Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword
A short, fun and occasionally not unintentionally educational podcast in which two fans of the New York Times crossword describe their puzzle-solving travails.
Thursday, June 18, 2026 — Scott Hogan Has Punned, er, Penned, an Excellent Crossword
Compared to yesterday's crossword, with its somewhat complex theme, today's was simultaneously both easier and harder. Easier in the sense that once you had enough crosses, you could probably suss out the answer — a fairly common phrase. Harder in the sense that without the crosses the chances of just rattling off the answer were pretty much zero. All in all, we found today's crossword to be a worthy Thursday puzzle, and by the power vested in us by, well, ourselves, bestow upon it a full 5 squares, on the JAMCR scale.
Show note imagery: The most noble of ga...
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — Pick a card, any card 🃎 🂫
There are themes, and then there are themes. Today's crossword was definitely a case of the latter, and it was combined with clues that were above average in difficulty. As a consequence, both cohosts had to really put their backs into it, so to speak, in their quest for the happy music. We have the full 411 inside, so have a listen!
Just a reminder that all of our show notes link to the solved puzzle on xwordinfo.com, a famous and fabulous site for all things related to the NYTimes crossword. Be sure and check...
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 — Hail ... Brittanium? 🤔
Brad Lively is on a tear: this is his second crossword in three weeks, not too shabby! The theme was hilarious, and the rest of the clues were perfect Tuesday fodder. We have the full 411 in today's podcast.
But wait, there's more! Since it is Tuesday, we have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, in which, once again, Jean demonstrates her almost superhuman cruciverbial powers.
Show note imagery: Lake ERIE, although it really isn't 🙄
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, cr...
Monday, June 15, 2026 — ASMR is back! — which, coincidentally, is where you might feel it 😉
Both cohosts found today's crossword to be slightly crunchier (read: harder) than usual for a Monday, but it was a joy to solve nonetheless (or perhaps because of that!). Deets inside.
We have selected our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) for the previous week, a most deserving bit of work with a dazzling, LOL, and irresistible theme.
Remember that solving the NYTimes Crossword on a daily basis is an excellent way to keep those axons and dendrites taut, and impress people at parties (we're not too sure which parties, exactly, other than...
Sunday, June 14, 2026 — Beware crosswords concealing cryptic cryptids 😀
This was a crunchier than usual Sunday crossword by a man who knows Sunday crosswords quite well — this is John Kugelman's 16th. The theme was very clever and likely a bear to construct, but the end result was a splendid challenge. In terms of difficulty, Sunday crosswords are often characterized as bigger Wednesdays, but this one feels more like a Thursday or even a Friday — you'll definitely need patience and your wits about you to get through this one!
Show note imagery: CONGEE, congealing 😀
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
Saturday, June 13, 2026 — The MWAHAHA v. BWAHAHA Debate Continues!
This was a highly entertaining Saturday crossword by Ryan McCarty, chockfull of tricky and entertaining clues. For instance, 33D, Is courting out of one's league, so to speak, DATESUP; as avowed Anglophiles we of course appreciated 19A, "Right?," in British lingo, INNIT; and we also appreciated the riddle embedded in 26A, Make it or break it, PAR. All told, we'll add one to Ryan McCarty's Super Saturday tally, and eagerly await his next puzzle.
In addition to the crossword, we have some excellent listener mail about perseverance (and more), so to check all of that out, download...
Friday, June 12, 2026 —A Quality Friday Crossword!
This was a quality Friday crossword by Amanda Winters, her second for the NYTimes. It was not hugely difficult by Friday standards, but the quality of the clues was first rate, and there was nary a hint of crosswordese anywhere in the grid. We approve, and give it 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.
In addition to the crossword, we are also having a sale on facts, so we have two fun facts for Fun Fact Friday — check 'em out!
Show note imagery: An elephant who always looks good in green, BABAR!
We love fe...
Thursday, June 11, 2026 — Alas, Poor ARAL Sea, We Barely Knew Ya!
Today's crossword was a debut by Nikhil Bailey, and an excellent one, fueled by an awesome theme (but no revealer: you'll have to work this one out on your own, or ... listen to today's episode).
Some other clues raised some intriguing questions:
What's the story behind 19D — Gillette Stadium team in the N.F.L., to fans, PATS?Is the food alluded to in 52D, Like blue lobsters, RARE, really a thing?; and Was 54D —"Mushy" side dish with fish and chips, PEAS — invented by a chef with anger management issues and a hammer?Inquiring minds ne...
