Podcasts about Crossword

Writer-director Sam Hayes and actor-filmmaker Michael Vlamis break down the making and unconventional release of Pools, a coming-of-age film built around an overnight pool-hopping adventure. They discuss the logistical challenges of shooting underwater on an indie schedule, building an ensemble cast around specific actors, and why traditional distribution offers pushed the team toward a hands-on grassroots strategy. Sam explains how pool-party premieres, years of networking, and a wine-fueled cold email helped Pools find a new audience through the Letterboxd Video Store, while Michael compares the scrappy production of Pools with working on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. They also share lessons on preserving release momentum, budgeting for marketing, navigating film festivals, and finding an audience when streamers are not an option. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Sam Hayes, and Michael Vlamis discuss... How the image of a glowing pool at night became the foundation for Pools Writing characters with specific actors like Michael Vlamis, Odessa A'zion, and Tyler Alvarez in mind Building chemistry within an ensemble cast on a limited indie prep schedule The complications of filming overnight pool scenes and shooting underwater How a breath coach helped Odessa A'zion increase her underwater breath hold from roughly 15 seconds to a minute and a half Why Sam turned down disappointing traditional distribution offers and pursued a more hands-on service deal Creating pool-party premieres that made screenings feel like events rather than another movie release How Sam became a top 0.01% Partiful user while organizing approximately 25 promotional events Why filmmakers need to actively build relationships with festival programmers, distributors, critics, and other members of the indie film community The mistake of delaying Pools' TVOD release in hopes of benefiting from the attention around Odessa A'zion's other projects Why maintaining momentum and giving audiences an immediate way to watch a film matters after theatrical release How the crowded TVOD marketplace makes discoverability especially difficult for independent movies The wine-fueled cold email Sam wrote to Letterboxd after feeling like the film was running out of distribution options Why Letterboxd's curated Video Store offered Pools a way to stand apart from algorithm-driven platforms How the film's Letterboxd rating improved as more viewers discovered it Michael's experience moving between Pools, his indie feature Crossword, and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Why a giant production can still feel surprisingly scrappy and responsive on set The difference between a film's production budget and the marketing budget needed to actually break through Why indie filmmakers cannot build their entire distribution strategy around getting acquired by a major streamer How real-world relationships can turn previous distribution passes into new opportunities Why Sam recommends budgeting for marketing before production begins The danger of submitting a rough cut to major film festivals before the movie is truly ready Michael's approach to finding grounded comedy without forcing jokes or overthinking a performance Memorable Quotes: “You need something fun, especially for an indie movie, to, like, build community around the film and with each other and make it about more than just the movie itself.” “As soon as the people start watching the movie, you want people to be able to see the movie.” “You can't rely on it. You have to find ways to, like, find your own audience with an indie film.” “Build in a marketing budget before you shoot. Like, have that be a part of the money that you raise.” Guests: Sam Hayes Michael Vlamis Resources: Pools on Letterboxd Rent Pools on the Letterboxd Video Store Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web: No Film School Facebook: No Film School on Facebook Twitter: No Film School on Twitter YouTube: No Film School on YouTube Instagram: No Film School on Instagram

Weeks before D-Day, readers of the Daily Telegraph began encountering some unusual answers in the newspaper's crossword puzzle - Utah, Omaha, Overlord, Mulberry and Neptune. British intelligence noticed too. The man constructing the puzzles was investigated, the invasion went ahead, and the whole thing was dismissed as an extraordinary coincidence. Forty years later, one of his former students finally explained where the words had really come from. We tell the story here, then talk with owner of Promotions and Unicorns Too, Rob Einhorn!  Did you know The Internet Says It's True is now a book? Get it here: https://amzn.to/4miqLNy Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

