Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

Once again, the NYTimes rises to the occasion with a great, great crossword, with an inspired theme and one answer in particular that has to be seen (and possibly Googled) to be believed. We won't spoil it by saying any more here, but we will say that this was a delicious crossword and are convinced that you'll feel the same.

In today's listener mail, a reference as made to Thinking Inside the Box, by Adrienne Raphel, and the book sounds great, so check it out.

Finally, here's a link to today's solved crossword, for those of you who haven't completed the crossword and want to follow along, square by square, as we wander through the grid.

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Tuesday crosswords need to walk a fine balancing act - they have to be harder than Monday's, but not too much harder -- and today's puzzle would have the Flying Walendas nodding in approval (unless they were on a tight-rope: they might wait until they were back on terra firma to do so). And for listeners looking to branch out beyond Monday, definitely try this crossword (and then have a listen to today's episode).

For those who have already attempted the crossword and got stuck, or just do not plan to attempt it, here's plan B: the solution, along with the grid, at xwordinfo.com

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A pleasant Monday crossword, not too difficult, we would conjecture, for newer solvers, and with a frothy but clever theme that will make them want to come back for more.

Starting today, in the show notes, we are going to provide a link to the solved crossword (in xwordinfo.com) -- so if you haven't solved the crossword and do not plan to, then feel free to check out the solution so you can more readily follow along.

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Today's crossword has some remarkable words in the clues, let alone the answers. Certainly plangonologist has to win some sort of prize (77D, Things a plangologist collects, DOLLS), but we were also pleased to see a pentad pop up (52A, Pentad for a poetry performance?, FIVEPILLARSOFSLAM), and finally stan (2A, Band stan, GROUPIE).

Some of the clues not mentioned in today's episode but also worthy of note include 62D, "Do"-to-"do" delivery", SCALE (nice!); 29A, Nickname for Luigi, GIGIO, and 87D, Strapless accessories, CLUTCHES. 

A fine crossword by David Karp, and we hereby approve, bestowing it with 5 squares on the JAMCR scale

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Robyn Weintraub has a well-deserved reputation for writing magnificent clues, and she shows off that talent in spades today: point at any clue in the grid, and you'll find a put-a-smile-on-your-face answer. If you haven't done today's crossword (and don't intend to), then head over to xwordinfo.com and check out the entire puzzle - clues and answers - to see what we mean.

It is Saturday, time for our JAMCOTWA - Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award - and the winner is ... somebody whose name you will recognize - but for the deets you'll have to download and listen up. Enjoy!

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A remarkably curious Friday crossword, especially the grid. How so, you ask? We could answer that here, but then a little suspense is good for the soul, so instead we will simply direct you to today's episode, where all will be revealed, we promise!

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A brilliant Thursday crossword by David Kwong: a theme that make you just want to stand up and cheer, in the midst of a grid full of great clues. Yes, it's the NYTimes Crossword at its finest, and that is saying a lot. Definitely worth the full 5 squares on the ol' JAMCR (that's Jean And Mike Crossword Rating) scale: have a listen, and you'll hear why.

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A FINE crossword, a debut, in fact, by Madeline Kaplan, with an interesting cinematic twist. Beyond the clues covered in the podcast, we would be remiss if we didn't mention 50D, March madness number (not 16, nor 8, nor 4, but ... SEED 😀); 55D, #s, NOS (a rarity, a clue with a hashtag!); and the relatively novel 60A, Attention-hoarding, say, NEEDY. But there are many more gems in the grid, so grab your loupe and your sluice box, and join us inside!

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There were no SNAFUs in today's crossword, and no TABOOBOOBOOs, for that matter: just a bevy of brilliant clues (especially the "themers" as we like to call them (as of today, when we first thought of it 😉)). There's more inside, so you are cordially invited to download, listen up, and enjoy.

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Generally speaking, the New York Times crosswords get more difficult as the week progresses, with Monday being the easiest, Saturday the hardest, and Sunday more like a large-ish Wednesday. Today's crossword, however while ostensibly a Monday, was teetering on the edge of Tuesday, with some trickier clues to liven things up. Intrigued? Want to know more? Then hit the ol' download button, followed by the ol' play button, and then ... enjoy!

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