Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

You would expect that someone who has published 85 (!) NYTimes crosswords, including 31 Mondays, would craft a fine Monday puzzle, and your expectations would be met and then some. Zhouqin Burnikel has produced a picture-perfect Monday, with a lemon meringue of a theme and some awesome clues. Some that did not make into the podcast include 49D, Sound asleep?, SNORE (😀); 36D, "Sounds like a plan!", LETS (😀 😀); and clearly the greatest song of all time, anywhere, 10D, 1963 Kingsmen hit with a repetitive title, LOUIELOUIE (😀 😀 😀). Nice work, Zhouqin!Show note imagery: Daniel R. Day, aka DAPPERDAN, the "Godfather of Hip-Hop Fashion".Show note videography: Speaking of mondegreens, what may be LOUIELOUIE, by the Kingsmen 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This marks Sam Brody's fourth NYTimes crossword, and we found it quite appealing. The theme was suitably punny, and we learned oodles. For instance, we now know 40D, Bum, CADGE, Mike can now speak knowledgeably about 95A, Fiber also known as viscose, RAYON; and both cohosts can now confidently spell 31A, Water nymphs of Greek myth, NYIAD ... no, half a mo, NIAID, no ... come back tomorrow, we'll have it figured out by then. 😀 😀 Show note imagery: Some dizzying OPART!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a challenging Saturday crossword, requiring that both cohosts really put their backs into it — which, since we are talking about crosswords, involves moving hardly a millimeter while staring at their screens with an intensity that could melt untreated glass (fortunately, their computers come with Apple's optional "stare resistant coating" 😁).The crossword represents Blake Sonecker's sixth Saturday opus. We thought the clues were great, greatly deceiving, and a lot of fun — definitely worth a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Check out today's podcast for the full 411.Show note imagery: Japan's kitchen, aka OsakaWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Zhou Zhang is gradually working through the days of the week: this crossword marked her Friday debut. The only days on which she has not published are Tuesday and Saturday, but we expect those in short order.We also expect, based on prior experience, great cluing, and Zhou Zhang certainly does not disappoint here — every clue pulled its weight, and the puzzle as a whole was fabulous. Deets inside.Based on a Fan Mail note (thanks, Los Angeles Fan!), we have a Fun Fact Friday™️ segment on mondegreens. For even more mondegreens, check out Dr. Barber's slightly retro but very funny list.Show note imagery: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, playing Truman Capote in the one-man show Tru.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Killian Olson has put together a very crunchy Thursday crossword for your puzzle-solving pleasure. We found it to be quite the workout. The theme was dazzling, with lots of bamboozlement throughout the grid. Killian (as reported in xwordinfo.com) identified several clues that he was particularly proud of: 31A, Dessert often eaten before the ides of March, PIE (delicious!); 73A, Last term in a math lecture series?, NTH (definitely getting math vibes here...); and 40D, Casual gaming site?, SOFA (nice 'un!).Show note imagery: Megan Thee Stallion, bravely defying convention by wearing an orange dress on a red carpet.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This midweek crossword was short (well for some: YMMV) and sweet, with a theme that did a fine job of melding two of our favorite activities: cruising the web, and cruising NE Wisconsin. It also included some great clues, such as the historically helpful 30D, Tabard ___, locale in "The Canterbury Tales", INN (RIP: it burned down in in 1676); the wry and dry 48D, It's on the up and up, ASCENT 😀; and our favorite typographic embellishment, 22D, Little flourish on a letter, SERIF.Show note imagery: All that's left of the Tabard INN 😢🏨We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword, a debut (😃) by Wade Bednar, combined music and  dynasties — specifically Chinese dynasties — in an absolutely ingenious way. But Wade didn't slough off when it came to clues, either. Thanks to the wonders of HI* we can admire 56A, "Abso-freakin-lutely!", DOI; 25A, Lollygag, IDLE; and the best of the lot, 18D, Head of a noted animal rescue project, NOAH. 😀 😀 We also have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, translating bemusement into amusement since ... well, we're not really sure when we started them, but it's been a while!Show note imagery: When you eat at a restaurant, there's an exceedingly good chance that the food you're eating traveled on a SYSCO truck.