Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Hey, It's a Tiny Escape Room 😀
Jean & Mike Do The New York Times CrosswordShow Notes
Today's crossword — a very nice piece of work by Henry Lin-David and Frank S. David — featured an adorable, tiny escape room! You can't miss it — it's right in the center of the grid — and you also can't escape it, because the room is entirely walled off from the rest of the grid by black squares. This is only the 31st time, in the entire history of the NYTimes crossword, that the puzzle has included a disconnected region (it's hard to have crosswords if words don't cross!), but it is all for...
More from Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword
Today's crossword was an awesome bit of work by David J. Kahn, a highly accomplished crossword constructor who first published in the NYTimes in 1994. The puzzle in question was — depending on which cohost you talk to — either a tad on the challenging side, or staggeringly, breathtakingly difficult. Regardless, both loved it, for a multitude of reasons elaborated upon in today's episode. In addition to the crossword, we have a spot of excellent listener mail for your enjoyment, so ... enjoy! ...
Although your cohosts — currently sporting their higher-ed caps while writing this — are staunchly against grade inflation, they don't feel the slightest twinge of guilt at giving today's crossword an A+, as it was earned. Deets inside. Show note imagery: Tusky, mascot for the Utah Mammoth, an NHL team as of April 18, 2024. We love feedback! Send us a text... Contact Info: We love listener mail! Drop us a line, [email protected]. Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by the...
Today marks the NYTimes debut for crossword constructor David Falkowski, and a fine debut it is. The theme was smile-inducing, as were, come to think of it, the rest of the clues in today's puzzle. Nicely done, David! But wait, there's more! We have a Triplet Tuesday segment, and Jean's in the hot seat. Check out today's episode to see if she aced the test or went down in flames. Show note imagery: A GRANARY, engineered to keep out rats, pests, mold and the letter I. We love feedback! Send us...
Both cohosts found today's crossword to be a jot crunchier than the typical Monday fare in places. It started off almost comically easy, but then seemed to put up more resistance in the middle of the grid. We found it endearing, and the theme in particular quite amusing. Besides the crossword, we have chosen our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), and we can say, with 100% confidence, that it was one of the crosswords of the previous week. 🙄 Check the episode for mor...
Today marks Peter Gorman's debut Sunday crossword. He has now published every day of the week except Friday and Saturday, but, based on how quickly he was able to get to 5 — his first crossword appeared in February of 2025 — we expect him to knock those out in short order. In the meantime, we have this fine puzzle to savor, with a rebus-ish theme and lively cluing throughout. Nicely done, Peter! Show note imagery: LORELEI — the UNESCO World Heritage Site version, not the siren who lured...