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
2037 episodes
Thursday, May 7, 2026 — Mayday, Mayday! Incoming SKUAs, 12 o'clock high!
Today's crossword — the product of two highly accomplished crossword constructors, John Guzzetta and Jeff Chen, and one world-renowned crossword editor, Will Shortz — is, in a word...
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 — Spring is in the Air ... and the Crossword!
A second constructor in a row is making their debut — today it is James Mattina, an internist in Montréal, who has delivered a lovely crossword that is guaranteed to grow on you — ...
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 — This crossword was ABC Delicious!
Today's crossword was a debut for Max Schlenker: congratulations, felicitations, etc., first for writing such a fine crossword, and second, for getting it accepted. We take a strol...
Monday, May 4, 2026 — The NYTimes Crossword Empire Strikes Back (but, very, very gently 😉)
Today's crossword marked a fine way to start our crossword-solving week, with a witty theme, straightforward clues, and — as one would expect on a Monday — very few problem areas. ...
Sunday, May 3, 2026 — Mark Diehl Rides Again!
This is Mark Diehl's 80th NYTimes crossword since 1984, so it is abundantly obvious that he knows a thing or twenty about writing great crosswords. His talents are on full display ...
Saturday, May 2, 2026 — May Day, May Day (encore!)
Our cohosts had very different takes on today's crossword, a truly extraordinary work of art by Hannah Slovut. Jean & Co. found it to be a stiff breeze, Mike found it to be mor...
Friday, May 1, 2026 — Pro Tip: If Your Baguette is Extra Crunchy, You Might Be Eating the Wrong Kind of Baguette 😉😱😀
Kudos to Rena Cohen for crafting an excellent crossword, her first to appear on a Friday. The clues were quite interesting: we always appreciate crosswords that both enter...
Thursday, April 30, 2026 — RUBE Goldberg, cartoonist and inventor extraordinaire!
When Aristotle wrote that "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts", he most likely did not have crossword constructors Lance Enfinger and John Kugelman in mind. But the thought still applies — these individually talented constr...
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 — Uber Nerd Alert! The Trisolarans Got a Mention in Today's Crossword 🛸😀
Joseph Gangi's eighth NYTimes crossword was so much more than a mere middling midweek crossword: it had a splendid array of intriguing clues. We loved 4D, Half of many a ...
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 — Welcome, King Charles!!
King Charles is stateside, and it had been such a fervent hope of ours that the NYTimes crossword theme would celebrate his arrival that we might have possibly, arguably, read a tad bit too much into
Monday, April 27, 2026 — A Very Respectable, Vonderfully Researched Monday Crossword 😉
Neville Fogarty has published an NYTimes crossword every day of the week save Saturday. Today he had the foot off the pedal, resulting in this kinder, gentler puzzle — which ironi...
Sunday, April 26, 2026 — How Do You Spot a Great Restaurant? They Offer EVOO on the Menu 😀
Rebecca Goldstein has delivered a fine Sunday crossword with gems scattered throughout the grid. Our favorites included 119A, It has its ups and downs, YOYO (🪀); 11D, Stick used f...
Saturday, April 25, 2026 — A Sam Ezersky Original 😍
There is no doubt that Sam Ezersky is very good at writing Saturday-level crosswords — he has had 23 of them published since 2012 (out of a total of 64). His talents are on full display today, as he has turned in an e
Friday, April 24, 2026 — Look out, Andrew Spooner is back with yet another killer crossword!!!
This was an unexpectedly crunchy Friday crossword, with lots of brilliantly concealed traps for the unwary solver. We loved every "there goes the ol' streak, it was good knowin' y...
Thursday, April 23, 2026 - A *brilliant* Thursday treat!
This is Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry's second collaboration, and it is an uber-awesome bit of cruciverbal magic. They started with a chef's kiss of a theme, puzzling with a powerful...
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - Happy Earth Day!!
Today's crossword was an homage to Earth Day, and we loved it! One of the big no-no's in crossword construction was ignored in the making of today's puzzle, but it was for the sak...
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - Waiting for Pablo Neruda's sequel, Ode To Pepper 🙄
This was a nicely crafted Tuesday crossword. The theme was fun and straightforward, and the themed clues were in good company. For instance, the puzzle included our favorite snake — 51A, Reptiles on papyrus, ASPS; our favorite dwelling — 66A, C...
Sunday, April 19, 2026 — Looking for an AHA! moment? Michael Lieberman has got just the ticket 😀
This was a perfect Sunday crossword by Michael Lieberman. Mike (cohost, not constructor 😀) needed to resort to pencil and paper (!) to help visualize the theme, and thoroughly...
Saturday, April 18, 2026 - NEON!, Ask for it by name, accept no substitutes! 😉 😀
This was a very nice Saturday crossword by Jesse Cohn, almost exactly one year since he last published on a Saturday. The clues were interesting / challenging / suitably obscure, ...
Friday, April 17, 2026 - it is our CIVICDUTY to report that this was an awesome crossword!
Friday crosswords have a lot of weight on their shoulders: they need to be entertaining (of course); themeless (by convention); and ramp up the difficulty to just the right level so that Saturday doesn't see like a quantum leap from Thursday. W...
Thursday, April 16, 2026 - 🎵Two for tea, and tea for two 🎶 🫖☕️
This was a terrific crossword by Rafael Musa — who usually works the Friday side of the street — and Sala Wanetick. The theme was ingenious and, as we discuss in today's episode, almost impossible to miss. Speaking of miss, we hope ...
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 - Oh, frabjous day! Adam Wagner is back with another ab fab puzzle!
We are definitely Adam Wagner fans, and our idol does not disappoint today. The theme is inspired, the clues perfect for a Wednesday, and the entire puzzle is suffused with a live...
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 — It's Tax Day Eve: do you know where your tax return is? 😱
Mark Diehl is certainly a veteran crossword constructor — his first NYTimes crossword was published in 1984! He hasn't lost his touch, though: this was a terrific Tuesday wit...
Monday, April 13, 2026 - AESOP, still winning new fans after 2500 years 😀
This was a splendid Monday crossword, arguably slightly crunchier than usual, but still definitely on the Monday side of the scale. A few of those crunchier clues include...
Sunday, April 12, 2026 - Oh, paradise! PARADIDDLE is in the grid 😍
We did not know, until several hours ago, that PARADIDDLE was a word. But now that we do, we're going to try and work it into conversation whenever, and however, we can. That will not be easy, alas, because PARADIDDLE is the answer to 73D, Basi...