*Human IntelligenceWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Nate Cardin's 8th NYTimes crossword was a quintessential Monday puzzle. For one thing, it didn't have QUINTESSENTIAL in the grid. This is not particularly surprising, though, because even though QUINTESSENTIAL is a common enough word, and shows up in, among other places, the XWord Info Word List, it has never appeared in the grid! Still, there's always tomorrow ...Apart from the missing QUINTESSENTIAL, today's puzzle was quite enjoyable, as we explore and expound upon in today's podcast.We have also chosen our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), so have a listen, and then let us know your thoughts!Show note imagery: The 1990s sitcom STEPBYSTEP, with a rather large cast of characters, evidentlyWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Making any Sunday crossword is definitely not easy. Making one with a two-high stack of grid spanning answers is amazing; and making one with 2 two-high stacks, in one puzzle, is so difficult that it has only happened 3 times in the history of the puzzle, including ... today. It is with a combination of awe and, well, more awe that we therefore doff our hats and yell huzzah in the general direction of Kansas City, MO, home of Erik Agard, for having accomplished this (almost, but not quite) impossible feat. Deets inside.Show note imagery: Tristan and ISOLDE (with an I!)We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Kameron Austin Collins' 20th Saturday NYTimes crossword, and his name at the top of the marquee is pretty much an ironclad guarantee that we're in for a good time. We laughed, we learned, and ... we were grateful that the esteemed KAC didn't turn up the crossword-difficulty level to 11, something that he is wont to do. Besides the crossword we have some exciting Fan Mail audio, setting us straight on the mondegreen lurking in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Check it out!Show note imagery: That shoe — which for all the world looks like it is grinning at us — is not just any shoe, it's a DANSKO 😃We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This is Jesse Cohn's fourth Friday NYTimes crossword, and it checks all the right boxes:Tough, but not soul-crushing ✅Educational ✅Highly entertaining ✅So, it's definitely in the running for this week's JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award). The suspense builds! 😀 In other news, we have a fascinating fun fact for Fun Fact Friday™️: have a listen and be prepared to be amazed/educated/entertained.Show note imagery: The Opportunity ROVER's self-portraitWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's podcast title — we promise! — will seem quite droll, even, dare we say it, chuckleworthy,  once you've sussed out today's theme. We won't say any more about that here, but invite you to have a listen as we explore Dena Verkuil and John Kugelman's latest oeuvre.Show note imagery: The Farm, by Joan Miró — winner of the Guggenheim International Award and clearly master of the surrealWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

If you took a look at this crossword and decided that it's time to split, we commend you on your choice of metaphor. Daniel Bodily has constructed a puzzle that pays homage to, and yet goes beyond, one crafted by Joel Fagliano way back in the "carefree" days of 2020. It was apparently a beast to construct, but clearly worth the effort, as we discuss in today's podcast.Show note imagery: George BOOLE, creator of Boolean Algebra, without which pretty much every single shiny gadget you own would not work 😱We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

If you like weddings, have at least a passing knowledge of Indian words, and enjoy puns, then you should find today's crossword theme quite satisfying (as was the case for both cohosts). The rest of the grid also held some delights: 58D, Battery for a mouse, AAA (ah, that kind of mouse); 55D, Where Anheuser-Busch is "BUD", NYSE (informal and instructive, very nice); and 14A, So-called "servebot" in tennis, essentially, ACER (just as long as the servebot isn't powered by AI 😉🤖)In honor of Tuesday, we have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, and today Jean demonstrates her commanding knowledge of ... everything 😀  Show note imagery: An enrobed OREO 😀 🍪We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Willa Angel Chen Miller's crosswords normally show up on Friday, so we were slightly concerned to see her name here on Monday, but she has done an excellent job, with some straightforward but well-crafted clues. Besides those mentioned in the podcast, we have 43D, Rewards for excellent employees, RAISES; 7D, Eve's man, ADAM; and something we're all familiar with here in NE Wisconsin (although fortunately not at this exact moment), 63A, Winter forecast, SNOW. ❄️We've picked our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), and while there were many (well, 7 to be precise) to choose from, this one just cried out for recognition, so there it is.Finally, we have some fabulous listener mail, eh. 