Today's crossword was a great start to our puzzle-solving week. The theme was très amusant, as the French like to say, definitely worth the price of admission. The clues were designed for novice crossword solvers, but still had a certain joie de vivre (as the French also like to say) about them — we're looking at you, 31A, Hair parter, COMB; 27D, Paves the way?, TARS; and speaking of French, 58D, French possessive, SES. C'est bon!

Show note imagery: The gloriously beautiful Emerald Isle, EIRE

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Tracy Gray has had 38 crosswords published in the NYTimes, including 13 Sundays. We'd call today's work a typical TG puzzle, except for the fact that there is no such thing: her creations are all unique. The only thing that they have in common is a bevy of novel clues, and a theme that you probably didn't see coming. We discuss the latter, at length, in today's episode. Just to give you a taste of the former, we present for your consideration 100A, Part of SCOTUS, THE (a fabulous way to clue a somewhat ordinary answer); 103D, State with only three counties: Abbr., DEL (news to us!); and 106D, Star football player?, TEXAN (hike! 😀)

Show note imagery: Nicola Amati, creator of some of the world's finest violins

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This was a lively Saturday crossword, thanks in part to Hannah Slovut's talent at working exciting new answers into the grid: there were a total of 10 debuts, not too shabby at all.

Even the non-debut answers were exciting. There were at least 4 that neither cohost had ever heard of before, for which we are quite grateful.

There's more inside, so have a listen, and please don't forget to leave us a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts.

Show note imgagery: Ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters — jointly awarded the first Emmy award ever given. History does not record who delivered the acceptance speech ... 😀 

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Ryan Mathiason's third NYTimes crossword, and his first Friday, was an elegant piece of cruciverbial magic. We like clues that educate —13A, Modern tech aid whose design was inspired by a Go board, QRCODE; clues that make us think — 31D, Act like yourself, perhaps?, DOACAMEO, and especially clues that allow us revel in the joys of English — 40A, Two in a row?, FOES. There were, manifestly, many such clues in today's puzzle. For that reason we are proud to give Ryan's oeuvre a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

After a highly analytical, um, analysis of the crossword, we have a Fun Fact Friday segment, and a fabulous Fan Mail message. You can check that all out, for the low, low price of $0.00, right now!

Show note imagery: TED Chiang, sci-fi writer extraordinaire.

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According to BuzzSprout, our podcast has had over 250,000 downloads, and so, to celebrate, we're ... going to do another podcast 😀 

Your cohosts had slightly different impressions of today's crossword. Jean, who used her wits to power through the top of the crossword despite the total absence of down clues in the region, found it to be a major challenge. Mike, who completely ignored the top of the crossword until the rest of the grid was filled out, found it ... considerably easier.

For all the color commentary, check out today's episode (and get us to 250,001 downloads 😀).

Show note imagery: LINDT chocolates, mmm, mmm, good!

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Today's crossword was an homage to a state that seems to be bursting at the seams with National Parks, and that state would be ... [REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE SPS (SPOILER PREVENTION SOCIETY)]. 

In addition to the theme, we found much joy in today's grid. We covered the highlights in today's episode, but we also were quite fond of 21A, Big bang cause, TNT; 55A, Canine guard?, RETAINER; and 65D, In medias _______, RES. 

Show note imagery: a BASENJI, the Cutest Dog Ever™️

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There was cause for much celebration at JAMDTNYTC HQ, as the J of the aforementioned podcast made her triumphant return to the studio. She  chose an auspicious day to do so, because the crossword was awash with theme clues, which she spotted with unnerving accuracy.

We also have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your enjoyment.

Show note imagery: Ah, yes, we remember the dreaded EDITWARS of aught-six, 

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Today's crossword — a joint effort by Andrea Carla Michaels and Dena R. Verkuil — had a lot of appeal, and if that generates peals of laughter, then this sentence will have done its job! 

Being a Monday, the puzzle was straightforward: its mission was to entertain and entice, not (as sometimes happens later in the week) confound and confuse. As today's episode can attest, it succeeded on all fronts.

Show note imagery: SHEL Silverstein and Johnny Cash, writer and singer, respectively, of "A Boy Named Sue".

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Today's crossword — a very nice piece of work by Henry Lin-David and Frank S. David — featured an adorable, tiny escape room! You can't miss it — it's right in the center of the grid — and you also can't escape it, because the room is entirely walled off from the rest of the grid by black squares. This is only the 31st time, in the entire history of the NYTimes crossword, that the puzzle has included a disconnected region (it's hard to have crosswords if words don't cross!), but it is all for a very good cause. Check out today's episode for all the deets.

Show note imagery: On the left, a cake topped with STREUSEL; on the right, an apple strudel

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It's not often that we get to haul "effervescent" out of long-term storage, dust it off, and plant it where it needs planting, but today is one of those days, for the crossword, by Adam Wagner and Michael Lieberman, was terrific. The puzzle was not the hardest Saturday we've seen — in part because the Pop Culture Meter was close to 0 — but the clues were just delights, every one of them an intricate work of a master crossword constructor / punster. Deets inside.

Show note imagery: MOTHRA and Godzilla, in such a frightening battle that they scared all the colors away 😱

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