Explore every episode of the podcast Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 8, 2026 - Beware the Grim ... Rebus?? | 09 Jan 2026 | 00:13:21 | |
This was a delightful Thursday crossword by Mallory Montgomery and Zhou Zhang. Jean got through it at gazelle-like speeds, whereas Mike, who made the tyro's mistake of following his own advice, was less gazelle, more giraffe. Deets inside. Show note imagery: Rochester, Jane EYRE, and Adele (well before her breakout album, 19). We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - EPIC or ACK? You be the judge! | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:16:33 | |
Our co-hosts had almost comically differing experiences solving today's crossword. Jean found it to be ... a breeze, whereas Mike found it to be a category 5 hurricane, which he will dub Hurricane Adrianne, after the creator of said hurricane, er, puzzle, Adrianne Baik. Apparently Adrianne was able to quickly and remotely rifle through Mike's memory palace (more like a memory shanty, but nvm), identify everything he didn't know, and then put it into a crossword. Well played, Adrianne! For all the deets of what turned out to be a walk in the park / EPIC cruciverbial battle, subscribe, download, listen up, and enjoy today's episode! Show note imagery: HELLOKITTY! . We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, December 21, 2025 - Ho, ho, ho!!! 🎅🏼 | 22 Dec 2025 | 00:19:55 | |
Today's crossword was (as you can deduce from the episode title) a fun, Christmas-themed puzzle by famed magician David Kwong. Jean & Co. solved it expeditiously, whereas David almost made Mike's streak disappear thanks to some cruciverbial magic in the top-center of the grid. All turned out well, though, for both cohosts and their streaks. Deets inside. FYI, we will be taking a hiatus this week (starting up again on the 29th). For those of you who want your daily fix, fear not -- we're pretty sure you can find something in our burgeoning back catalog. In the meantime, have a great holiday, and may Santa (or whoever delivers the gifts in your neck of the woods) send a plethora of presents your way. Show note video: David Kwong, about to make some magic Show note imagery: Amanda Gorman, presidential inaugural poet and author of "The Hill We Climb" We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, September 18, 2025 - Huh, a Saturday crossword fell through a wormhole into Thursday! | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:18:27 | |
Adam Wagner has a reputation for making tough, high-quality crosswords, which explains ... today's, tough, high-quality crossword. Even after grokking the theme, the rest of the clues required no little effort to unravel. We have the whole story inside, so do have a listen and then let us know: how did you find today's puzzle? Show note imagery: The Earl and Countess of Wessex We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, January 21, 2023 - CHEERIOS, WITHCHEESE, and WINESAUCE - a gastronomically very confused crossword 😀 | 21 Jan 2023 | 00:12:33 | |
A challenging Saturday crossword -- Jean had an epic struggle in the north central area of the grid, and Mike had an epic struggle ... everywhere! But along the way we were able to appreciate such fine vintage clues as 12D, Earring Magic ______ (1990s doll that developed a cult following), KEN; 52A, Web portal released the same day as Windows 95, MSN; and 20A, Transition effect famously used in "Star Wars" films, WIPE. All the deets -- plus the announcement of this week's JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) winner are all here, just waiting for you to download, play, and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Friday, January 20, 2023 - A great crossword? TRUEDAT! | 20 Jan 2023 | 00:13:38 | |
A fine Friday crossword by Robert S. Greenfield, not too difficult for a Friday, but still festooned with fun clues and answers (which we like to call cluans™️), such as 34A, Neologize, COINAPHRASE (for an example, c.f. cluans 😀); 29A, Organization with a strong track record?, NASCSAR (nice!); and 23D, Splashy display, ECLAT (sounds like a SAT word to us!) We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, January 19, 2023 - Fire up the kinderklaviers, it's time for a RAPBATTLE!! | 20 Jan 2023 | 00:15:56 | |
A deliciously devious Thursday crossword by Daniel Bodily, thanks to Friday and Saturday level cluing and a theme that may leave you AGASP (and if you solve today's puzzle, saying AAH). Definitely a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, and while it fills us with trepidation contemplating what lies ahead for the rest of the week, we will savor this puzzle until then. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - Will Shortz, THEGOAT of crossword editors! | 19 Jan 2023 | 00:13:20 | |
