Advertise on podcast: Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

Today's crossword had some stellar clues — as we describe in today's episode — built around an absolutely gorgeous "super-symmetric" grid. For those of you not immersed in the esoterica of crossword construction, a super-symmetric grid has horizontal, vertical, and diagonal symmetry. You can see it, in all its glory, at xwordinfo.com Show note imagery: The seal of CAL, aka UC Berkeley, where 16 elements have been discovered. How did they do it? Why, it's elementary! 🙄 We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was an excellent and challenging Friday crossword by Katie Hoody, who is well known for her excellent and challenging (predominantly Saturday) puzzles. Today's might've been nominally on Friday, but both cohosts thought it was "Saturday-ready", with a sea of sneaky clues engineered to entrap the unwary.  Besides those mentioned in today's episode, we had clues like 26A, Band at a Jimmy Buffet concert?, LEI (wow!); 30A, With whom one pools pounds for quarters, FLATMATE (brilliant!!); and 52D, Remedy for deflation, PUMP (ha!). And, trust us, there was more where that came from! Deets inside. Show note imagery: Some always fashionable MARYJANES from litlookz.studio. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was an awesome bit of work by David J. Kahn, a highly accomplished crossword constructor who first published in the NYTimes in 1994. The puzzle in question was — depending on which cohost you talk to — either a tad on the challenging side, or staggeringly, breathtakingly difficult. Regardless, both loved it, for a multitude of reasons elaborated upon in today's episode. In addition to the crossword, we have a spot of excellent listener mail for your enjoyment, so ... enjoy! Show note imagery: Cosmic Runner, by Peter MAX We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Although your cohosts — currently sporting their higher-ed caps while writing this — are staunchly against grade inflation, they don't feel the slightest twinge of guilt at giving today's crossword an A+, as it was earned. Deets inside. Show note imagery: Tusky, mascot for the Utah Mammoth, an NHL team as of April 18, 2024. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today marks the NYTimes debut for crossword constructor David Falkowski, and a fine debut it is. The theme was smile-inducing, as were, come to think of it, the rest of the clues in today's puzzle. Nicely done, David! But wait, there's more! We have a Triplet Tuesday segment, and Jean's in the hot seat. Check out today's episode to see if she aced the test or went down in flames. Show note imagery: A GRANARY, engineered to keep out rats, pests, mold and the letter I. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Both cohosts found today's crossword to be a jot crunchier than the typical Monday fare in places. It started off almost comically easy, but then seemed to put up more resistance in the middle of the grid. We found it endearing, and the theme in particular quite amusing.  Besides the crossword, we have chosen our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), and we can say, with 100% confidence, that it was one of the crosswords of the previous week. 🙄 Check the episode for more detailed coverage. Show note imagery: Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, attempting to save the Earth (as Canadians are wont to do). We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today marks Peter Gorman's debut Sunday crossword. He has now published every day of the week except Friday and Saturday, but, based on how quickly he was able to get to 5 — his first crossword appeared in February of 2025 — we expect him to knock those out in short order.  In the meantime, we have this fine puzzle to savor, with a rebus-ish theme and lively cluing throughout. Nicely done, Peter! Show note imagery: LORELEI — the UNESCO World Heritage Site version, not the siren who lured sailors to their deaths. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Saturday crosswords are, by tradition — at least since Will Shortz took over as editor — the toughest puzzles of the week, and today's definitely qualified. Both cohosts had to labor mightily to get to the happy music, but the journey was a joyous one. There were many, many delightfully deceptive clues in today's puzzle, just as it should be. Deets inside. Show note imagery: The Netflix series CHEFSTABLE We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was a debut for Adam Shapiro — but it wasn't for a lack of trying. He has had 15 previous submissions to the NYTimes rejected, so today's puzzle is a monument to perseverance as well as crossword constructing excellence. An example of the latter may be seen in 39D, Holder of all the digits, from 1 to 0, KEYPAD (awesome!); 57A, Losing causes? DIETS (delectable!); and the astounding 17A, Mail-centric fiction, EPISTOLARYNOVEL (so that's how you spell it!). For the record, Jean found this puzzle much easier than Mike, but both agreed that it was a superb way to wrap up the work week. Show note imagery: Dracula, Bram Stoker's seminal EPISTOLARYNOVEL We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was an absolutely terrific debut by McKay Fritz, with another one of those delightful and, as expected, thoroughly unexpected themes that the NYTimes is legendary for.  We'll pause here momentarily to give everyone, including us, a chance to parse that last sentence. 😀  Besides the theme, we had clues such as 39D, Boom sticks?, TNT; 30D, Bubbles, e.g., ORBS; and, speaking of Ides, 32D, Political rival of Mark Antony, CICERO, to keep us entertained. Today's crossword was definitely worth 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, and we avidly await McKay Fritz's next puzzle! Show note imagery: The Maple Leaf Rag, in AFLAT. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword, by Jacob Stulberg, celebrated a scourge of modern civilization, a negative answer to the phrase made famous by Verizon — "Can you hear me now?". It made for a terrific (and possibly painful) theme, and is just one of the reasons that we are giving this crossword a full five squares on the JAMCR scale. Show note imagery: Beware the wrath of the mighty Battleship Missouri! We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

We would classify today's crossword as a tinge crunchier than usual, for a Tuesday. Certainly 57D, Ceremonial Maori dance, HAKA, did not leap to mind. Likewise 7D, Whole that's greater than the sum of its parts, from the German, GESTALT, was a great entry that has never appeared on a Tuesday prior to today. Even the more frequently spotted 69A, Jazz singer Sylvia, SYMS, tends to show up later in the week. Still, we're not complaining: the crossword was fine, and the theme surprising (in a good way!). In addition to the crossword, we have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment and some great tennis-related listener mail, all of which we hope will help you train your brain! Show note imagery: Ke Huy QUAN as Ouroboros, in the hit Marvel series Loki. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

While today's crossword did not have a Thanksgiving Day theme, it did have a theme for which we are thankful: one that was relatively straightforward but still quite amusing. This is unsurprising, as it comes from the pen (or app) of Zhouqin Burnikel, who has perfected, in our opinion, the Monday theme. Deets inside. Show note imagery: The Medusa of desserts: just looking at it might cause you to put on a few stone 😀  We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was a splendid work from an always entertaining constructor, aka Michael Lieberman.  The themed clues in particular appear engineered to put a smile on your face — if they don't, consult your plastic surgeon ASAP — and we would judge the difficulty level to be spot on for a Sunday. Bravo, Michael! Show note imagery: Dr. Christiaan Barnard, a pioneering cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first heart transplant in 1967. Show note videography: Heart, from the musical Damn Yankees We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a very entertaining and relatively straightforward Saturday crossword by David Levinson Wilk, arguably easier than Friday's — but, as always, YMMV depending on what's in your wheelhouse. Jean (in absentia but reporting from her crossword-conducive hideaway) found it to be a bit of tussle, whereas, surprisingly, Mike had only two places where he really needed to put his muse to work. Deets inside. Show note imagery: Yodel when you want a YODEL 😀  We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!