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!!

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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

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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 dismal science.

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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 imagery: The Scoville Scale, always handy when you're dining at Chipotle 😀 

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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

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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

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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 what you think!

Show note imagery: Some scrumptious CAKESICLES

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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.

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