A wonderful Wednesday crossword, and a debut for constructor Lindsay McBride (kudos and all that!). We especially enjoyed 67A, Like matryoshka dolls, NESTED (we just like to say matryoshka); 32D, Good, in Chinese HAO (now we know!); and 24D, "_________ Flux" (1990s animated sci-fi series), AEON (because it was such a great show!). There was (much) more, and deets are inside. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, January 17, 2023 - This crossword made our day! | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:19:46 | |
A fine Tuesday crossword, with a bilingual theme -- the best kind -- as well as some amusing clues (9D, Phrase sung 36 times in a 1970 Beatles hit, LETITBE; 6D, Bovine:cow::corvine:__________, CROW; and Mike's favorite word of the day, 26A, "Aw, rats", DAGNABBIT. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Monday, January 16, 2023 - Look out, MOTHRA's on the prowl! | 17 Jan 2023 | 00:12:06 | |
A slightly more intense Monday crossword than usual, with several span-the-grid answers, but the cute theme (the constructor, Michael Paleos, definitely did not MAILITIN) made it all worthwhile. We've got all the deets inside, as well as the full set of rules for tomorrow's first ever Triplet Tuesday Contest, so you are cordially invited to -- in order -- subscribe, download, listen, laugh, and learn. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, January 15, 2023 - Great Caesar's ghost, what a crossword! | 16 Jan 2023 | 00:20:31 | |
If you like literature, you'll love today's crossword, teeming with literary references, all in the cause of a fun theme. Even if you're not particularly well-versed in the classics, though, chances are you'll know the titles -- and if not, hopefully the crosses will come to your rescue. We have all the deets inside, waiting for you to enjoy. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, January 14, 2023 - APIA, gateway to paradise, aka Upolu, Samoa! | 15 Jan 2023 | 00:11:52 | |
A straightforward Saturday puzzle, but it pegged the Fun Quotient meter so we will not complain. Au contraire, most of today's episode is spent singing its praises, for the clues are crisp, cute (but not TWEE!), and, oh, WHATCHAMACALLIT, compelling. Deets inside! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Friday, January 13, 2023 - Ahoy, there's a RORQUAL on the starboard side! | 14 Jan 2023 | 00:16:46 | |
Typically Friday crosswords do not have a theme, but since this was Friday the 13th, the editors (luckily) decided to take advantage of that day. Unlike some themes that only make sense after one has finished the puzzle, today's theme genuinely was useful (as well as fun). So, bypass that ladder, jump over that crack, don't trip on that black cat, but do have a listen to today's podcast. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, January 12, 2023 - We are MEGAFANs of this crossword! | 13 Jan 2023 | 00:10:16 | |
A GEM of a Thursday crossword by Grant Thackray, who does some remarkable linguistic surgery, all for a good cause - a dizzying and dizzyingly good theme, in the middle of a grid-full of great clues. All the deets are inside, so rather than spill the TEA, we urge you to download and listen up ASAP! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - A crossword that's waaaaay more than OK! | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:17:45 | |
The remarkable xwordinfo.com has compiled a list of the maximum number of times each letter has appeared in a crossword. Up until today, K had appeared a total of 18 times, but now -- thanks to Jackson Matz -- that record stands at 24, all in the aid of a good cause, aka "the theme". Both cohosts found this to be a slightly crunchier than usual Wednesday, and Jean in particular had to put on her deerstalker hat for the win. Deets inside. Show note imagery: AKIRA Kurosawa's greatest epic, Rashomon. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, January 11, 2023 - EGAD this was a clever crossword! | 12 Jan 2023 | 00:12:40 | |
A picture-perfect crossword, with an LOL theme, a geographically wide-ranging set of clues (from 35A, Manhattan neighborhood next to SoHo, NOLITA, to 36D,Hawaiian island shaped like an apostrophe, LANAI, to 42D, Setting for many van Gogh works, ARLES), and a few other goodies that we delve into in today's episode. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - Today's crossword is the cat's pajamas 😺 | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:13:26 | |
