crossword

Since the launch of the New York Times Crossword in 1942, crossword puzzles have captivated problem solvers with engaging word games. For an estimated 50 million people, crossword puzzles are part of daily life, and for many, it is a lifelong passion. In today’s episode, Michelle Arnot, talks about her life as an “acrossionado,” a compulsive crossword puzzle constructor and solver who began this career in 1977 when she sold her first puzzle to the Times for $20. A renowned expert in crossword history and strategies, Michelle is the author of several popular books about crossword puzzles, including “Four-Letter Words & Other Secrets of a Crossword Insider,” “Crossword Puzzles for Dummies,” and “What’s Gnu, a History of the Crossword.” She’ll explain how the colorful world of crosswords has continually evolved, as well as reveal some inside tips, tricks and strategies for puzzle constructors, young and old. And Michelle will describe how she has blended her unique journey as a crossword connoisseur with her wide-flung career in publishing and nonprofit organizations around the world.

In this ep, Rebecca and Brooke review New York Times crossword puzzles from 11/9/22 - 11/12/22.

Including!

• The first-ever, no-details-necessary, void-where-prohibited Crossnerds challenge: ⭐ Guess Our Zodiac Signs! ⭐️ Tweet us @Crossnerds or message us to play.

Also!:

• "Reduplicative names" puzzles
• "Reduplicative": redundant?
• Repeated clues: ALLOWED!
• Non-semantic themes
• Letterbanks
• Two takes on GOTTI
• Things that don't look like boats
• Reverse reveals
• The grammar of adverbs (disjuncts, e.g. "Hopefully...")
• Evocativeness in clues
• What sound owls make (hint: it is not "PEEP")

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s in Spotify! Comment in Apple Podcasts! @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

Another week (2/21/22 - 2/27/22), another seven New York Times crossword puzzles reviewed! Also featuring:

• Kelly "Wintertime" Kapow!ski and the Rugrats grandpa ("new LOU, who dis")
• Rebuses
• Chocolate v. candy
• Theme queries and the crossword submission process.

Check out These Puzzles Fund Abortion Too and donate here!

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s in Spotify! Comment in Apple Podcasts! @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

That's one small step for man, one glaring lack of steps for non-menkind: i.e., another week (1/10/22 - 1/16/22) of New York Times crossword puzzle reviews. That's ANO from me! Featuring:

• Circular nose breathing
• Tails
• [Unrelated] Baby's barnyard bovines
• Dataaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s in Spotify and comment in Apple Podcasts! @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

To Bork, or not to Bork? That is not the question. The question is, what will Rebecca and Brooke SAY about the last week (11/15/21 - 11/21/21) in New York Times crossword puzzles? A sampling:

• The Great Alfred Nobel Obituary Mixup
• How to make grid art
• CHEETO: implications for Mento?

Happy [Un]Thanksgiving! Namaste.

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

You and your lawn decorations better get into Crosstume: Rebecca and Brooke are Rebacka, reviewing New York Times crossword puzzles from 10/25/21 thru 10/31/21. Included: the Great David S. Pumpkins SNUB of 2021, the NYT's Amazon Alexa obsession, urchin injuries, and guff. More worms, mama!

Read about zombies' Haitian roots here, in the Atlantic.

 

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

What do you get when a meta 4 meets the right pants leg?  While you're coming up with the answer, please enjoy this list we compiled based on New York Times crossword puzzles from 10/18/21 thru 10/24/21.

Are They Out There?:

• Aliens
• Santa (Lapland??)
• The "d" in "handsome"

We also talk about other conspiracies, such as themes that appear vertically (in the Downs).

Sleep tight, sweet humans.......👽 👽~~

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

From Beelzebub and the shillelaghs we're esporting to lead pipes, "so-what" clues, and that blasted Off!: it's a whirlwind tour of New York Times crossword puzzles from 10/11/21 thru 10/17/21. 

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts!  Comment @ us on Twitter! Support us on Patreon! Or just keep listening. Or all. Ideally all. But we'll take any. Please and thank you!

