
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.
Episodes
1750 episodes
Monday, June 30, 2025 -- All hail the Mighty Mighty Bosstones! ππΊ
This was a delightful Monday crossword, thanks to the hardworking team of Dena R. Verkuil and Andrea Carla Michaels (abetted, no doubt, by the mighty mighty Will Shortz). The them...
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Season 13
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Episode 46
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10:06

Sunday, June 29, 2025 - Wheels within wheels ...
Once again an NYTimes contributor -- today, that would be Mike Hobin -- has created a theme that will make you want to cheer, doff your hat, and applaud (although not simultaneously, for obvious reasons): it deserves that much pra...
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Season 13
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Episode 45
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15:55

Saturday, June 28, 2025 - A deliciously devious Saturday crossword!
This was Jesse Guzman's third NYTimes crossword, and with quality this good it's no surprise that the publication of his fourth NYTimes crossword is imminent. There was n...
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Season 13
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Episode 44
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15:20

Friday, June 27, 2025 - Carolyn Davies Lynch ACES her OPUS
Today's crossword marks Carolyn Davies Lynch's third NYTimes crossword, and she just keeps getting better and better. This had some great clues, including 9D, It's not observed in...
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Season 13
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Episode 43
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15:59

Thursday, June 26, 2025 - Must you be leaving SASSON? π
Simeon Seigel is definitely on a tear, this marks his fourth NYTimes crossword this year, and his second in under a month. Quality isn't suffering at all, though, as today's puzzle
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Season 13
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Episode 42
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17:21

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 - Yet *another* SOCKDOLAGER of a crossword!
This was a surprising crossword, in a number of ways that we will not enumerate here, but dive into in depth in today's episode. There were too many great clues to squeeze into th...
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Season 13
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Episode 41
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17:23

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - π΅ You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, ASSAI is just ASSAI πΆ π
This was an impressive debut crossword by Ingrid Steffensen. The theme definitely and deservedly takes center stage, and the rest of the clues were at exactly the right level of d...
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Season 13
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Episode 40
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16:11

Monday, June 23, 2025 - You! Will! Like! This! Crossword! π
For those of you pondering the title of today's episode, fear not: all, well, nearly all, will be revealed in today's podcast, covering Zhouqin Burnikel's 28th Monday crosswo...
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Season 13
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Episode 39
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4:59

Sunday, June 22, 2025 - The only podcast crafted with the sockdolager in mind
To paraphrase Yoda, the pun is strong in this one, a crossword by the mother and daughter team of Ruth B. Margolin and Hannah Margolin, the latter whose impending marriage inspired the aforementioned puns. So, congrats to the Margoli team for t...
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Season 13
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Episode 38
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14:01

Saturday, June 21, 2025 - Christina Iverson & Doug Peterson pull out *all* the stops!
This was a quintessential NYTimes Saturday crossword - tough, fair, and fun. It was constructed by two veteran crossword constructors -- Christina Iverson and Doug Peterson -- who...
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Season 13
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Episode 37
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17:43

Friday, June 20, 2025 - Happy Solstice Day!
This was a pleasing Friday crossword - the grid looked daunting, and the clues were definitely on the hard side (Mike in particular wallowed in the bottom third of the grid), but ...
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Season 13
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Episode 36
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15:17

Thursday, June 19, 2025 - Happy Juneteenth!!
The NYTimes crosswords are always good, but this one stands alone, definitely worth a chef's kiss and even possibly a hug -- it was that exceptional. The theme was stupen...
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Season 13
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Episode 35
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19:12

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - Eli Cotham cranks it up!
Although this was a Wednesday crossword, some seriously Friday-level clueing did manage to make its way into the grid. Jean had to exert considerable mental effort, and Mike...
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Season 13
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Episode 34
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13:37

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 - The only thing messy about today's crossword was... MESSY
This was Tarun Krishnamurthy's second NYTimes crossword. It was just as good as his first, and considering that he wrote it while still in high school, we can anticipate him const...
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Season 13
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Episode 33
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15:27

Monday, June 16, 2025 - A not-at-all LOOPY Monday crossword
This was the second crossword and collaboration between Jill Rataloff and Michelle Sontarp. Both are lawyers, and while they might be, and it would be awesome if they were, partne...
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Season 13
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Episode 32
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13:32

Saturday, June 14, 2025 - Medic!
This was yet another highly challenging NYTimes crossword, but, since it was a Saturday, we were not surprised in the least. [Truthfully, we thought that maybe W...
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Season 13
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Episode 31
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17:51

Friday, June 13, 2025 - Evan Mulvihill delivers the goods!
Friday crosswords are supposed to be a challenge, and we can only imagine Evan Mulvihill cracking his knuckles while saying "I got this". And what we got out of the deal was this
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Season 13
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Episode 30
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14:49

Thursday, June 12, 2025 - Double, double, toil and trouble
It took just one teensy-weensy act to shift this crossword from nigh-well impossible to fun and eminently doable. Unfortunately, that act was to figure out the theme. If you k...
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Season 13
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Episode 29
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12:04

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 - Quick, get your shades, this is one *brilliant* Wednesday crossword!
If crosswords were paintings, today's would be hanging in the Louvre, it is that good. The theme is a winner, but the rest of the clues are magnificent. We're no...
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Season 13
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Episode 28
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13:06

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 - Was this a fine crossword? To quote 10D, YESREALLY!
Today's grid had a few surprising entries. One that in particular caught our eye, because it has never caught our eye, was 30A, Altar constellation, ARA. It is located in...
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Season 13
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Episode 27
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15:07

Monday, June 9, 2025 - Expect the unexpected!
Even if you do expect the unexpected, we predict that you'll still laugh when you figure out today's crossword, as the theme is delightful. Note that if you do not figure ...
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Season 13
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Episode 26
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13:40

Sunday, June 8, 2025 - An eerily attractive crossword grid π
This was John Kugelman's twelfth NYTimes crossword in about 2 years, and today's puzzle makes it clear why he keeps getting published. The theme was fantastic, and there were enoug...
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Season 13
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Episode 25
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20:54

Saturday, June 7, 2025 - SACRA bleu, this crossword was a BEAUT! π
Today's crossword was Blake Slonecker's 9th in the NYTimes, and his 4th Saturday, so he definitely knows how to write challenging clues. The grid here was impressive, with 4 full-width and 4 full-height answers -- no easy feat. And the clues we...
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Season 13
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Episode 24
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12:40

Friday, June 6, 2025 - A perfect Friday crossword
What, you may ask, makes for a perfect Friday crossword? We're not sure about the what, but we are about the who: Adrian Johnson, the author of today's and 5 prio...
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Season 13
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Episode 23
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19:14

Thursday, June 5, 2025 - 1 debut author, 3 debut answers, an βΎοΈ amount of solving satisfaction π
This crossword had a most ingenious theme. Jean spotted it at once, enabling her to solve the puzzle in a goodly time; Mike, alas, solved it in a not-so-goodly time, meaning he had...
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Season 13
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Episode 22
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18:35