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 — 🎶 NARITA, we just met an airport named ... NARITA 🙄🎶
This was a terrific Wednesday crossword, with an exceedingly well timed and executed theme, combined with some excellent cluing exsewhere, er, elsewhere. 😉
We learned about and now hope to visit 29D, Biltmore ___, America's largest privately owned home, ESTATE; we had similar sentiments about 37D, Madrid's ___ Sofía Museum, REINA, after learning that it is the home of Picasso's Guernica; and finally we are eager to take up the 19A, Tam-tam, e.g., GONG, and while we might not become experts at it, we do aspire to become one-note wonders. 🙄
Show note imagery: Guernica
We love...
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 — Rebecca Goldstein Is at the Helm, Brace for Extreme Wit and Whimsy 😀
Rebecca Goldstein is one of our favorite constructors, which is why we felt 56D, Utter delight, GLEE, upon seeing that she had authored today's puzzle. Some of that GLEE was a result of solving 45D, "Toodle-oo!", BYENOW; some may be ascribed to happy memories dredged up by 64A, Sound of a cartoon hit, BOINK; and the rest comes from that joyful, chortle-provoking theme, as described in today's episode.
Besides the crossword, we have another Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your entertainment and edification, and you will find that the results this week were 28A, Nearly unique, EXCEEDINGLYRARE.
Sh...
Monday, June 8, 2026 —Now, Where's That BELETE Key Gotten To? 😀
Today's crossword was excellent Monday fare. Most of the clues were written with new solvers in mind, as one would expect; but they were a lot of fun nonetheless, and constructor Tom McCoy had planted one or two traps for the unwary. Bravo!
In addition to the crossword, we have chosen our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) for the previous week, and our choice should surprise no-one. If it does, though, be sure and let us know!
Show note imagery: From Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, by Harold "HAL"...
Sunday, June 7, 2026 — A Rorschach Test of a Crossword 🤔
Today's crossword, a collaboration between veteran constructors Adam Wagner and Simeon Seigel, was relatively controversial: some solvers found it to be a splendid tour de force of modern crossword construction, others found it to be less splendid and more slog. Your cohosts are a case in point: but we will keep you briefly in suspense, dear listener, as to who felt what. (And as a meta-puzzle, see if you can suss that out prior to listening).
Show note imagery: "Here's lookin' at you, kid", a popular quote from the most quotable movie of all time.
...
Saturday, June 6, 2026 — 🎵 We Can See Clearly Now, the Black Squares Are Gone 😀 🎶
After just a cursory glance at today's crossword, your first reaction might be a pressing need to don sunglasses. That would be because of the grid, the most "wide open" grid ever in the NYTimes — as measured by the number of white squares that do not intersect a black square. The previous total had been 132, but constructor Daniel Bodily beat that handily with a score of 135. What's even more incredible is just how deliciously good (and hard!) the clues were, a definite masterpiece of modern cruciverbial art. Bravo, Daniel!!
Show note imagery: To quote Doc Brown, if yo...
Friday, June 5, 2026 — A Rigorous Friday Workout!
This was an exciting Friday crossword by Kelly Morenus, with a bevy of challenging clues. Just to give you a taste, we had 54A, "___ y plata" (Montana's motto), ORO; 46D, Pioneering civil rights activist ___ Arnold Hedgeman, ANNA; and one amusing gimme, 22A, Where 22-Across is, HERE 😀.
Show note imagery: As discussed in today's podcast, one shoe that definitely doesn't come in a size 9 😀
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.
Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel fre...
Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Look, up there in the sky, it's a REDACTED, it's a REDACTEDAGAIN!!, it's ... SUPEREGO! 😀 🙄
Once again the NYTimes crossword boffins have gone above and beyond to inject a little something extra into the grid, to aid the constructor. We had animation the other day, and today we have ... something that we'll let you hear about in today's podcast (whew! no spoiler alert necessary).
Besides the crossword, we also have some enlightening listener mail related to yesterday's puzzle, so be sure to check it all out, right here!
Show note imagery: A ski resort in Lillehammer, Norway, host of the 1994 Winter Olympics.
We love feedback! Send us a...
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 — Happy National Repeat Day! Happy National Repeat Day! Happy ... etc., etc. 😀
We do not know if this was planned or by chance, but today's crossword happens to be an ideal choice for National Repeat Day, which, we have been reliably assured, is a real thing.
While today's debut by Jiahe Men (woo-hoo!) was not overly difficult, grokking the theme did make solving it easier and more fun. We liked it a bunch, and therefore bestow upon it a meter-pegging 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. Deets inside.
Show note imagery: The Peqod, on full sail.