A fine, feline-themed Tuesday crossword by Emily Rourke, with a few rarities in the grid, including 15A, Darling one, MOPPET (last seen in 2014!), and 1D, Shaggy Beatles hairdos, MOPTOPS (making its 4th appearance in the crossword, ever), and finally 24A, Cereal mascot who says "They're gr-r-eat!", TONYTHETIGER ( appearing for the second time, debuting in 1966). We liked this crossword a lot, it was GR-R-EAT! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, January 9, 2023 - A puzzle that won't leave you COLD! | 10 Jan 2023 | 00:11:08 | |
It's not clear if the authors, Andrea Carla Michaels and Kevin Christian, were in the midst of a raging snowstorm when they constructed this crossword, but 9A, How revenge (or pizza) is best served, COLD, 21D, Frozen, GELID, 57A, Behaved in a laid back way, ACTEDCOOL, and 34D, "Rocks" that clink in a glass, ICE, really make us. think that that might've been the case. Regardless, this crossword did not leave us COLD at all -- in fact we warmly give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, January 8, 2023 - RIRI, worth AMILLI! | 09 Jan 2023 | 00:09:44 | |
A slightly GNARLY Sunday crossword: Jean, we have it on good authority, tore through this in no time flat, but Mike, due to his almost total lack of knowledge of pop culture (anything more recent than 1850), to say nothing of his woeful ignorance of Spanish, found the road a little less SEDATE. Deets inside, so download now and beat the rush. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, January 7, 2023 - Adam Aaronson, a real STANDUPGUY! | 08 Jan 2023 | 00:13:14 | |
A sweet Saturday crossword by Adam Aaronson, not too difficult, but we are not complaining! Just the opposite in fact, and to hear us expand on that general assessment we cordially invite you to subscribe, download, listen up, and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Friday, January 6, 2023 - Three cheers for JUDITHHEUMANN | 07 Jan 2023 | 00:15:55 | |
Today's crossword was just bursting at the seams with tricky clues: it seemed like the entire top of the grid was roped off with GIVEITUPYOUDONTHAVEACHANCE tape, but thanks to perseverance, grit, and in Jean's case a functional memory, in Mike's case a large dollop of good luck, both were able to persevere. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, January 5, 2023 - Quick, pass the SENNA! | 06 Jan 2023 | 00:11:43 | |
A highly educational Thursday crossword. Clues like 16A, Smallest South Pacific nation, NAURU; 1D, The flowers in Amy Lowell's "Your great puffs of flowers / Are everywhere in this my New England"; and 31D, Agricultural item that Nigeria produces more of than the rest of the world combined, YAM; were certainly eye-openers for your co-hosts. One of us found the puzzle tricky, the other impossible; and to find out who, all you need to do is subscribe (optional, but highly recommended), download and listen up! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, January 4, 2023 - An out-of-this-world puzzle! | 05 Jan 2023 | 00:13:07 | |
For those of you who remember where you were when the James Webb Space Telescope finally deployed, the NYTimes has you covered, with a great, astronomy-themed puzzle. But even if you're not a space-nerd, there was a galaxy of fabulous clues, such as 27A, Dispenser of drafts, TAP (cute!), 43A, "The lowest form of humor -- when you don't think of it first," per Oscar Levant, PUN (ha, ha!), and 42A, One righting writing, EDITOR (ho, ho!). We approve, and hereby bestow this puzzle a perfect 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, January 3, 2023 - Time to SNARF a PANINI! | 04 Jan 2023 | 00:13:42 | |
A fine Tuesday puzzle by Margaret Seikel, with a straightforward theme and not too much pop culture. It helped slightly to be acquainted with The Princess Diaries, so, advantage Jean. Mike only had one gimme, 46D, Lex of "Superman", LUTHOR, counterbalanced by the curious 41D, "Should we bounce?", WANNAGO, and the overwhelming urge to spell 11D, Italian pressed sandwich, PANINI, with more N's than a sandwich deserves to have. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Monday, January 2, 2023 - All together now, ITHADTOBEYOU 🎵🎶 | 03 Jan 2023 | 00:09:40 | |
A hilarious (and we use that term very rarely) theme by Seth Bisen-Hersh in their debut NYTimes crossword appearance, a great start. We won't spoil the joke by telling it here, but the entire crossword is a setup, and the payoff is exquisite. Details within, so you know the drill: subscribe (if you don't already), download, listen up and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - What the deuce, it's ... egad ... a LOOKIELOO! 😀 😀 | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:14:03 | |
