Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

There are a lot of body parts in today's crossword, but that's not really a bad thing, just a good theme, well implemented. There was also a diverse array of foods that hopefully you'll never encounter at one meal -- 16A, Challenging vegetables to eat with a fork, PEAS, 46D, Three-ingredient lunchbox staple, familiarly, PBANDJ, and 44D, ____ Balls (chocolaty snack), SNO. Beyond the crossword, we got some mail (crosswordpodcast@icloud.com, we promise to read every missive!), so download...

25 Maj 20217min

In today's episode, Jean explains about PIONS, and the fact that SELFSOWN is not superfluous; Mike, meanwhile, ponders where he can download the latest version of CLAROS, in spite of the fact that it is the answer to 33A, Mild, light-colored cigars, and not, as he had posited, a new version of Linux. While they have been known to have a DIFFERENCEOFOPINIONS, both Jean & Mike do agree that 32A, They have stems and white heads, HALFNOTES, is brilliant, as is the crossword in general -- a 5 ...

24 Maj 202115min

Today's crossword was a bit of a slog, although we were happy to see the return of AMONRA - the god of tricky spelling -- and several Star Wars references (21A, Hoth, in "Star Wars", ICEPLANET, and 27A, Sci-fi enemy collective, perhaps, EVILEMPIRE). Jean struggled in the northwest corner, and both Jean & Mike had to grit their teeth in the southeast, where the dubious 49D, Hit on the head, in slang, DONK, and the clever but obscure 32D, "100 Years ... 100 Stars" and others, in brief, AFIL...

23 Maj 202114min

In today's crossword, we discover that one of us (Jean) knows the difference between ELEGIZE and EULOGIZE, and that one of us (Mike) knows that to dispose of the one ring that rules them all will require a trip to MTDOOM. Jean has to work for her supper in the top-left corner, whereas Mike has a relatively smooth solve except for 37D, Fit to be tried, which he took to be STABLE rather than the (in retrospect) much more plausible SUABLE. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: ...

22 Maj 202114min

A tough Thursday, foreshadowed in some of the clues, such as 59D, Sounds of puzzlement, EHS, and 62A, Cry of frustration, AARGH. Jean struggled in the bottom center, having inexplicably neglected to memorize the Dewey Decimal System before starting today's puzzle. Mike, meanwhile, took to heart yesterday's conversation anticipating rebuses, and was bound and determined to use them, even if the crossword constructor, Trenton Charlson, chose not to. Besides the theme, there were some not...

21 Maj 202116min

Today's crossword was chock-full of IDEAS tied to cosmology - from the universe's start, in the BIGBANG, to its end, with (according to TSELIOT), a WHIMPER. It also had a shoutout to the person who helped confirm the BIGBANG, PENZIAS (not, as Mike incorrectly SPELT it for reasons that are SPELT out in the podcast, PENSIAS). A few other clues of note: 53D, Shiny button material, NACRE, and a word that most people will never, ever need to use but it's just reassuring to know that it exists, 47D...

20 Maj 202111min

Typical Tuesday fare, which since this is the New York Times means really, really good fare, involving SAUSAGELINK synonyms and a secondary theme (if three related clues can be considered a theme) involving volleyball (SETTERS, SPIKES and NET). Jean of course had no problem with today's puzzle, Mike got off to a slow start, guessing that1A, Hospital scan, for short was CAT, rather than the correct answer, MRI, and then misspelling 1D, Chief of a fire department, MARSHAL as MARTIAL (oops!). T...

19 Maj 202112min

Did we like this crossword? JA, DA, OUI, SI, or, to put it another way, YES! Beyond the clever theme (answers that embedded YES, in various languages), it was slightly more difficult than the usual Monday fare. However, it did have 29A, Where to order a Blizzard, DAIRYQUEEN, so we are contractually obligated to give it a yummy 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're on Face...

18 Maj 202110min