Crossnerds: Recent Episodes
Crossnerds
Crossnerds is the world's best—er, nerdiest—crossword puzzle podcast. Editors, constructors, solvers, and allies deliver piping-hot takes on the New York Times crossword puzzle and the vast cruciuniverse of wordplay beyond.
Discussed! NYT crossword puzzles from Weds 2/22/23 (Adam Wagner), Thurs 2/23/23 (Joe Deeney), and Sun 2/28/23 (Will Nediger).
Disgust! Black History Month did not seem to matter to the NYTXW. But racial representation in crosswords matters deeply to us. Find our ep with Kameron Austin Collins here.
Also!
- OPPO: British 1960s bae?
- MS PAINT and Brooke's minicity masterpieces
- Tourney szn approacheth! The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Boswords, and more TK.
- Reminisce with the original 'Nerds interviewing Erik Agard back in 2019, right before Erik won ACPT.
- Anigrams.
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!
It's Season 8. Year of the Rabbit. 2023. Cut to: Rebs'n'Brooke, Crossworld's most beloved showgirls, reviewing New York Times crossword puzzles. On this episode...they (we) peruse three (3) puzzles, from 2/2/23 - 2/4/23. Featuring.....:
- Confessions of a new habit
- Bisexual lighting
- SARD: new year, new gem?!
- "Cut to the chase": What, why, how. Jennings escapes ...
- AVCX is not sending people to the moon
- In 2022, 21% of NYTXWs were written by exclusively women (xwordinfo.com/women)
- The wrestler George Gorgeous
- Two "Booty"s in the downs.
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!
WORDPLAY ON THE FRITZ ⋇ DEFY THE HEGEMONY ⋇ THINK FOR YOURSELF ⋇ DO NOT PANIC
Happy holidaze and welcome back to the show! This week, Rebecca and Brooke calmly discuss four New York Times crossword puzzles published 11/22/2022 - 11/26/22. We also poke a stick at the curious corpus of 😱 LOGIC PUZZLES 😱 such as sudoku, ken ken, and star battles! We are two kra-z kids!!!
Plus:
- Red alert! Reds are red, but violet may or may not be blue: colors, categories, and linguistic relativity vs. universalism in this Nautilus article by Chelsea Wald
- PICTURE cards
- How not to fall for the myth of crossword's 'unwritten rules'
- The joy of connecting the dot dot dots
- Theme queries: emotional risks vs. open submissions (again)
And the Inkubator is available at https://inkubatorcrosswords.com/.
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!
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!
👋🤓🎙 Live from Berlin and a Dalíesque sea of toilets: Rebecca and Brooke review the week of 9/12/22 - 9/18/22 in New York Times crossword puzzles, covering such topics as:
- "Noted" in crossword clues
- The world's kickiest animals
- Triple-checked squares
- Does Europe have Daylight Savings Time?
- Green paint
- "Representation Without Transformation" (h/t Sally Hoelscher's USATXW blog)
- Wacky Wednesdays
- Where difficulty comes from (misdirects, vagueness)
And if you don't know the Bob Marley song "Soul Shakedown Party," check it out.
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!
Nerds here! Get yer Spicy Summer 'Ssnerds here! Featuring a husk of future residents (Rebecca and Brooke) discussing New York Times crossword puzzles (we selected 4 from the week of 8/22/22), PLUS PLUS PLUS Lollapuzzoola 2022 (puzzles still available here)!! Sundry chatter also includes:
- The great HOOHA-baloo
- Meta puzzles
- Towns with no business in crosswords
- Stacking elevens
- COVID content in puzzles
- And in hurricane news: WAIT IT OUT, or evacuate?
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!
Hey bb whats ur sign? In the crossword zodiac, we mean. I bet you're a Gridbearer. The Block? Butterfly (for symmetry)? Anyway, we're both Crossnerds, and in this ep we discuss New York Times crossword puzzles (published 6/6/22 - 6/12/22), as well as the following topics (which are also great sitcom episode/children's book names ™️):
- The Trouble with Tightening Revealers
- We-all Need Will Nediger
- Carly Schuna and the German Wheel
- Question Marks (Again? 😜)
- When Misdirects Fail
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!
omg have WE GOT AN EP FOR YOU. 'Twixt our reviews of New York Times crossword puzzles (5/2/22 - 5/8/22), Rebrooka discover:
- The truly absurd history of "Louie Louie" (I chose the Toots version)
- The city of Ur
- Short fill, destigmatized
-
SettlerSaturday
- Why four-leaf clovers are rare 🍀
- Brooke luvs to rollerblade
And if nothing else, pls pls pls experience Brooke's essay puzzle, then go to abortionpuzzles.com to learn about These Puzzles Fund Abortion Too, and then donate and get your puzzlepack 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!