We love feedback! Send us a text...
...
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 —Another *brilliant* Tuesday theme, courtesy of Rich Katz
Rich Katz has scored again with a winning theme and a strong supporting cast of clues. We've covered most of those in the podcast, but we would also like to doff our hats in honor of the fun-to-say 31D, Sea sight in black and white, ORCA; the good-to-know 12D, About 8,100 square feet, for a baseball infield, AREA; and an even better-to-know-in-NE-Wisconsin, 52A, Wash with a glycol spray, as an airplane wing, DEICE.
In other news, it's Tuesday, and in today's Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, Jean's in the (very) hot seat.
Show note imagery: A mob of emus...
Monday, June 1, 2026 — A round of applause, if you please, for the CLAPOMETER 😀 👏
This was Kenneth Cortes' third NYTimes crossword, and it was splendid. The theme was memorable and unique, and there were some other gems among the rest of the clues. These include
a clue that has is making its second appearance in about two weeks, welcome back 42D, Shiba ___ (Japanese hunting dog), INU; a university that, alas, its namesake hasn't deigned to donate to, 50A, North Carolina university, ELON; the national drink of Puerto Rico, 43D, Piña ___, COLADA.There were more, and we have wall-to-wall coverage inside.
In addition, we have our JAMCOTWA pick for the w...
Sunday, May 31, 2026 — Goodbye, May, thanks for all the flowers!! 🪻🌹
Today's crossword was by Jeffrey Martinovic and Evan Park, students at Western University in London, Ontario (go, Mustangs!). It was inspired in part because at Jeffrey's high school they played the William Tell Overture before the school day commenced (very classy!). It was constructed as a result of months worth of brainstorming sessions, and all that effort really paid off. We loved it!
Show note imagery: John CENA, ACME's lawyer in Coyote vs. ACME, arriving in theaters August 28, 2026 — mark your calendars!!
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact In...
Saturday, May 30, 2026 — Pass another glass of PROSECCO, per fevore
Since this was Saturday, we expected a tough crossword, and Malaika Handa and Erik Agard did not disappoint. Some of the clues were straightforward-ish, but others were definitely not for the faint of heart. We salute the constructors for their ingenuity, and our K-12 teachers for reminding us that, one day, what we'd learn would help us finish an NYTimes crossword 😀 😀
Show note imagery: Osaka, on the island of HONSHU
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.
Friday, May 29, 2026 — A Brilliant Friday Crossword
Hemant Mehta is adept at writing challenging but highly entertaining Friday crosswords, and we cherish every one of the seven that he has constructed. Today's had some awesome clues, including 55A, Time of day either way, NOON (🌞); 52A, Fictional manufacturer of a Do-It Yourself Tornado Kit, ACME (🧨); and 8D, "Yowzers!", HOLYMOSES (🧺). There were more — of course — so check out today's podcast to hear all about 'em.
Show note imagery: Several CESARs, the "Oscars" of the French film industry.
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us...
Thursday, May 28, 2026 — John Kugelman is on a tear!
This marks John Kugelman's fifth NYTimes crossword of the year, and it's only May! The man is clearly the embodiment of prolific, but it's not just quantity, it's quality, as today's crossword clearly illustrates. We have all the deets inside, so have a listen, and don't forget to leave us a 5 star review on your favorite podcast app.
Show note imagery: The Houston Colt .45s (from 1962 to 1964: in 1965 they were rebranded as the Houston Astros)
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us...
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 — ROBOTSUMO, it's gonna be *big*!!
This was a clever mid-week crossword by Dario Salvucci. The theme was fun, there was just the right number of "huh, who knew?" clues for a Wednesday, and Dario deserves bonus points for throwing in one of our favorite words —Rapscallion — into the mix. Bravo!
Show note imagery: The Chrysler Building, which for 11 months reigned as the tallest building in the world.
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.
Also, we're on Face...
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 — Oh, c'mon, dismal science, cheer up! 😉
Today's crossword is by Brad Lively, who now has one crossword in each of the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday slots. We're placing our bets that his fourth crossword will be a Friday (but we have absolutely no inside knowledge, promise!). We found Brad's puzzle to be straightforward, but replete with several fascinating factoids that we detail in today's podcast (no spoilers here!).
In today's Triplet Tuesday segment, Mike's in the hot seat ... but not necessarily on fire 😉
Show note imagery: The Invisible Hand of the Free Market, something you'd definitely learn about while studying the dis...