This was an excellent debut crossword by Jonathan Daly; we were dazzled by the theme, and found gems in the rest of the grid as well. We enjoyed 71A, Floppy part of a beagle, EAR; 49D, Owl's question?, WHO; and of course we are absolutely infatuated with 11D, A shopper, not a buyer, informally, LOOKIELOO. In addition, we have our traditional Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, and today Jean's in the hotseat. Show note imagery: Snoopy, who definitely has a floopy EAR (two, to be precise!) We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, January 1, 2023 - A crossword that'll make you want to BREAKOUTINSONG | 02 Jan 2023 | 00:14:47 | |
Something to sing about on this, the first day of 2023 - a great crossword by a trio of constructors - Adam Wagner, Michael Lieberman and Rafael Musa - with a brilliant theme. Specifically, it offers two clues for the themed answer, one in the usual place and t'other in a surprising location that will remain a secret until you've listened to this podcast, which we hope you do ... right now. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, December 31, 2022 - Happy New Year! | 01 Jan 2023 | 00:17:19 | |
In celebration of the new year, we have a jam-packed episode. First, we have our usual meticulous dissection of today's puzzle; then, the big reveal for the JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award); next, a first, our predictions for the new year in NYTimes Crosswords; a return of "Oh, That's How You Pronounce It!", and last but not least, listener-mail. So please subscribe / download / listen, and we wish all of you all the best for 2023! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Friday, December 30, 2022 - Enjoying a cuppa CHA while eyeing a CHAGALL | 31 Dec 2022 | 00:16:51 | |
Brendan Emmett Quigley has crafted an elegantly enjoyable Friday crossword -- clues that are brilliant (54A, One who is mean as the Dickens?, SCROOGE), enlightening (15A, Whom the New York Times co-named athlete of the year, with Babe Ruth, in 1920), MANOWAR, and impossible to spell (21A, Missed-the-turn maneuver, UEY). We liked this crossword ATON, THATSFORSURE; and to find out precisely why, just tap Subscribe / Download / Play / Enjoy (um, if you do find the Enjoy button, do let us know 😀) We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, December 29, 2022 - TYVM for a great puzzle! | 30 Dec 2022 | 00:15:55 | |
A fine crossword by Claire Rimkus and Rachel Fabi, with a brilliant theme that left us eLATEd, and a few words and phrases to add to the ol' lexicon, including:
And for the full 411 on today's crossword, you know the drill: subscribe (always optional, but this way you'll always have the latest and greatest ready to listen to), download (pretty much a requirement if you want to do the next bit), listen up, and enjoy (guaranteed or your money cheerfully refunded 😀) We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, December 28, 2022 - BLINI and NANAIMO, num, num! | 29 Dec 2022 | 00:14:01 | |
An homage to female ROCKANDROLL artists who have been inducted twice into the HALLOFFAME -- once with collaborators, and once as a solo act. Several other musicians managed to slip into the grid: to find out who they are, as well as some other absolutely fascinating TIL (Today I Learned) areas of the grid, all you need do is subscribe, download, listen and learn! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, December 27, 2022 - The lesson of LETSON | 28 Dec 2022 | 00:11:21 | |
Lynn Lempel had her first NYTimes crossword published in 1979, and this was her 99th! According to xwordinfo.com, which tracks these sorts of things, most of her crosswords appear on Monday (71), with most of the rest (16) appearing on Tuesday. Jean found today's crossword to be fairly straightforward: Mike found it a bit of a challenge, especially in the vicinity of 9D, White wine named for the European river valley where it's produced, MOSELLE, as the only thing he is less familiar with than white wine is European river valleys. For the full 411, we humbly invite you to subscribe, download, listen up and enjoy. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Monday, December 26, 2022 - A Super-ULTRA Crossword! | 27 Dec 2022 | 00:13:05 | |
Once again, like CLOCKWORK, the NYTimes has come up with a fine Monday crossword to start our problem-solving week. Apart from a few snags - 1A, Floating ice chunk, BERG (not FLOE); 33A, College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, COE (not UNI); 30D, Bitter part of an orange, PITH (not PEEL or RIND) ; and 61D, A rainbow may be seen as a good one, SIGN (not OMEN) - the crossword was fine: and come to think of it, even with those snags it was fine -- a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, December 24, 2022 - A NEATO Saturday! | 25 Dec 2022 | 00:15:33 | |