Happy belated Spring Festivals! We are celebrating with a new round of New York Times crossword puzzle reviews (4/18/22 - 4/24/22). Also featuring:
- A crossword for everyone(?)
- Punchline revealers
- Using a curated list to source a puzzle: 👍/👎?
- Oil wrestling
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!
Rebecca and Brooke are returnt like the U.S. Football League, except that our sporty forte is tackling NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLESSSS (from 3/28/22 - 4/3/22)!! Also in this ep: Americanisms, Bacchanalia for marginalia, and fie-ing the ex who absconded with intimacy (which may or may not have been a STAGED disappearance 👀).
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!
Happy Spring, sweet (and bitter) peas! 🌱 Your favorite average-but-clean wee lasses celebrate the season by coming for the bloggers and continuing to review New York Times crossword puzzles (from 3/14/22 - 3/20/22). Discussed:
- Brooke's new Tinder bio
- Littering is bad
- ... as is toxic crossword commentary
- Mini vs. fun-size
- Knowing < learning
- The brassiere cup debate (it's CUP for grabs?)
- Patti Varol at the LAT crossword 🎉
Links
- "After You've Gone" by Joyce Bryant
- Portia Lundie on being a Black female constructor (WaPo)
- Women's History Month crosswords collection in the Washington Post
- Erica Hsiung Wojcik on the Expanded Crossword Name Database (NYT Gameplay)
- Ryan McCarty's McGrids
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!
So, all the things, mm? Alllllll the things. Anyway, here is another episode, featuring, as usual, Rebecca and Brooke's reviews of the New York Times crossword puzzles (2/28/22 - 3/6/22). Also discussed:
- What's in a crossword theme?
- Whenfore a question mark clue?
- Teresa Teng
- Unchecked squares.
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!
Grab some refreshing ADES and Cool American-flavoured snackies and settle into this stripped-down sesh of Classic R&B: Rebecca and Brooke reviewing the last week of New York Times crossword puzzles (2/14/22 - 2/20/22). Discussed:
- Holes (rabbit, rat, worm, and on a green)
- Non-solver fans of this podcast(???)
- The history of TEA as "gossip"
- What makes a theme "tight"
- Narrative crosswords, such as Kim Vu's affecting AVCX
- ALTE
- Ableism
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!
Well, well, well, if it isn't our favorite puzzlemaker/film critic/bowl made with love and erotic spirits, Kameron Austin Collins! Buckle up for Rebecca, Brooke, and Kam taking down the last week of New York Times crossword puzzles (1/31/22 - 2/6/22, which includes Kam's 2/5 stunner of a puzz). Discussed:
- Wereproblems
- -onyms
- Tasers (Batman Returns stun gun scene)
- ENRON clues
- Kitchen items (PARERs, peelers, mashers, bowls)
- The art of appearing effortless
- High beams in NJ: literally everybody, all the time
And continued PSA: RiRi is still only worth 25 points.
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!
Hang on to your aardwolves, you're going on an xword xventure: Crossnerds' first-ever MEDLEY WEEK [emphasis on the "eeek"]!!! We've selected seven luscious puzzles from seven gorgeous professional crossword outlets that are not the New York Times: * Universal * American Values Club ("AVCX") * Inkubator * The New Yorker * USA Today * The Atlantic * The Washington Post
Don't worry, we still love you, NYTXW. We'll be back with the usual next time.
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!
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!
Season 7 2022 LET'S GOOOOOOO! Let's get through today, every day. Together! With Rebecca and Brooke. Who, this week, review New York Times crossword puzzles from 12/27/21 - 1/2/22! Including: * KISSING BUTT * The heroic efforts of the NYTXW Editorial Team * OAT clues * LOU clues * Vague clues * Shout out to all the pears; and * Beating the "Sunday 140-word cap" trap.
Adam A-aronson's other-other AA plus-plus puzzle puzzle is here.
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!
Wrap up 2021 with a bow and these BIBIMBangin' reviews of the New York Times crossword puzzles published 12/13/21 - 12/19/21! Rebecca and Brooke also talk about list themes and a puzzle's purpose. YAY ME! Yay WE.
