Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - We long for more crosswords by Dan Caprera 😁

Although the Society for the Suppression of Crosswords Without X's might beg to differ, we found today's crossword to be fun and (especially for Mike) a challenge. Clues like 60A, Cream alternative, ECRU; 14A, Clearly, in a text, OBVI (well, OBVI!); and 33D, Say it all?, ENUNCIATE, give you a taste for what's in store, a delicious puzzle, with a delectable theme. Five squares on the JAMCR scale for sure! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, ...

7 Juli 202314min

Just when you think the NYTimes crossword constructors can't possibly come up with a new theme ... they come up with a new theme, as Joe Deeney so aptly demonstrates, and Jean so deftly describes, in today's episode. Besides that, we also have email from a listener in South Africa. So to hear all that, subscribe, download, listen up, enjoy and ... drop us a line when you get a chance! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@ic...

6 Juli 202315min

A cheery Monday crossword, thanks to a theme that celebrates the best of us. Most of the clues were familiar / on the easier side, as befitting a Monday, but 51D, Coffeecake with cross-sectional swirls, BABKA, and 17A, Miles Davis classic that's the all-time best-selling jazz album, KINDOFBLUE, might be the exceptions (YMMV, of course). A logistical note: we will be not be publishing a podcast tomorrow, in honor of Independence Day, but we will return --with some sparkling ...

4 Juli 202310min

A nice Sunday puzzle by Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa: Jean tore through it, Mike got lost in the grid and if it weren't for the St. Bernards might never have been found. The theme was BOOTiful, and there were some joyous clues in the grid, such as 46D, Angles above 90 degrees?, HOTYOGA (😀); 82A, Linguistic group including Zulu and Xhosa, BANTU (got it!); and 87A, Highfalutin, LAHDIDAH (well, LAHDIDAH!). The latter posed a significant problem for one of our cohosts, and to fin...

3 Juli 202319min

A special Canada day crossword, no, just kidding, Canada did not show up at all in today's grid: but it was a great puzzle nonetheless, not the most difficult Saturday ever (whew!), but the cluing was crisp, novel, and they did manage to slip in 52A, Study of riddles, ENIGMATOLOGY, definitely a debut and, runner-up in the "most difficult word to slip casually into a conversation" contest. Another Saturday has rolled by, almost like clockwork, and so it's time for our JAMCOTWA - deets i...

2 Juli 202314min

A good cruciverbal workout courtesy of Carly Schuna, today's crossword has something for everyone: a mysterious Gen-Z phrase (35A, "I can relate", in Gen-Z slang, THATISSUCHAMODE); a (for Mike) tricky baseball reference (23A, Up, ATBAT); and a quotation that is as true now as it was when it was first (possibly apocryphally) uttered in the 1700s, (27D, "When in ________, don't", a maxim attributed to Benjamin Franklin, DOUBT). In addition to the puzzle, we have some great listener mail...

1 Juli 202321min

A challenging Thursday crossword, but with a terrific payoff: another one of those tour de force themes that the NYTimes Thursday crosswords are famous for. We won't spoil that by discussing it here in the show notes, but we would like to point out a few non-themed clues: 54D, Mexican beach resort, informally, CABO; 15D, Notorious initials, RBG (not, as Mike initially postulated, BIG); 8D, Crossbreeds smaller than ligers, TIGONS; and 41A, Tittle, DOT (and that's not a typo, either 😀). We...

30 Juni 202313min

This was a super crossword, and we're not just saying it because 51D, Superman, most of the time, KENT, flew into the grid. Rather it's because of an ingenious theme (deets inside), and some very timely clueing -- SMOG, COALMINE, and AIRSHOWS (literally!). There were some other fine clues as well, such as 39A, Having a fermented quality, WINY; 22A, Fabric derived from wood pulp, RAYON (huh!); and 45A, Noted sea shell seller, SHE (nice!). We approve, 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.We love ...

29 Juni 202314min