😉Show note imagery: The inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh, Winnie (l), with his owner, Harry Colebourn (r).We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was an awesome Sunday crossword by Ralph Sharaga (a debut for him) and veteran constructor Doug Peterson (this is his 61st!). The theme was absolutely hysterical, and the rest of the grid glistened with guffaw-inducing clues. Among our favorites were: 14D, Race prior to a race?, REV (delightful); 97A, Safari destinations?, URLS (ha!); and we enjoyed the 180° change of tone in 47D, Opposite of "You'll pay for that!"?, ONME.Show note imagery: MAE Jemison, the first black astronaut in space, looking fly!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Saturdays are typically the most challenging crosswords of the week, and today's was a splendid mental workout, with some absolutely stellar clues, including 33A, Field whose prospect are looking up?, ASTRONOMY 😉. Jean found the crossword to be a challenge, and Mike's egregious unfamiliarity with "Days of Our Lives" actresses definitely pushed him to his limit. In short, both agreed that Zachary David Levy's debut Saturday crossword was abfab, worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.Show note imagery: SUSANLUCCI, winning her first Best Actress Emmy on her 19th nomination, after 18 consecutive losses.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Rafael Musa was in his element today — over 50% of his crosswords have appeared on Friday. We were therefore unsurprisingly KEENON on today's effort, which featured a bevy of fine clues that left us ALLSMILES. Deets inside.Our Fun Fact Friday™️ segment involves one of the world's most popular textile patterns. To keep up the suspense, we won't tell you what it is right now, but we do get AROUND to it in today's episode. 😉Show note imagery: If today's image seems cryptic, we would like to draw your attention to a word that we'd never seen before today, 35D, Formal pause in a line of poetry, CAESURA We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a fine Thursday crossword by Joel Woodford, with a nifty theme that was surprising, entertaining, and — bonus! — gave us a chance to use "nifty" in a sentence. Our favorite clues included 22A, It may be padded or slapped, KNEE (🤔); 66D, It might be left hanging, ART (😀); and 23A, Do you read me?, NOVEL (😂). There were definitely more, check out today's episode for the very best-of-the-best.Show note imagery:  ERMA Franklin, Aretha's sister and a brilliant singer in her own right.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

If you find the aroma of fresh popcorn wafting from the grid, that means you've really gotten into the spirit of this absolutely endearing crossword by Rebecca Goldstein*. It had everything that we want to see in a Wednesday crossword: a highly ingenious theme, clues that make you sweat, and a terrific payoff. This undoubtedly deserves 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, for reasons described herein.On a logistical note, we are going to be taking the next few days off for some R&R. If you haven't already subscribed to this podcast, this would be a great time to do so, so that when we come back — next Thursday — you can pick up where you left off.Show note imagery: Nope, those definitely aren't Betty Davis eyes ... more like Devon Rex eyes.----------------------------------------------------* or, there is a remote chance that your computer is on fire, in which case you should seek IT help immediately 😀We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a superlative Tuesday crossword, thanks to some really sparkling clues. The theme — which we discuss extensively in today's episode — is the icing on the cake, but we found numerous other gems in the grid. The "Most-Fun-Clue" award goes to 62A, Things assayers assay, ORES; the "Most-Fun-Answer" award has to go to 17A, "Easy-peasy!", BADABINGBADABOOM 😀; and the "Most-Intriguing-Clue" award surely belongs to 6D, Japanese city that's home to the Chinese Sofukuji Temple, NAGASAKI.As tradition dictates, we have in addition to our usual crossword analysis another Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, with Mike in the hot seat this time around. Did he manage to elude the banana peel, or did he do a verbal pratfall on his way to ignominious failure? Today's episode has all the answers.Show note imagery: The astonishing Chinese Sofukuji Temple, built in 1629 (but you  wouldn't know it!)We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