Ross Trudeau's essay, The Necessity of Filling Certain Boxes, is on his puzzle blog, Rossword Puzzles.
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!
Is the Big Apple big enough for two major crossword puzzle outlets? Liz Maynes-Aminzade, the first-ever Puzzles & Games Editor at The New Yorker, drops in to Xnerds HQ to celebrate the magazine's inaugural Cartoons & Puzzles issue (December 27, 2021) and its new(ish) foray into puzzles and games.
TNY's digital offerings include the Name Drop trivia game. Subscribe to its crosswords newsletter for forthcoming goodieeees!
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!
What even IS a Thursday crossword these days? Is a Thursday crossword, like time itself, "only a stubbornly persistent illusion"? A memory? A fable? 😱 Whatever it is, we're talking about the last "week" of xword puzzles in the New York Times (12/6/21 - 12/12/21).
NPR on "POC"
The Trouble with Tribe ... and the glory of Quest.
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!
Gratitude, greetings, and Happy Chanukah/Hanukkah 5782! R&B here, gifting you the miracle of our thoughts on the New York Times crossword puzzles from 11/22/21 - 11/28/21. Including:
- Baby's first rebus
- The next installment of the "who ate the last cookie" drama
- Rosalind Franklin was a Boss
- Big crossnews from the American Values Club!
AVCX Kickstarterrrrrrrrrr Will Nediger's asymmetric puzzles Ryan McCarty's asymmetric puzzles Vox crossword puzzles USA Today crossword puzzles 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!
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 rsums 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.
Have you ever wondered...
- What makes a crossword, like, good, from an editor's-eye view
- If Laura Braunstein (@laurabrarian) is good at karaoke
- What Laura Braunstein’s favorite emoji is
- Whether there is a more graceful option than crying yourself to sleep at night when you’ve had your a** handed to you at a crossword puzzle tournament?
YES? ME TOO THAT'S SO AMAZING THIS PODCAST IS FOR YOU!!!!!!!
Welcome to Crossnerds' SERENITY NOW special! To distract you from living your worst nightmares, we hit the (digital) books and get absolutely learnt with Laura Braunstein: accomplished constructor, speed-solver, and commentator, plus founder and editor of The Inkubator, which publishes puzzles exclusively by women (cis, trans, and woman-aligned).
Looking for MORE FUN STUFF TO DO?
- VOTE
- Wear a mask
- Subscribe to The Inkubator (@InkubatorXWords) at inkubatorcrosswords.com
- Take Laura and Jesse Lansner's free online crossword-constructing classes on November 17, 2020 or December 15, 2020.
XOXOXO,
Xnerds.
Welcome to Crossbirds! We've ALIT beside Sid Sivakumar (@sid_sivakumar) who, in just the last three months, made his debut (6/22), dibut (8/8), and tribut (9/3) in the New York Times; celebrated the yearniversary of his indie crossword blog, Sid's Grids; and contributed puzzles to several charity packs and to xword tournament Lollapuzzoola. Meanwhile, I was eating a popsicle. We gab about the wonders of the crossword community, the beauty of indie publishing, and Important Topix such as:
- Lexical gatekeeping
- The dangers of specialization
- Constructor credit as a commodity
- Crosswords vs. Scrabble
- Sizeism (in puzzles, ahem)
- Cryptics in India, Britain, and the US
SUPPORT Crossnerds ON PATREON!
Then visit some of the indie sites word-upped in this episode:
- Themelesses: Bryan Thomas on Puzzles That Need A Home
- Clues to make you smile: Amanda Rafkin's Brain Candy
- Freshest fill: Adam Nicolle, luckystreak xwords
- Puzzles by Crossword Jesus: A-Frame Games
- Brain-benders: Stella Zawistowski's Tough As Nails
- Liz Gorski's Crossword Nation
- Brendan Emmett Quigley
- Happy Little Puzzles by Matthew Stock
- Paolo Pasco's Grids These Days
- Master puzzle newsletter by Matt Gritzmacher
What's it like to write a crossword puzzle for the New York Times, and why does it matter? Co-constructors of Saturday's puzzle and frequent collaborators (and FRIENDS) Brooke Husic and Sid Sivakumar spill the crossbeans on:
- Authorship in crosswords
- The editorial process at the NYT
- The joy of synchronized puzzling
- Plus ever so much more!
