Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

16:17

Friday, July 10, 2026 — Branzinos and Beavers and...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/11

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 e...

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17:53

Thursday, July 9, 2026 —Beware the IGUANODON (Greek...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/10

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 bill We love feedback! S...

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13:07

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — Holy Moley, It's Another...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/09

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, Ma...

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16:04

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — Wait, Didn't We Just See This...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/08

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 feed...

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15:05

Monday, July 6, 2026 — Nothing DECREPIT about this...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/07

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 image...

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14:19

Sunday, July 5, 2026 — Set Pun Guns™️ to Stun!

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/06

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 like...

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12:04

Saturday, July 4, 2026 — 🎆 Happy Fourth!!!!🎇🎆

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/05

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, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we're o...

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16:41

Friday, July 3, 2026 — Happy Fourth Eve! 🎇

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/04

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 sou...

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16:46

Thursday, June 2, 2026 — Time to Brush Up On Your US...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/03

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, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also, we'r...

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13:25

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — Happy 🇨🇦 Day!

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/02

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 w...

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15:32

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 — Adios, June, It Was Good...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/07/01

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 demo...

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12:12

Monday, June 29, 2026 — One day you'll rue the day,...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/30

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 legen...

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15:23

Sunday, June 28, 2026 — Was This Crossword Bomb? Fer...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/29

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 Sa...

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9:57

Saturday, June 27, 2026 — TEETERS v. TOTTERS:...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/28

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 ex...

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17:48

Friday, June 26, 2026 — Beware the 😱 PANOPTICON 🫣

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/27

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 additi...

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14:36

Thursday, June 25, 2026 — Wanna swap?

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/26

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 NINA We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com. Also...

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12:11

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 — Alright, the Bulletproof...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/25

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? G...

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17:30

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 — A Crossword That Won't Leave...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/24

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, "H...

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11:21

Monday, June 22, 2026 — Leapin’ Lizards, This Was a...

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/23

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...

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17:40

Sunday, June 21, 2026 — Happy Summer Solstice!! 🌞

Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword ·

2026/06/22

This was a Sunday debut by Hannah Slovut, and a rather novel one. You could tell it was a debut since xwordinfo.com said so; you could tell it was novel because the grid had 27 rows and 17 columns (the standard grid is 21x21). The shape was perfectly appropriate, however, because the ingenious theme centered around giraffes, in celebration of WORLDGIRAFFEDAY. We're not quite sure what is the approved way of celebrating WGD, but we do hope it involves stilts. 😀 Show note imagery: Some ki...

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