Monday, May 25, 2026 — Today's crossword is *smoking* 🔥🔥
Timed just perfectly to match the mini-heatwave about to ravage NE Wisconsin (temperatures might get up to 90°F😱), Anthony V. Grubb has shown up with a crossword that is, in its own way, on fire — thanks to clues like 68A, Back of a car or front of an elephant, TRUNK (nice one!); 45D, Gimmicky routines, SCHTICKS (oy vey!); and the terrific 70A, Place of buzziness?, HIVE (BEEauty 😀).
Besides today's crossword, we also have our weekly JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) segment. Check it out to see if your favorite(s) won.
Show note ima...
Sunday, May 24, 2026 — Happy Memorial Day Eve!
David Steinberg is definitely a child prodigy when it comes to crosswords. His first NYTimes crossword was published in 2011, when he was (does some math) approximately 14 years old. Constructing any crossword is a challenge — constructing one, while a teen, that can get into the NYTimes ... is extraordinary. David didn't rest on his laurels, though: this is his 113th(!) NYTimes crossword.
Show note imagery: Some of the apps you might be using if you're ONTHEAPPS
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Dr...
Saturday, May 23, 2026 — Rejoice, it's another "Quasi-Impossible Saturday Spectacular" by Kameron Austin Collins
Kameron Austin Collins specializes in end-of-the-week-and-nigh-well-impossible crosswords. His talents are on full display today, a crossword with very few black squares, a lot of longish-answers, and a whole host of highly cryptic clues designed to obfuscate and bamboozle. We may need some time to recover before tackling our next KAC puzzle, but we look immensely forward to it whenever it shows up.
Show note imagery: The Gashlycrumb Tinies, by Edward GOREY
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud...
Friday, May 22, 2026 — Don't be a fool, mate, and succumb to the FOOLSMATE 🙄😀
This was Gene Louise De Vera's sixth NYTimes Crossword, and his Friday debut. Both cohosts found the clues to be quite lively — fun but not fraught, as far as streaks are concerned. Apart from those clues covered in the podcast, we would like to draw your attention to a very NYTime-ish sort of clue, 17D, Carnivora or Lagomorpha, ORDER; the retro 33A, "Neato!", OHCOOL; and the implicit spelling challenge wrapped into 51A, Philosopher William of _________, OCCAM.
Besides the crossword, we have a great Fun Fact Friday™️ segment for your enjoyment, so have a listen, and let us know w...
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 — Eighty years later, CLARA Bow is *still* showing up in the grid 🥰
This was a good mid-week crossword by Kathleen Duncan — her second for the NYTimes. We liked many of the clues in today's puzzle, but our favorites had to be 28D, Big to-do, HOOHA; the old-timey 63A, "Seems right," folksily, RECKONSO; and a debut, 38D, Epitome of slowness, MOLASSES.
Show note imagery: CLARA Bow, silent movie star in, among other works, Wings, which in 1929 won the very first Academy Award for Best Picture.
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@ic...
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — A Toast to a Most Noteworthy Crossword!
For those of you keeping track, Brad Wiegmann, author of today's very fine puzzle, has as of today published an NYTimes crossword every day of the week except ... Saturday! So, he's just one acceptance letter away from "hitting for the cycle", and we imagine that, at this very moment, Brad is trying to think up some dastardly difficult clues. In the meantime, the clues that he dreamt up for today's crossword were excellent — as you will hear in today's podcast.
Show note imagery: Behold, a PENTATONICSCALE
We love feedback! Send us a text...
...
Monday, May 18, 2026 —🎵 It's a Small World, After All 🎶
How she does it remains a mystery, but Rena Cohen has a definite knack for crafting wonderfully clever and gentle themes, embedded in a grid with some fine answers — today's crossword being an excellent case in point.
We were shocked by 54D, Marsupial often mistermed a "bear", KOALA (wait: you mean all those zoo signs are lying to us?!); inspired by the phlegmatic 46A, "___ Calm and Carry On", KEEP (yay, Britain!); and another useful factoid, 56D, There are 100 of these in every Scrabble game, TILES (and at least twice that many behind the sofa 😀).
Show note...
Sunday, May 17, 2026 — Eh, What's Up, Doc? 🐰😍
This was an excellent Sunday crossword by Derrick Niederman, a man who heretofore has only published on Sundays, a precedent that he laid down when he first started, in 1983!
The crossword was terrific, the theme novel, and there was a plethora of crunchier than usual clues. It made for a fun solve, and is therefore definitely in the running for tomorrow's JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword of the Week Award).
Show note imagery: Nope, definitely not PISMO Beach.
