sauce, AIOLI). Jean was able to get through all of this with her usual APLOMB, while Mike wasn't quite as TIMELY. We give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send ...

30 Mars 20219min

A perfect puzzle for a perfect day (28 is a perfect number, we kid you not). The puzzle was not too tough, especially if you knew your planetary moons (ARIEL, DEIMOS, and the like). There were several smile-inducing clues, but we have to give a shoutout to one of the funniest, genuinely LOL clues that we've seen in a while -- 60A, Hit movie released as "Vaselina" in Mexico, GREASE. Bravo! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast...

29 Mars 202110min

The toughest crossword of the week lives up to its billing, with a bottom right corner that was a real HAIRRAISER. Both Jean and Mike had to dig for 39D, Rogues, PICAROS (not (Jean thought) GIGOLOS, or (Mike thought) PIRATES). That ran into another poser, 53A, Entry point in the walls of Babylon, ISHTARGATE. Meanwhile in other parts of the puzzle, the author didn't ease off, FARFROMIT, but had enough HORSESENSE to up the levity quotient as in 17A, Start of a nudge, DONTFORGET, an...

28 Mars 202113min