Check out Brooke's and Sid's puzzles at Lollapuzzoola 13 (this Saturday, 8/15!) and on Sid's indie puzzle site, sidsgrids.com. They're also active on crossword Twitter: @xandraladee and @sid_sivakumar.
Masks up, ducklings!
2 many DEBUT!!!!s 2 count in our first-ever two-part episode, which features our first-ever female guest (Brooke Husic) and is accompanied by Rebecca's first-ever crossword puzzle (available here)!! Did we mention: !!!!!!!?!?!
Since solving her first New York Times just six months ago, Brooke's taken Crossworld by storm, publishing in USA Today, the American Values Club Crossword, and several other indie outlets in the last month alone.
Many thanks to Sid Sivakumar (who recently made his own DEBUT! in the New York Times crossword) for hosting the Crossnerds collabzzle on his site, Sid’s Grids.
https://www.sidsgrids.com/post/puzzle-38-crossnerds-themeless-by-brooke-husic-rebecca-neipris
For the 45-year-old kid in all of us, Pro puzzler Eric Berlin (@puzzleeric) joins for a FAB! NEW! EP! of
✨📣🤓🤘!!Crossnerds!!🤘🤓📣✨
Eric shares his earliest memories of mysteries, the joy of word games, the pleasure of co-solving, and a list of his favorite outlets and constructors.
Word-upped in this episode...
- Eric Berlin's Social Distancing Puzzles (benefiting Feeding America)
- Puzzlesnacks
- The New York Times Crossword
- Evan Birnholz's Sunday WaPo crosswords
- Joon Pahk's Outside the Box variety puzzles
- Nathan Curtis on Patreon
- Thomas Snyder's Grandmaster Puzzles
- Crosswords, variety puzzles, and cryptics in the Wall Street Journal
Stay safe and healthy, dear listeners!
Come, all ye bell polishers, ye crepe hangers, ye highjohns, ye janes: ring in the New Year with a special dingle dangle to Chris King (@ckingsc)! Gather round yer device of choice and hear tell of thoughtful crossword construction, the best online and indie puzzles, the boon of cluing cities, and the bane of adjectives and awkward abbreviations. 🎊Happy 2020!🎊
Chris is the author of https://chriswords.com/ and "5 Easy-to-Read Crossword Puzzles: Medium-Level Puzzles to Challenge Your Brain."
Slang courtesy of A Flapper's Dictionary (1922).
Situationships. Popyrights(?). Emu eggs. Rampant mispronunciations. These are but a taste of the ingredients that flava-ed the last week of New York Times crossword puzzles (11/20/19 through 11/27/19). Here to help you digest them all are your trusty (vs. crusty) nerds du jour, Rebecca and Nate Cardin. We're so thankful for your listens and support. Please dig in.
If you like us, please give us all the stars and comment in iTunes! Or just keep listening. Or both. Ideally both. But we'll take either. Happy holidaze!
Welcome to Qrossnerds: a v spesh ep featuring Nate Cardin (@naytnaytnayt), who joins host REBECCA NEIPRIS to talk about Queer Qrosswords, representation in puzzles, and creating a safe space in crossworld‒one in which everyone can feel seen. Plus! Your weekly dose of New York Times crossword puzzle analysis, for 10/11/2019 - 10/15/2019. Enjoi!
Ground... nut... Meg? Featuring New Yorker contributor Natan Last! "It ain't my fault that I'm out here makin' news," my grandmother used to say. "I'm the pudding in the proof/ Gotta blame it on the New York Times crossword puzzle." And then we would watch this animation of Dock Ellis's LSD no-hitter together. Over and over. And over again.
Then I grew up to be a totally normal human and Natan and I talked about the daily New York Times crossword puzzle, 9/4/19 - 9/8/19.
Welcome to the last-past week in the finest New York Times crossword puzzle analysis on the PLANET! This week, Rebecca "Etui 2020" Neipris and Natan "Crazy But Unbelievable" Last discuss bracketologists. kaomoji, who knows or does not know Tolkien (cough, Natan), and the cultural influence of the filme "Independence Day."
We're talking #NYTXW, 6/24/19 - 6/30/19. Enjoi!
Hold on to your seashells: we're BACK, beaches!! And we're joined by crossword constructor and individual human Natan Last, whose esteemed puzzles have been published in the New Yorker, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and ever so many more. This week, we take on ice McQueens, good "oh"s, Chaka Khan, and oodles more. It's the week in New York Times crossword puzzles, 6/17/19 - 6/23/19.