It is our suspicion that Eric Rollfing, author of today's fine crossword, probably solves every NYTimes Connections puzzle without any mistakes, because he seems to be quite adept at identifying commonality among highly disparate items. This is not the first time he's used this approach, but it's always novel and fun to get two puzzles for the price of one.Besides the crossword, we've picked our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), another irresistible masterpiece by ... nope, no spoilers! Check out the podcast to find out if your favorite got the nod.Show note imagery: This is not your grandfather's GLEE club. Oh, wait, maybe it is ... 😉We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

In February, Michael Lieberman and Rebecca Goldstein collaborated on a Sunday crossword with answers that refused to stay confined to running horizontally or vertically. Well, Michael is back with another impressive, non-linear theme.  We have the full analysis inside, as well as a timely bit of listener mail explaining a clue that we wrestled with yesterday. Enjoy!Show note imagery: An Olympian participating in the 2024 Paris Canoe/Kayak SlalomWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a crunchy Saturday crossword, ideal for those looking for a strenuous mental workout. As is always the case on Saturdays, today's puzzle was themeless and a lot of fun. We smiled our way through 57A, What might add a bit of flavor to a salsa?, BONGO; celebrated the debut of 33D, Actor who plays the title role on TV's "Andor", DIEGOLUNA; and groaned slightly upon solving 4D, Super man?, MARIO.This marks Ryan Judge's 7th NYTimes crossword: hopefully puzzle # 8 is already in the hopper.Show note imagery: Gustav Klimt's THEKISSWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword — a debut by Coz Berlin — was noteworthy for what it lacked: to wit, black squares. There were some, to be sure: but the grid contained of 9 15-letter answers (divided up into 3 sets of 3). It made for a daunting Friday puzzle. Deets inside.In addition to the crossword, we also have a fascinating Fun Fact Friday™️ segment on poetry slams. All that, and more, is as close as your download button, which we genuinely hope you will be tapping/clicking on ... right now.Show note imagery: DRDOOM, in the ... flesh?We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Zhou Zhang and Mallory Montgomery have teamed up, once again, to create their third Thursday crossword, and they keep getting better with age/practice. The theme was endearingly quirky, and the clues were definitely Thursday-worthy. As representative examples, regard 33A, Little dipper?, TOE 😀; 47D, Steamy occasion, SPADAY (ah, that kind of steam!); and 13D, Dub ... or rub, ANOINT (ah, we get the ANOINT, er, POINT 😀).Show note imagery: The old city of SANAA, Yemen's capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was an excellent mid-week crossword by Johnathan Raksin and Jeff Chen. The theme was a hoot, and the rest of the clues were of similar high quality. A few that stood out included 26D, Some comfy kicks, MOCS ([embarrassingly-obvious pun redacted]); 9D, Botheration, ADO (we're getting distinct Winnie-the-Pooh vibes here); and 30D, Mork's planet on an old sitcom, ORK (ah, the classics!).Show note imagery: The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, in the UAEShow note videography: A Rubik's cube being solved in 2.76s (don't blink!)We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a collaborative debut by Gus Bloxham and Bharati Hemmady, and it was an auspicious start to what we hope will be a succession of great crosswords. We were amused by 43D, Unlike the direction of this clue's answer, ACROSS; impressed with how frequently we've seen 6D, Singer with the best-selling album "21", ADELE (for the record, 329x); and happy to be reminded of 65A, Mo. with International Talk Like a Pirate Day, SEP. Arrrrr, shiver our timbers!Show note imagery: Curiosity, still telecommuting to work every day, from Mars, after 14 years!!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Lynn Lempel, aka the Queen of Monday Crosswords, is back at it, with a fine puzzle (her 105th!) and her trademark Very Clever Theme™️. It is just a perfect crossword for new solvers, but it's got enough going on to keep veterans entertained as well. Deets inside!Show note imagery: The Jackson home of renowned civil rights activist MEDGAR Evers, now known as the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