A challenging but fair Christmas Eve crossword, with 2 full width, and 2 full height answers that were reasonably familiar, although the clues that led to those answers suitably cryptic (e.g., 57A, Symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, BEETHOVENSTHIRD, and 2D, Revenue source for a Girl Scout troop, DOORTODOORSALES). Jean tore through the grid in under 1/3 the time it took Mike, who ran into a morass in the bottom center. All the sordid details, as well as our choice for JAMCOTWA are in today's episode, so between wrapping and unwrapping presents (for whatever holiday you celebrate - Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or none of the above), take some time out to have a listen! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Friday, December 23, 2022 - We Love Technicolor TESSIE, aka Lucy 😀 | 24 Dec 2022 | 00:16:55 | |
A fine Friday oeuvre by Brandon Koppy, and a timely one too, esp. 11D, Follower of an arctic blast, COLDSPELL, 4D, Character in "Frozen" who says "Some people are worth melting for", OLAF, and when things get really nasty outside, 51D, Relief org., FEMA. We also have a very cool Fun Fact Friday segment, so gather your favorite hot beverage and then subscribe, download, listen up, learn and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, December 22, 2022 - Here we go round the roundabout 🎵 | 23 Dec 2022 | 00:17:24 | |
A dizzying, dazzling, delightful Thursday crossword by David Steinberg that has to be seen to be believed -- and even then you might not! Clearly DS is in a league of his own when it comes to crossword construction, we are in awe, as in, aww, that was great! Can we have an encore? 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Monday, September 15, 2025 - Go, team, go!! | 16 Sep 2025 | 00:12:42 | |
This was a fine Monday crossword courtesy of the very talented Matthew Stock and Michael Lieberman. The latter, based on both this puzzle and his xwordinfo.com photo, is apparently a baseball fan; so, using that metaphor, we'd definitely categorize this crossword as a home run. Show note imagery: Behold, the mighty PEGASUS (and they're accepting pre-orders now!) We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, December 21, 2022 - RHENIUM, the metal that *nobody* has heard of 😀 | 22 Dec 2022 | 00:14:59 | |
A highly educational Wednesday crossword, with a slew of TIL (Today I Learned) entries, including the fascinating 9D, Metal next to tungsten on the periodic table, RHENIUM, which neither Jean nor Mike, in spite of having taken several chemistry classes, had ever heard of. It is true that a number of heavier elements have been added to the periodic table, um, periodically, but the lower numbered elements have generally remained unchanged. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, December 20, 2022 - Pass the slivovitz! | 21 Dec 2022 | 00:14:40 | |
A clever Tuesday theme, great clues and the opportunity to pronounce the word slivovitz - in short, a perfect crossword, and short is how these show notes will be as well, since everything you need to know about this crossword is in today's podcast - subscribe, download, listen up and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Monday, December 19, 2022 - The name's Simone, NINA Simone | 20 Dec 2022 | 00:10:24 | |
A fine and definitely seasonally-appropriate Monday crossword from Jennifer Nutt, creator of today's puzzle. You didn't need to have a brain the size of an ENIAC, or even an IMAC, for that matter, to succeed, really just a GIFT with language, to solve this GIFT of a crossword. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, December 18, 2022 - A crossword to sing about | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:15:22 | |
Today's crossword was themeless, but there was a lot of music in the grid. Between 7D, Pink Floyd co-founder Barrett, SYD, to 87D, Soul singer Thomas, CARLA, there were numerous other references: 31A, All-woman rock band with the 1982 hit "Vacation", GOGOS; the curious 43A, When doubled, a classic Mardis Gras tune, IKO; and finally 52A, 2017 chart-topping hit whose YouTube video was the first to reach 3 billion views, DESPACITO (we defy you to not dance while watching it 😀 ). We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, December 17, 2022 - YETI another punny NYTimes crossword! 🙄 | 18 Dec 2022 | 00:11:25 | |
A fine Saturday crossword, arguably less challenging then yesterday's slogfest, but with some deftly written clues, such as ... 53A, Detail-oriented sort, IDOTTER (😀); 54A, Clerical worker?, PRIEST (😀 😀 ); and 18D, "I spilled _______ on my dog, now he's gone": Steven Wright, SPOTREMOVER (too many 😀's to list). We liked this crossword a lot, and we've got the podcast to prove it! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Friday, December 16, 2022 - Pant, Gasp, Wheeze! | 17 Dec 2022 | 00:11:59 | |
