We're starting the work week with a pleasing Monday crossword by Freddie Cheng, his 17th for the NYTimes. It had a straightforward, cute theme, and quite a few musicians in the grid, including 35D, "At Last" jazz singer, ETTAJAMES; 28D, Pop star Gomez, SELENA; 15D, Piaf who sang "La Vie en Rose", EDITH; and the ubiquitous (at least in the NYTimes crossword) 7D, Brian of ambient music, ENO. We almost had a fifth, but 67A, Practices boxing, was SPARS, so close to SPEARS 😀.

Tomorrow is our Triplet Tuesday Contest, get ready to show off your mad TTC skills!

Show note imagery: the one and only ... Brian ENO!

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Today's puzzle was a delight - harkening back to an old movie (whose name we will not reveal here, to maintain the suspense), and with some crisp, entertaining cluing -- in short, the NYTimes Sunday crossword at its best.

We dive into details on that, and have a nice bit of listener mail to boot, so delay no longer! Download, listen up, and enjoy!

A reminder, our next Triplet Tuesday Contest is coming up ... this Tuesday, so make your final preparations, write your acceptance speech, etc., it will be here before you know it.

Show note imagery: Harry Houdini, in one of his great ESCAPEACTS, about to escape a milk can!

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Joel Fagliano's given us a bit of a breather, a challenging but relatively straightforward Saturday crossword -- certainly in comparison to the last few weeks, we're still recovering from Sam Ezrsky's last epic. The clues were fun and entertaining, though: 38D, Box office?, CUBICLE; 14D, U.S. city with the motto "Where Discoveries are Made", LOSALAMOS; and (ahem) 54A, Butt text, PEACHEMOJI, are just a few examples.

Also, it's Saturday, so we have a new JAMCOTWA winner to announce!

Finally, remember that we have a rare Triplet Tuesday Contest coming up this Tuesday, so mark your calendar, start training, and may the force be with you.

Show note imagery: LOSALAMOS, Where Discoveries are Made

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This was a fine, challenging, themeless Friday crossword by Jackson Matz (his second Friday puzzle, and third overall). It is refreshing, after struggling with a theme some days, to get a break, even though that break is tempered by the fact that, as a Friday, the clues tend to become more devious. How else could you describe 23A, Pilot productions?, PENS (ha!) or 45A, Like you and me, MORTAL (hmmm); and the obvious-in-hindsight 2D, Extremely solid, HARDASAROCK?

All-in-all a worthy addition to the NYTimes Friday parthenon, and therefore deserving of a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

A reminder that solving the NYTimes crossword is an excellent way to keep those "little grey cells" in peak condition. If you don't already subscribe, consider wandering over to nytimes.com/subscription/games, and be sure and tell them that Jean & Mike sent ya.

Show note imagery: a SHARPEI, guarding its territory

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It seems that on Thursdays anything can happen in the NYTimes crossword, and today it seems that everything happened, all at once, in one place. You'll see what we mean when you listen to today's episode, now waiting calmly on our servers for you to tap download and shortly thereafter experience exhilaration/education/etcetera.

Show note imagery: the greatest MIME of all TIME, Marceal Marceau

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If you haven't visited Rome, you can at least check out two of its many awesome attractions thanks to Casey Callaghan and Will Nediger, the authors of today's puzzle. Beyond those (we will refrain from describing the attractions here, to heighten the suspense), we had some great clues. Nostalgia, courtesy of 46A, ______ Basil, singer of the 1982 hit "Mickey", TONI; a tad of edible mathematics, due to 55D, Toroidal treat, DONUT; and the obligatory "new word in town", 43A, Cutesy term for a swap, TRADESIES.

Next Tuesday we will be holding one of our rare Triplet Tuesday contests, so tune in for an opportunity to win fabulous prizes!

Show note imagery: THESPANISHSTEPS

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There were a boatload of O's in today's grid, but they were there for a reason, that being to flesh out a wonderful debut crossword by Howard Neuthaler. A good crossword not only entertains and challenges, but teaches, and this one, by that standard, was a great one. To learn what we learned, and to hear about a new Triplet Tuesday contest coming up next week, all you need to do is download, listen up, and enjoy.

Shownote imagery: a Klein bottle, absolutely no relation to Patsy CLINE, and for sale by the Acme Klein Bottle, which also happens to manufacture the amazing Imperfecto Ruler. [For the record, none of the names in the previous sentence were made up 😀]

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This is Robert Corridan's debut crossword, and a fine debut it is, one that may induce you to sing, perhaps something along the lines of LA, LA, LA, in which case you will be in a very good place to start solving this crossword! Deets (and the decryption of that cryptic last sentence) are within, so have a listen, and, as per usual, let us know what you think.

Show note imagery: a POMELO, a relatively large -- some grow up to 25 pounds!! -- citrus fruit, sometimes called the Citrus maxima, for obvious reasons.

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Aimee Lucido is both a children's author -- check out "Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta" - and cruciverbalist - check out today's excellent example. This crossword was not hugely difficult, but it was hugely entertaining, as we explain, in detail, in today's episode.

Show note imagery: HIGHFIDELITY, by Nick Hornby

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A tough Saturday crossword (of course!) by Christina Iverson, with the northwest corner being particularly tough. But the clues were fair and fun, making for an enjoyable solve. Deets inside, so we encourage you to download, listen up, and ... enjoy!

Show note imagery: A Phillie PHANATIC, limbering up before the big game

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