It is rare that a constructor debuts on a Sunday, but Collin Drown, a PhD student at Virginia Commonwealth University — go Rodney the Ram! ... really, that's the VCU mascot — has pulled it off, and in fine style. The theme was quite wry, with just the right amount of punpernickel™️, and the supporting cast of clues was definitely up to the task. We have the full 411 inside, as well as a very nice bit of listener mail for your enjoyment, so, ... enjoy!Show note imagery: The North ARAL Sea, before the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea got to workWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Jim Quinlan's third NYTimes crossword didn't peg the Crossword Difficuilty Meter, but it did break our Quality Of Clues Meter, it was that good.  We covered the best of the best in today's episode, but the rest of the rest were fine too. For instance, we enjoyed 29A, Offering at a BBQ joint, BIB (not RIB!); 33A, Title seen in a tea caddy, EARL (not TAZO); and 48A, Metaphorical beginning or ending, ASHES (deep, very deep). Show note imagery: The SAVANNAHBANANAS — not just a team, it's an entire league!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a fine Friday crossword by Willa Angel Chen Miller, an elegantly symmetric grid with some rather crafty and novel clues (as one would expect and hope for). Curiously, our cohosts, working independently as is their wont, had diametrically opposite experiences tackling today's puzzle. Jean found the top part difficult, making more progress in the south, first; Mike tore through the northern half, and then hit the proverbial brick wall once south of the equator. Fortunately, both were eventually able to get to the happy music, whose sweetness has been scientifically proven to be proportional to the difficulty of the crossword.In addition to our stroll through the grid, we also have a Fun Fact Friday™️ segment on everyone's favorite Scandinavian saint. Enjoy!Show note imagery: Nidarosdomen, the final resting place of Saint OlavWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Both cohosts found today's crossword — a father-son effort by Brad and Nat Wiegmann — to be extra crunchy, partially due to the theme, but also abetted by a number of diabolical word traps and sinister spelling snares deployed artfully about the grid. We have, of course, all the deets inside, so we encourage you to have a download, have a listen, and then let us know your thoughts on today's puzzle.Show note imagery: An IGUANODON, absolutely incensed about his dental billWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Mason Hyunjin Lee's first ever NYTimes crossword, especially impressive since he's still in high school! Here's hoping his English teacher gives bonus points, he deserves it. We recommend 1 bonus point for 23A, Low-quality synthetic images, informally, AISLOP; 2 bonus points for 66A, Mother of a stable family?, MARE (ha!); and — we're in a generous mood — a whopping 4 bonus points for 28D, "Sleep is like a ___: It only comes to you if you ignore it": Gillian Flynn, CAT. Well done, Mason!!Show note imagery: Tarsiers, who feel some weird compulsion to always vote AYE when asked for their opinion 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

If Brad Lively's name sounds familiar, that's because he's published a whopping 4 crosswords this year, including today's. We are grateful for that, of course, as his crosswords in general are very nicely constructed, and today's is perfect Tuesday fare. Deets inside.In addition to our exploration of today's puzzle, we have another thrilling Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!Show note imagery: Need a vaCATIOn from your cat? Put it in a CATIO 😀 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a pleasing Monday crossword, with a straightforward, amusing theme, and clues unlikely to generate too many BLANKSTARES. It was penned by Alex Eaton-Salners, who rarely does Monday crosswords — but when he does, he does them well, today's being a case in point.Besides the crossword, we've identified our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword