Sunday, February 2, 2025 - MRMACGOO, meet MRSDASH 😀

If you are INTHEMOOD to reminisce, then this crossword is just what you need. It's a stroll down memory lane, if memory lane happened to run through a toy store, because all the major theme answers are famous, enduring and endearing toys, including CHATTYCATHY, SILLYPUTTY, TAMAGOTCHI and ETCHASKETCH, to name a few. Jean, as is her wont, breezed through today's crossword, while quite a few clues were a surprise to Mike including 50D, Promoting peace, IRENIC, and the spellings of 76D, Operatic ...

21 Dec 202019min

A major challenge, because, well, Saturday crosswords just tend to, AHEM, BELIKETHAT. There were numerous classical allusions in today's crossword -- from 38D, Agamemnon's son, ORESTES, to 45D, Lyre holder in classical artwork, ERATO, but there were also some more "hep" clues, such as 24D, Excited, in modern slang, TURNT, and 6D, R&B artist with the Grammy-winning 2017 hit, "Best Part", HER. Both Jean & Mike agreed that the bottom half of the puzzle was significantly tougher than the ...

20 Dec 202011min

Well, SHIVERMETIMBERS, it's a crossword, and we solved it ... BECAUSEITSTHERE. And, just like the SCENEOFTHECRIME, there were plenty of good. clues, including 47D, Center of a circle or square, maybe, STATUE, and a fun phrase, 17A, Using any means necessary, CATCHASCATCHCAN. We have a special offer ... be the first person to email us at crosswordpodcast@icloud.com with the subject "Yes, I Want the New York Times Crossword!", and you will win a free year's subscription to the LA Times ... no,...

19 Dec 202010min

If those immortal opening notes, dum, dum, dum, duuuuuuum, don't get your heart racing, then the ANTIDOTE is to sit down and listen to those notes in situ, specifically in BEETHOVENSFIFTH. Today's crossword is an homage to LUDWIG, that most revered of composers. Jean got through the crossword with little difficulty, while Mike was stuck in IDLE for the longest time until he realized that 1A, Needing some kneading, say, was ACHY, rather than SORE. There were a few famous folks in today's cro...

18 Dec 202011min

This crossword was the TOPS, presenting just a SKOSH of trouble here and there. Jean, for instance, momentarily forgot how to spell KENOBI, whereas Mike likely never knew how to spell ROSEANNE, and had to deal with his old nemesis, ERSE (not to be confused, as he is wont to do, with EIRE, or ERIE, or ERIN) 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...

17 Dec 202010min

Stop the presses! it's a crossword about ... the presses! Print journalism, to be precise, with a few cameos from NPR and PBS. In keeping with the spirit of education, there was an array of interesting clues, including 4D, Indian ox, ZEBU, 15A, Comic Fields on old Ed Sullivan shows, TOTIE, and Mike's favorite, 41D, Nickname for the 1967 N.F.L. Championship Game, famously played at about -15°, ICEBOWL (yikes!). There were some nice juxtapositions - TOTIE close to TOTE, and ALMS next to ...

16 Dec 202011min

An ABLY constructed crossword, with a TROVE of accomplished women -- ELLEMACPHERSON, KAYHAGAN, SAMANTHABEE, and SANDRAOH -- all distinguished not only by their accomplishments but by having a homonym for a letter in their name. We appreciated the reappearance of PSY (11D, Gangam style rapper), who hasn't been alluded to in the crossword since ... yesterday; and were intrigued by 34D, Typical John Le Carre work, SPYNOVEL, appearing two days after that extraordinary author's passing. We love ...

15 Dec 20206min

An AMIABLE Sunday crossword by Dan Margolis, not too OUTRE, with only a few troublesome areas to SPOIL your day. The theme involved punnily-clued movies (e.g., 26A, Indy film? (1981), RAIDERSOFTHELOSTARK, and 103A, Dock-udrama? (1954), ONTHEWATERFRONT). There were some other gems as well, e.g., 99D, Bit of ranch dressing? STETSON, and right off the bat, 1D, Wear off?, DISROBE. A nice palette cleanser after Saturday's epic battle, we give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedba...

14 Dec 202013min