Show note URL: Ali Baba Bunny
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Caution: Today's Crossword May be Hazardous to Your Streak 😱😉
This was a highly challenging crossword by Byron Walden, each clue a masterpiece of misdirection, with a dash of obscurity thrown in for good measure. Both cohosts had to fight mightily for each answer in a grid that contained an incredible 13 debuts.
There were so many amazing clues that while we squeezed as many as we could into the podcast, we regretted having to omit 2A, They're hard to pull off, FEATS (wow!); 6D, Wind pipe?, CHIME (yikes!); and finally 31A, Capital of Greenland, NUUK (yowzer!).
tl;dr; a brilliant crossword that dances on the ed...
Friday May 15, 2026 — It was so quiet you could hear a NEEDLEDROP ... er, something like that 😀
This was Maddy Ziegler's second NYTimes crossword. Her first appeared on Saturday, so it will very interesting to see on what day her third (which, based on her second, we are sure is going to appear sooner or later) pops up. With absolutely no insider information, we're betting on another Saturday.
This was a pleasing Friday crossword — no theme to bedazzle, all the clues had to pull their weight, and they did so here. We had a debut at 31D, Dangerous ocean phenomenon, ROGUEWAVE; a blast from the past at 33A, MacMurray of "Double Indemnity", FRED; and the...
Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Ooh, mommy, this tastes UMAMI 🙄
While we didn't have too much difficulty with today's crossword, there were a few clues that made us pause and wonder. We were intrigued by 42D, Seven-stringed instrument that gave the guitar its name, KITHARA; awed by the memorable 11D, Prolifically posting about one's kids online, in a neologism, SHARENTING; and dutifully impressed by 4D, September to April, in the oyster industry, RMONTHS.
All in all, another fine crossword by Simeon Siegel.
Show note imagery: DRACO, an Athenian lawyer responsible for some highly draconian laws.
We love feedback! Send us a text...
<...Wednesday, May 13, 2026 — Kilauea, the sound you might make while plummeting into Kilauea 😀
Today's crossword — the second by Brian Keller — had a plethora of pleasing clues. We enjoyed 13D, Criminally good deal, STEAL; the on-the-nose 26D, Opposite of "nah", YEAH; and the somewhat Yoda-sounding 34D, Avoids injury, say, ISOK. The theme was, needless to say, fabulous. We have all the deets inside, so we cordially invite you to download, listen up, and ... enjoy!
Show note imagery: ANUBIS, the Jackal-headed Egyptian deity
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.
Also...
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 — We are seriously chuffed about today's crossword 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Today's crossword was an homage to "this sceptered isle", which just happens to be one of our favorite tourist destinations. In short, there's no way we can be unbiased, we loved this puzzle!
Other than the crossword, we have another Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your enjoyment, and Mike's performance was ... a surprise. To keep you in suspense, we won't reveal, at this juncture, whether it was a good surprise or a bad surprise — to ascertain that, you'll need to check out today's episode.
Finally, we wrap it up with some wonderful listener mail pertaining to YUTZ, P...
Monday, May 11, 2026 — Welcome to Vientiane, a must-see any time you're in the neighborhood
After the excitement of the last few days, we confess a certain pleasure in tackling a more laid-back crossword, one that did not require all neurons on deck, and what some might term an excessive amount of gnashing of teeth, to get the job done. We were anticipating that this might be the case, but appreciated the confirmation nonetheless. Hats off to Joel Woodford (this is his second NYTimes crossword) for an entertaining start to our puzzle-solving week.
Show note imagery: Vientiane, Laos!
We love feedback! Send us a text...
<...
Sunday, May 10, 2026 — Introducing the Renowned ADNOUN!! 😉
Today's crossword was — depending on which cohost you ask — a slightly crunchier than usual Sunday, or a puzzle just a shade less difficult than decrypting the Rosetta Stone in the dark while wearing gloves. Regardless, the puzzle could be solved, and the payoff was extraordinary, with the AHA! moment in the center of the grid being particularly epic. Deets inside.
Show note imagery: Feng Wang, playing an EHRU.
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:
We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.
Also...
Saturday, May 9, 2026 — Katie Hoody paints a masterpiece in words 😍
This was an awe-droppingly good Saturday crossword by Katie Hoody. Each clue, individually, is a work of art in miniature, and collectively, this crossword is simply a work of art. This was, make no mistake about it, a tough crossword: but it was fair, with little to no use of pop culture (Mike's nemesis), just inspiring plays on words.
This definitely, positively, pegs the meter on the JAMCR scale — a full 5 squares.
Show note imagery: AMYS, one of our favorite pizzas!
We love feedback! Send us a text...
Contact Info:...