What's beyond the #NYTXW? Check out newyorker.com/crossword/puzzles-dept and crosswordnation.com/.
Leader of the crossword vanguard, fashion icon, Jeopardy! winner, and all-around stellar human Erik Agard drops by Crossnerds HQ for an eclectic discussion of Soulja Boy/Drake meme, representation in crosswords, land otters, and the history of printers. Also: Erik gets his drag name! Tens across the board.
The approximate history of Balto and some real bushwa: the very best in New York Times crossword puzzle reviewing, performed live on stale air by some Crossnerds! Andy Kravis and Rebecca Neipris. The week in question (and answers): 2/4/19 - 2/10/19. CE.
We're funky! We're fruit-y! We're fair-weather fans of, like, sports! And also of frosted tips 2.0 (heeeeey, Chris Messina)! Or...anyway. Listen to this podcast episode. We talk about the last week in New York Times crossword puzzles, 1/28/19 to 2/3/19. Andy Kravis. Rebecca Neipris. Enjoy.
Scandalous acceptances! 90s feels! Diversity! McDLTs! It's double the pleasure, double the fun, same number of Crossnerds: the past two weeks of New York Times crossword puzzles, reviewed by your loyal Crossservants, Andy Kravis and Rebecca Neipris. 1/14/19 - 1/27/19.
Prii! 23andNOT me! Did pogs smell bad! And more! Join your two fave crossnerdburgers, Rebecca Neipris and Andy Kravis, for our weekly romp through the past week in New York Times crossword puzzles: 1/7/19 - 1/13/19.
Happy New Year! Could 2019 be the Year Of The Reckoning for the NYT? The Crossnerds take on the Notorious 2 Down...and ALSO get into the O-zone and the origins of the word "sinister," while Rebecca plays Regis to Andy Kravis's Pat Sajak/Vanna White wheeler/dealer. Hashtag, fortunate. All while discussing the New York Times crossword puzzles from the last week, 12/31/18 to 1/6/19.
Just in time for Candlenights! In this episode, Rebecca Neipris horrifies Andy Kravis with a rendition of "This Is How We Do It," Uzo Aduba rules, and Andy dishes on his first-ever puzzle[fail]! Ta-ta, 2018! The week in NYT crossword puzzles, 12/3/18 - 12/9/18.
Three-letter words are the four-letter words of crosswords! Also, what is a rebus; authorship matters; and other detours as Andy Kravis and Rebecca Neipris discuss the last week, 11/26/18 - 12/2/18, in New York Times crossword puzzles.
Please enjoy this most seasonal episode: veritable cornucopia of knowledge on relevant topics such as "how to take a picture" and "how to wish someone a happy--or not--Thanksgiving." Yes! We're back! Andy Kravis and Rebecca Neipris. Celebrating the past week in New York Times crossword puzzles, 11/19/18 - 11/25/18.
Boo!/Yay: it's another episode of Crossnerds, where Andy Kravis and Rebecca RN discuss another week (10/22/18 - 10/28/18) in the New York Times crossword puzzle. Also, kale; how Andy "doesn't" hate the Beatles; our favorite Halloween costumes; and, like, other stuff. You've stopped reading. K, love you, miss you, bye!
Welcome to the Erik Agard Fan Club Podklatsch! Wherein, oh right, we also discuss the week in New York Times crossword puzzles (10/14/18 - 10/21/18). Lift your voices up! Put your jazz hands down! Watch out for soupy pies! And vive le Agard! Rebecca Neipris and Andy Kravis are at it again.
Check your turmeric lattes at the door, people. Rebecca Neipris and Andy Kravis discuss the virtues and pitfalls of light board gamery and the rare beauty of puzzles with an arc.
The week in New York Times crossword puzzles, 10/8/18 - 10/14/18.
Oy. (New York Times crossword puzzles, 9/17/18 - 9/23/18. Reviewed by Andy Kravis and Rebecca Neipris.)
Rebecca and Andy Kravis are BACK! With the sassiest episode of Crossnerds to grace this past week in New York Times crossword puzzles. We're talkin' Red Vines v. Twizzlers. A $ource of ca$h. Wilford Brimley. The height of Ponce de Leon. "Dr. T and the Women." And so, so, SO much more.