Rebecca and Brooke reunite IRL to bulk up our crossword podcasting r*sum*s by discussing New York Times puzzles from 9/27/21 - 10/3/21. We ask Important Questions Of Our Time (WHO IS EATING THE COOKIES???), explore kangaroos (mutual sniffing), the history of diagonal symmetry in the NYT (abridged), and how to use the puzzle as a platform (if you want).

Will Nediger's indie puzzle roundups are on his blog, Bewilderingly Puzzles.

Ready the snow scythes and bring in the beakers! Rebecca and Brooke review the New York Times crossword puzzles from 9/20/21 - 9/26/21. 

• The Crossword Collaboration Directory is a beautiful thing!!
• Among other sources, here is CNN's piece on Ole Miss.

Go forth and clue responsibly.

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

L'jai alai'm! In this episode of New York Times crossword puzzle reviews: lovin' on some diagonal symmetry, crossword cocktails*, RiRi, and GAY PORN. Cruciverbs from 9/13/21 thru 9/19/21. 

Join the crossword Discord (d/b/a Crosscord)!

*Cocktails suggestion box: @Crossnerds.

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

In the words of the Backstreet Boys: "Oh my God, we're back again." Rebecca and Brooke, that is. Reviewing the New York Times crossword puzzles from 9/6/21 thru 9/12/21.

Support equality and women's rights here.

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

 

Rebecca. Brooke. New York Times crossword puzzle reviews. August 30 thru September 5, 2021. EOM.

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

Join Rebecca and Brooke and Oscular The Grouch as we crack up and open the last week in New York Times crossword puzzles! August 23-29, 2021.

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

Whether you're a teehee, a tehee, a heh heh, har har, haha, or a ROFLcopter, all laughs are welcome this (and every!) week, as Rebecca and Brooke review the New York Times crossword puzzles from 8/16/21 - 8/22/21. 

The Lollapuzzoola puzzles and Twitch stream are still available at bemoresmarter.com. 

Enjoying "Crossnerds"? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

Ponytails UP, headphones IN, pencils DOWN: it's HOT 'NERDS SUMMER, Crossbabes! BexVex and Bballstar09946 are back puzzling out the last week in New York Times crosswords (08/09/21 - 08/15/21). Featuring appearances by KEKE Palmer, UHH, and 😑!

Oh btw if you're free this Saturday, August 21, join Brooke, Sid, and Brian at Lollapuzzoola 2021.

Enjoying Crossnerds? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in Apple Podcasts! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Please and thank you!

Rebecca Neipris and Brooke Husic review New York Times crossword puzzles from 7/26/21 thru 8/1/21 and talk about other Pressing Issues in Crossworld, but all you really need to hear is DJ Cummerbund & The B-52's "Love Shack (Tik Toxic Remix)." You are welcome.

Enjoying Crossnerds? Give us five ⭐️s and comment in iTunes! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either.

Word-upped:

• Themelesses by Brian Thomas: puzzlesthatneedahome.blogspot.com
• Matthew Stock's 21x's: happylittlepuzzles.com

⭐️✨Star stuff everywhere!✨⭐️ That is what you can expect from this stellar. New. Episode. Of. What? CROSSNERDS! Rebecca Neipris and--in-person in our NYC "studio"--Brooke Husic review the last week in New York Times crossword puzzles (7/19/21 - 7/25/21). Pardon the tangentialos...

If you like us, please rate us stars and comment in iTunes! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either.

Word-upped

• Lollapuzzoola: https://bemoresmarter.com/lollapuzzoola/ 
• Brooke's puzzle site: xwordsbyaladee.blogspot.com 
• Adam Aaronson's puzzles: https://aaronson.org/crosswords/ 
• Ricky Cruz's Cruzzles: https://cruzzles.blogspot.com/

Ok um sooooo why didn’t anyone tell us it’s already 2021??? In honor of the [belated] New Year of the Ox, we mic’ed up Milo Beckman (@milobela), constructor of the January 1, 2021 New York Times crossword puzzle; author of the new book Math Without Numbers; and card-carrying try-hard (his words, not ours).

Observed:

• Singaporean chicken-rice is tasty
• Math is about to get schooled
• And more!

Milo’s comparison of accepted vs. changed clues: https://twitter.com/milobela/status/1346893142210076672.

Costruite parole crociate, chiudete gli avversari lasciandoli senza parole. 👄