of The Week Award) winner, so if that's you, drop us a line and prepare to be inundated with the very finest in NE WI swag 😀 Show note imagery:  Chappell ROAN and her producer / collaborator Dan Nigro, getting ready to record something magicalWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Apparently Rich Katz had a few fireworks left over from yesterday, and managed to slip them into today's puzzle: it  just sizzles with creativity, and will have you ooh-ing and ah-ing on the way to the happy music. The theme was particularly inspired, but the rest of the grid was also top notch. We liked 57A, Enforcer of traveling restrictions, informally? , NBAREF (nice!); we also were taken with 96A, Org. concerned with plants, OSHA (oh, those kinds of plants 😀); and we especially liked the directness of 99D, Like some cars parked next to "No Parking" signs, TOWED (indeed!).Show note imagery: The old (but still the best!!!) logo of ARSENAL, a powerhouse in English footballWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Kareem Ayas has returned and brought along an excellent crossword to help us celebrate the Fourth. The clues were delightful, each precisely engineered to perplex, educate, and entertain. They succeeded, in grand style.We have the full 411 inside, so have a listen, and then head out and watch some fireworks!Show note imagery: A TELEX, rare in these parts.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Barbara Lin is a highly versatile constructor — she has made crosswords for every day of the week, and this is her second Friday creation.The grid had a daunting amount of white space in it, with 4 grid-spanning answers. Fortunately, the clues went easy on the pop culture references and both cohosts — solving independently as is their wont — were able to get through the puzzle without too many naticks.The clues themselves were excellent. Few could resist 8D, Essayist who wrote "Not many sounds in life, and I include all urban and all rural sounds, exceed in interest a knock at the door", ELIA. We wager that only the most dour would frown at 28D, Pros in Washington, YEAS. And only the most jaded would be unimpressed with 34A, Makes a return that hits the net?, EFILES.In addition to the crossword, we have a Fun Fact Friday™️ segment for your listening pleasure, and an exceptional piece of listener mail. Enjoy!Show note imagery: On the left, TEMPERA; on the right, TEMPURA. Whatever you do, do not confuse the two: painting with TEMPURA could be highly problematic 😉🎨We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was all about US history — specifically, the Declaration of Independence. David J. Kahn, in his 192nd NYTimes publication (!!!) has outdone himself, ingeniously inserting all 13 colonies into the grid, rebus-style. It was a MAgnificent piece of work, we were both surpRIsed and DElighted. DEets inside!Show note imagery: JohNHaNCock's John Hancock.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was a marvel of clever crossword construction, and a hoot to boot — practically guaranteed to put a smile on your face, make your jaw drop, or possibly both, simultaneously. In short, Jeffrey Martinovic has outdone himself, and we are the better for it. We have the full 411 inside, so have a listen, and let us know what you thought of today's puzzle.Show note imagery: Our nearest stellar neighbor, SOL, which we can thank for the recent heat waves, as well as the fact that we as a species are alive to gripe about the heat waves. 😉We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Congratulations to John Liber, for getting his very first crossword published in the NYTimes! It was a fine effort, with a phonetically phunny theme, and several surprising clues. For instance, do you know what a "river horse" is? An old-timey word for "making angry"? Or two calls that hogs are almost guaranteed to ignore? After listening to today's podcast and/or working on today's crossword, you will!We also have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your edification, during which time Jean demonstrates an almost Houdini-like power to wriggle out of  several streak-breaking traps.Show note imagery: Sir, we're gonna need to see a license: hop to it! 