There was art in today's grid -- specifically at 29A, "The most beautiful deception of all," per Debussy, ART, and more generally, everywhere else; because only the most artful of crosswords make their way into the hallowed NYTimes crossword pantheon. Beyond the brilliant themed answers (discussed at length in today's episode), a few examples of the authors' craft are on display at 12D, Try again, REHEAR (nice one!); 5D, Smallest three-syllable number, ELEVEN (huh!);  and 53A, Best way to sing, INTUNE (🎶).

Show note imagery: FBI Quantico, home of the FBILAB

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This was Rena Cohen's first Tuesday crossword, and like the other three that she has constructed for the NYTimes, it was excellent: a brilliant theme and a constellation of ingenious clues made the whole puzzle shine. It's definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, and if you're still skeptical, today's episode will surely put those qualms to rest.

Show note imagery: The infamous EDSEL, in all its turquoise glory

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This was a fun, fast, frothy Monday crossword. It would be a great crossword to solve with the young'uns, for reasons that will become evident as you listen to today's episode.

Also, as presaged in yesterday's episode, we do indeed have a Joke for your consideration. It might not leave you ROTFL, but hopefully it will at least make you TYCS (Tip Your Chair Slightly).

Show note imagery: Erykah Badu, queen of NEOSOUL

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Today's crossword seemed (to at least one of our cohosts) to be slightly crunchier than the usual Sunday, thanks to clues like 3D, "Ci vediamo in giro!" , CIAO; 70A, Pauperism, so to speak, RAGS (um, ok);  and 61D, Arbiters of taste, CONNOISSEURS (or as they are known nowadays, influencers).  To be clear, we are not complaining: we like a little crunch in our cereal and our crossword grids, and today's puzzle had just the right amount.

Show note imagery: Groucho Marx - he didn't invent absurdist comedy, but he definitely perfected it.

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This was an excellent Saturday crossword -- with some Ginsu-knife-sharp cluing, and just a light dusting of pop culture references -- which is precisely the reason why it is now the latest winner of our JAMCOTWA (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award™️). Deets inside, so have a listen, and then tell all your friends and relations about us on social media.

Show note imagery: Parts of a violin, including the (non-amphibious, thankfully) FROG.

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Today's puzzle was a trifle easier than your typical Friday, which means -- by the Law of Conservation of Crossword Difficulty™️ -- you can expect tomorrow's crossword to be a morsel harder (on average, and of course YMMV depending on what you know and if you remember it). Regardless of the difficulty, though, we predict that it will be fun, challenging, and educational: tune in tomorrow to see if our prognostications are on the nose.

Show note imagery: The Cornbelt, visualized

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This marks Simeon Siegel's 17th crossword since 2020, and while he might not be OVERPROUD, it is most certainly something to celebrate. The theme was particularly NOteworthy, and, YES, we meant to write NO just NOw. Confused? Today's podcast will bring enlightenment, so we encourage you to step out of the darkness and into the light, so to speak, by listening to this episode.

Show note imagery: EVESDIARY, by Mark Twain

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Today's crossword was by award-winning crossword constructor Rebecca Goldstein and, if not award-winning, deserving-of-award crossword constructor Adam Wagner. Unsurprisingly, the result was ... award-winning, or at least worthy of 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, for reasons that we will let you discover (no spoilers here, nary a one!) by listening to today's episode.

Show note imagery: PERU, where the potatoes come from 😀 

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This was a nice Tuesday crossword by Joe Rodini, his second for the NYTimes. He's now been published on Monday and Tuesday, so ... 5 to go, Joe! Today's theme was a bit messy, but that's by design, as you'll discover when you check out today's episode. 

Of course, it's also Tuesday, and today Jean's in the hot seat for Triplet Tuesday; so keep listening to find out how she did, and see if you can do better (good luck!).

Show note imagery: HYDRA, a monster out of Greek mythology with a concerningly large number of heads.

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It is hard to believe that today marks the 500th appearance of OREO in the NYTimes crossword, but that's the word according to xwordinfo.com, and they oughta know! Now that might sound like Nabisco has architected one of the greatest product placement campaigns in the history of advertising. Truth be told, though, from the beginning of the NYTimes crossword up until 1993, OREO was always clued as a prefix for mountain; but it's been cookies or bust ever since Will Shortz took over the reins.

Show note imagery: Some Shetland ponies, on the SHETLANDISLANDS

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