An exhausting, exhilarating, and, let's just say it, excellent crossword by Kameron Austin Collins, with a grid-full of superb clues and answers, as one would expect when KAC is in charge. All the deets are inside, as well as a Fun Fact Friday exploration of a very popular fish (challenge to the reader: can you guess it before you listen? -- let us know!), so download, listen up, and enjoy. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Thursday, December 15, 2022 - A soup-er, er, super, crossword | 16 Dec 2022 | 00:10:46 | |
What can we say about a crossword that includes the word VICHYSSOISE? First, that we are in awe of it, and to be more precise its constructor, Bruce Haight, as we are just amazed that he can even spell VICHYSSOISE -- Mike took about 3 running starts to get it sorted out. Second, it reminds us once again of Will Shortz's towering genius, as we now realize it was portended by yesterday's 9D, Something you need to do to solve crosswords, SPELL. We are not worthy 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - A crossword full of Lucky Charms, yum! | 15 Dec 2022 | 00:10:33 | |
A delicious Wednesday crossword by Matthew Stock, with references to PANERA, CRONUTS and -- well, OEUF is a bit, ahem, oeuffy, er, iffy -- but regardless, it was a good crossword, with a delightful theme. We have all the deets inside just waiting for you to sink your teeth into, so subscribe, download, listen up, and enjoy! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Tuesday, December 13, 2022 - Did we like this crossword? Fer SHER! | 14 Dec 2022 | 00:15:22 | |
An intriguing Tuesday crossword by Julietta Gervase, who undoubtedly put her soul into today's crossword, but also managed to sneak in her name - at least a part, as in 54D, James in both the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, ETTA. Very clever, Julietta, we saw what you did there! There were also a few askew clues, as in 5D, Takes a dive, perhaps, SCUBAS (did not know that it could exist without DIVE attached); 32A, ________ Burton, host of "Reading Rainbow" (but, but, what about his role on Star Trek: Next Generation? Oh, how quickly we forget); and the as-fun-to-say-as-it-is-to-eat 26D, Small ear of corn, NUBBIN. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Monday, December 12, 2022 - Woof! | 13 Dec 2022 | 00:09:50 | |
At least one of our dynamic duo found this crossword to be woof, er, we mean rough, owing to a highly improbable series of poor word choices, and a loss of situational awareness causing this individual (who will remain nameless, at least until you listen to the episode) to mistake one country for another approximately a hemisphere apart. And, just to be clear, when we say "at least one", we really mean, "exactly one", because the individual who will not remain nameless, aka Jean, found this crossword to be an absolute treat, rather than a dog's breakfast. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, September 14, 2025 - BEEP, BEEP! | 15 Sep 2025 | 00:15:46 | |
In August we had a fabulous crossword honoring "the Man of 1000 Voices", Mel Blanc, and ... he's back, this time in the grid, and in celebration of what might be the greatest animated toon duo of all time, starring in gags that never get old. Deets inside, as well as our latest JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Do The New York Times Crossword) winner. Enjoy! Show note imagery: GINZA, in all its glory. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Sunday, December 11, 2022 - There's a lot of buzz around today's crossword! | 12 Dec 2022 | 00:17:07 | |
If you suffer from entomophobia, then whatever you do, don't do today's crossword! But it should be safe to listen to today's podcast, as we only mention insects -- the bane of entomophobia sufferers everywhere -- en passant. Beyond the insect kingdom, the grid had a lot of educational clues and answers: both cohosts were surprised to learn that 33D, Sublime soprano, was a DIVA, having labored under the misapprehension that a DIVA was one of those stuck up, hard-to-work with, overly-pampered celebs: but it does indeed have this much more favorable meaning. Both cohosts were also surprised to learn that 47D, Physicist Schrödinger, had a first name, and that it was ERWIN. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||
| Saturday, December 10, 2022 - More than a heptad of great clues | 11 Dec 2022 | 00:13:24 | |
An exceptional Saturday crossword by Sid Sivakumar, who seems to be incapable of writing any other kind. The clues were fabulous (as we explore in depth in today's episode), and even the crossings were praiseworthy - most notably 38A, Rock forming mineral that makes up over half the earth's crust, FELDSPAR intersecting 17A, Meets expectations, in a way, MAKESPAR, while even 19A, Pumped, STOKED versus 4D, Preakness or Belmont, STAKES, had a nice alliterative feel. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: | |||