🙄We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword marks the first collaboration between Ginny Too and Rajeswari Rajamani, and it turned out rather nicely, with theme answers that were almost as much fun to say as they were to solve. We have the deets inside. In addition, we have painstakingly selected our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) winner for the week, so check it out now and — if you're the winner — get ready to receive a boatload of NE WI swag!Show note imagery: The Ramones, at the legendary CBGBWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was by veteran constructors Rebecca Goldstein and Christina Iverson, both of whom are unequivocally 30A, Mentally agile, CLEVER. For instance, we had the very fine 97A, Time to give up?, LENT (ha!); the dissing equivalent of a stiletto, 82D, "You had one ___!", JOB!; and the surprising 49D, "Keep dreaming", HECKNO. TL;DR, this was a super Sunday diversion — five squares on the JAMCR scale.Show note imagery: Inside the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, CA.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a fine Saturday crossword by Adrian Johnson. There were no daunting, grid-spanning answers, and it was not the most difficult Saturday we've seen, but the clues were sufficiently cryptic to make for an entertaining solve. We needed the crosses to figure out 17A, Kitchen project with minimal cleanup, ONEPOTMEAL; likewise with 7D, Persian poet who wrote the "Masnavi", RUMI; and only one of our cohosts (hint: not Mike) knew 58D, Super Bowl X M.V.P. ___ Swan, LYNN.All in all, another excellent piece of work from Adrian Johnson.Show note imagery: Beware The LEGOBATMAN!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Although Spencer Leach's second Friday NYTimes crossword was 15x15, it seemed larger, somehow — not because EXTRALARGE made its way into the grid, but because it was brimming with abfab clues.  We were delighted by 30D, Chess tactic in which the king and queen are attacked simultaneously by a single piece, ROYALFORK; snookered (again) by 17D, Places to go in the U.K., LOOS; and reminded of how time flies by 48D, Smartphone predecessors, for short, PDAS (what are those again??).In addition to the crossword, we have a fine fun fact for Fun Fact Friday, so be sure to listen for that!Show note imagery: Technically speaking, those are LEGO bricks, not merely LEGOS — according to LEGO, who ought to know! 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Tarun Krishnamurthy's fourth and — based on the day of the week — most challenging NYTimes crossword to date. We thought the theme was inspired, and there was a laudable sparkle to the rest of the clues, punctuated with just the right number of bad puns. We give it a full and richly-deserved 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.Show note imagery: The famed caravel NINAWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Kevin Curry and Zhang Zhou are collaborating again — this is their third pairing — and the world is a better place for it. We have them to thank for our knowledge of Pinkglow pineapples and GloFish (6A, the answer to which was GMOS); the astonishing revelation that 34A, Band whose spelled-out name translates to "Bulletproof Boy Scouts", was BTS; and the inspiration for a great Ponzi scheme pun, 65A, Citrus-based sauce in Japanese cuisine, PONZU. Show note imagery: Permission to dance? Granted, Bulletproof Boy Scouts !**aka BTSWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Kathy Bloomer's fifth NYTimes crossword since 2018, and it was splendid — ideal Tuesday fare. The theme was ... ingenious (the quality control at the NYTimes when it comes to themes is simply staggering); and the rest of the grid was educational and entertaining. We had no idea  about 43A, Notable features of the Charleston, S.C., skyline, STEEPLES; pondered the current whereabouts of 38D, Comet discovered in 1995, HALEBOPP; and were seized with a sudden urge to seek out 53D, "Hyde and ___" (1955 Bugs Bunny short), HARE.Show note imagery: Charleston, S.C., STEEPLES and all.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Victoria Fernandez Grande's second NYTimes crossword, and her first came just 2 months ago, so she is off to an impressive start! Monday crosswords are designed to be the easiest crosswords of the week, but that doesn't imply drab cluing, not on Will Shortz's watch! A surprise to us was 71A, Actions at the Bellagio or Encore, BETS; another shocker was 28D, Group whose "Gold: Greatest Hits" is the second-best-selling album in U.K. history, ABBA (wait, what??); and we were delighted to discover one of our favorite recent enhancements to our favorite language, aka English, 51D, Little specifics, in slang, DEETS.Show note imagery: TIM Cook, arguably the world's greatest supply-chain wrangler 😀 We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected], we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!