Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

If you are one of those folk who think that rebuses should be banned, then you may appreciate the irony that two bands - AM and FM - show up in each of the rebuses in today's grid, in an ingenious fashion, with AM needed to solve the across clue, and FM required to solve the down clue. Jean has all the details (and remember you can always checkout xwordinfo.com to see the solved puzzle and clues). Curiously, the app required that you write AM/FM to get the solve (although FM/AM, AM, FM, A and F all would have worked): those New York Times crosswords can be tricky!

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A "crunchy" Wednesday crossword, with enough tricky clues to slow solvers down, although, it is often a good idea to take it -- as they say in life, in Aesop's fables, and in this puzzle -- SLOWANDSTEADY. The constructor embedded most of the grid's humor in the top-left corner, with 3D, Don't knock until you've tried it, DOORBELL, running into 20A, One who whistles while working, REF. The placement of 47A, "Quiet you", quaintly, OHDRYUP, running into 49D, Fiji alternative, DASANI, was intriguing, as was the positioning of 1D, Water bottle confiscators, for short, TSA, far away from the aforementioned 49D. A fine Wednesday effort, we give it 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

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A relatively easy Tuesday crossword, one might even say a GIMMEGIMMEGIMME 😀: both Jean and (unusually) Mike tore through it. The best clue was definitely 19D, Website where you go to see the stars?, YELP, but there were some others of note, such as 13D, "Aren't I great?", YAYME, and Mike's favorite, 57D, The "N" of N.B., NOTA. A nice crossword, we give it a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

In today's Triplet Tuesday episode, Jean puts on a stellar performance, nailing all 3 answers. For all the details, download and listen up.

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Jean had a RAREBIT of an issue with today's crossword, but it was nothing MAJOR. Mike, meanwhile, was intrigued by 17A, Marine inhabitant that's an animal, not a plant, despite what it's called, SEACUCUMBER, and appreciated its location in the grid near what it clearly was a case of -- 1A, Negative media coverage, in brief, BADPR. One clue that stood out, was the delicious (and crossing RAREBIT, especially well-placed) 10D, Olio di ______ (bread dip at a trattoria), OLIVA. Sounds delicious, or as yesterday's crossword would have us say in modern slang, NOMS!

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A lot of sizzle in today's crossword, appropriate for the 4th of July. Both Jean & Mike, even though they were solving independently, experienced HIGHANXIETY, and had reasons to WAIL, in the same places. The first was at the corner of 102D, Delicious food, in modern slang, NOMS, and 109A, ÷ and † in typography, OBELI (yikes!); the second was 14D, Hair loss, ALOPECIA, crossing with 40A, Jess's best friend in "New Girl", CECE (egads!). There were some ZANY answers (courtesy of 60A, Clownish), and others that brought UNBRIDLEDJOY, (90A, Wild horse's emotion?), and we have GUARDEDOPTIMISM that tomorrow's crossword will be less strenuous than today's.

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There were some fireworks in today's crossword (especially in the top-left and bottom-right corners), with tricky clues like 3D, Strengthen, as an embankment, REVET (!), and 6D, Verdi opera set during the fifth century, ATTILA (!!). Jean labored mightily in this corner, while meanwhile, in the bottom right, Mike was inventing answers out of whole cloth, such as 52A, Metal oxide in dental crowns, ZIRCONIA (not ZINCONIA), and 48A, McCarthyite called out in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire", ROYCOHN (not MARILYN). A tough Saturday, we give it a 4.5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

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A fine Friday crossword that is definitely 10D, Out of the ordinary, REALLYSOMETHING,  with lots of places where one might 27D, Crack under pressure, CHOKE, albeit less likely if one had a 26A, What a fitness coach likely leads, ACTIVELIFESTYLE. There were some interesting longer answers, including 17A, Cut-and-paste tool for language learners, GOOGLETRANSLATE, and 52A, Like some headphones, NOISECANCELLING. Both Jean and Mike (solving independently, as always) ran into slight headwinds at the corner of 32A, One-named rapper with the 2019 video, "Can't Explain it",  CHIKA, and 23D, Daughter of Styx, NIKE (and the subject of today's Fun Fact Friday segment).

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The constructor of today's crossword, Joe Deeney, had one big idea, and ran with it -- omit the word BIG from a series of answers, and then expand the word that followed into a BIGger font. For instance, 20A, "I can't believe I said that", MEANDMYMOUTH appeared in the grid with MOUTH in a larger than ordinary font. Cute! Jean's favorite clue was 48A, Rhyme for "menorah" in "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah", HORA, while Mike was fond of 33A, Instrument that largely replaced the ophicleide, TUBA (presumably because it was easier to pronounce 😀). A great crossword, we give this 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

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Happy last day of June! In today's episode, both Jean & Mike resist the urge to break into song when discussing Tommy Tutone's most famous hit, 867-5309/Jenny, the theme of today's crossword. They also ponder the works of Ted CHIANG, the origin story of FIVEGUYS, and the reappearance of the computer that might very well be powering WordPlay's comments, section, the ENIAC. For all this and more, check out today's podcast.

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Back in the day, we'd nip in the bud any clues like 55A, "Years ago ....", literally, THEBACKDAY, and 24A, Put an early stop to, literally, THENIPBUD, but fortunately here in 2021 Alan Arbesfeld had no such misgivings, and today's fine crossword -- we rate it a 4.5 on the JAMCR scale -- is the result. Meanwhile, on today's exciting edition of Triplet Tuesday, Mike does a PHIne job (and to understand that last remark, be sure to download and listen up!).

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