9/10/18-9/16/18
Lollapuzzoola 2018!! Plus Aqua Zumba, Irish goodbyes, Hungarian hellos, shrooms, and tribute puzzles. That's right: it's another week in crossworld.
Rebecca rn and Andy Kravis. New York Times crossword puzzles. 8/13/18-8/19/18. Let's do this.
Plus friendzones, teat rays, Monet X-Change, and #protips on how to improve as a crossword puzzle solver.
Andy Kravis and Rebecca Neipris, talkin' New York Times crossword puzzles, 7/30/18 - 8/5/18.
NYT crossword puzzles | 7/22/18-7/29/18
Sunday 7/29 | THREE IN ONE | Will Nediger
Producer, hostess, and borderline ma'am | Rebecca Ryder Neipris
Illustrious co-host and perpetual sir | Andy Kravis
NYT crossword, Sunday 7/24/18: "Creature Feature," by Timothy Polin.
Guest co-host: Alex Gelman!
Producer and hostess: Rebecca RN
NYT crossword, Sunday 6/17/18: "Tricky Trios." Amanda Chung, Karl Ni and Erik Agard.
Guest co-host: Andy Kravis!
Guest sound wizard: Jack Reeves!
Producer and host: Rebecca RN
Date: May 13, 2018
Constructors: Neville Fogarty & Erik Agard
Theme: LOVE AT FIRST SITE
The second installment of our interview series. Live from the floor of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament! (Apologies for the sound quality).
Special eps! This weekend, the Crossnerds went to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, an incredible experience filled with amazing, brilliant, quirky constructors & solvers.
This first interview is with tournament CHAMP Erik Agard, conducted after puzzle 6.
We apologize for the sound quality. Our mics were packed up and we used a stereo room recorder :3 Still, you can hear Erik's wisdom on speed-solving!
Enjoy!
LINKS MENTIONED:
Puzzle Collaboration Directory: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1515117638602016/
Indy500: https://www.theindie500.com/
Date: March 11 2018
Theme: IF FOUND, CALL...
Constructor: Matthew Sewell
See Matthew's CRAWL SPACE puzzle here: http://www1.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/crawlspace/
Apologies for late upload! The Crossnerds ran into technical issues that took a few days to fix :-/
Theme: CHARACTER BUILDING
Constructor: Byron Walden
Date: Mar 7, 2018
Andy Kravis stopped by to talk crossword constructing (and much more) with the Nerds.
To learn more about Andy and grab his puzzles, visit: http://cruciverbalistatlaw.blogspot.com/
Puzzle Collaboration Directory: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1515117638602016/about/
Date: July 16, 2017
Theme: If the Spirit Moves You
Constructors: Andrea Carla Michaels and Pete Muller
Date: May 7, 2017
Theme: Duality Quality
Constructors: Finn Vigeland, Natan Last and the JASA Crossword Class
Date: April 2 2017
Theme: Initial Description
Constructor: Jerry Miccolis
Jack & Reb talk the Sunday NY Times Crossword with the help of a bottle of rosé
Date: March 26, 2017
Constructor(s): Jeff Chen & Tracy Gray
Theme: Mixed Results
Jack & Reb take on the Sunday Times Xword.
Date: March 19, 2017
Constructor: Grant Thackray
Theme: "111-Across!" (SPOILER ALERT!)
Jack & Reb talk the Sunday NY Times puzz.
Date: Mar 12 2017
Theme: Taking the Fifth
Constructor: Alan Arbesfeld
Jack & Rebecca tackle the NYT sunday puzz
Date: Feb 19 2017
Constructor: Bruce Haight
Theme: Uh Oh!
Jack & Rebecca take on the Sunday Times crossword! Includes a nostalgic memory of Delawurr.
Date: Feb 12 2017
Constructor: Lynn Lempel
Theme: Do The Splits
Jack & Rebecca take on the Sunday Times crossword! Includes a surprise on-air gifting.
Feb 5th crossword. First ladies, "Bohemian Rhapsody," gypping, Sheena Easton, A Wrinkle in Time
Date: 1/29/2017
Constructors: Jim Hyres and David Steinberg
Theme: HIT THE DECK
Sorry for the delay on this one. Travel + work combined to make this a few days late... but still good!
Jan 15, 2017
Constructor: Joel Fagliano
Jack & Rebecca take on the Sunday Times crossword. Topics include steak, Auntie Mame, Herman Melville and whatever "namby-mamby" is (hint: British).
Crossword info: www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=1/15/2017