This week on Paddy and Maz, Paddy gets a little makeover live on air, while Maz celebrates a milestone (finishing a crossword). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's podcast title — we promise! — will seem quite droll, even, dare we say it, chuckleworthy,  once you've sussed out today's theme. We won't say any more about that here, but invite you to have a listen as we explore Dena Verkuil and John Kugelman's latest oeuvre.Show note imagery: The Farm, by Joan Miró — winner of the Guggenheim International Award and clearly master of the surrealWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was an awesome Sunday crossword by Ralph Sharaga (a debut for him) and veteran constructor Doug Peterson (this is his 61st!). The theme was absolutely hysterical, and the rest of the grid glistened with guffaw-inducing clues. Among our favorites were: 14D, Race prior to a race?, REV (delightful); 97A, Safari destinations?, URLS (ha!); and we enjoyed the 180° change of tone in 47D, Opposite of "You'll pay for that!"?, ONME.Show note imagery: MAE Jemison, the first black astronaut in space, looking fly!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a fine Thursday crossword by Joel Woodford, with a nifty theme that was surprising, entertaining, and — bonus! — gave us a chance to use "nifty" in a sentence. Our favorite clues included 22A, It may be padded or slapped, KNEE (

This was a superlative Tuesday crossword, thanks to some really sparkling clues. The theme — which we discuss extensively in today's episode — is the icing on the cake, but we found numerous other gems in the grid. The "Most-Fun-Clue" award goes to 62A, Things assayers assay, ORES; the "Most-Fun-Answer" award has to go to 17A, "Easy-peasy!", BADABINGBADABOOM

It is our suspicion that Eric Rollfing, author of today's fine crossword, probably solves every NYTimes Connections puzzle without any mistakes, because he seems to be quite adept at identifying commonality among highly disparate items. This is not the first time he's used this approach, but it's always novel and fun to get two puzzles for the price of one.Besides the crossword, we've picked our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award), another irresistible masterpiece by ... nope, no spoilers! Check out the podcast to find out if your favorite got the nod.Show note imagery: This is not your grandfather's GLEE club. Oh, wait, maybe it is ...

In February, Michael Lieberman and Rebecca Goldstein collaborated on a Sunday crossword with answers that refused to stay confined to running horizontally or vertically. Well, Michael is back with another impressive, non-linear theme.  We have the full analysis inside, as well as a timely bit of listener mail explaining a clue that we wrestled with yesterday. Enjoy!Show note imagery: An Olympian participating in the 2024 Paris Canoe/Kayak SlalomWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Get ready for another round of Crossword Clues Trivia. This week, we've got the the letter W!Connect with the show:DorkyGeekyNerdy.comPatreonBlueSkyFacebookSpotifyDiscordReddit

Get ready for another round of Crossword Clues Trivia. This week, we've got the the letter W!Connect with the show:DorkyGeekyNerdy.comPatreonBlueSkyFacebookSpotifyDiscordReddit

This week: Adaptability! And not, as Viet says, Resourcefulness. We learn that we're not allowed in Jesse Thorn's closet, and Ify shares his adorable bookmark. This week's scoring: Enter and survive a challenge: Alex (x2), Dawn (x2), Brian, Joe, Christina, Zac, Lee Anne, Viet, Avishar +2 Make it through a shift: Alex, Dawn, Joe, Christina, Zac, Lee Anne, Viet, Avishar +1 “Tired”, “exhausted”, or “sleep”: Lee Anne, Viet +1 Winning Golden Knife: Brian, Viet +0.5 Check out our merch at maxfunstore.com, support us at maximumfun.org/joinchef, follow us on Instagram @tvcheffantasyleague, and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts!

This was an excellent mid-week crossword by Johnathan Raksin and Jeff Chen. The theme was a hoot, and the rest of the clues were of similar high quality. A few that stood out included 26D, Some comfy kicks, MOCS ([embarrassingly-obvious pun redacted]); 9D, Botheration, ADO (we're getting distinct Winnie-the-Pooh vibes here); and 30D, Mork's planet on an old sitcom, ORK (ah, the classics!).Show note imagery: The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, in the UAEShow note videography: A Rubik's cube being solved in 2.76s (don't blink!)We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Mason Hyunjin Lee's first ever NYTimes crossword, especially impressive since he's still in high school! Here's hoping his English teacher gives bonus points, he deserves it. We recommend 1 bonus point for 23A, Low-quality synthetic images, informally, AISLOP; 2 bonus points for 66A, Mother of a stable family?, MARE (ha!); and — we're in a generous mood — a whopping 4 bonus points for 28D, "Sleep is like a ___: It only comes to you if you ignore it": Gillian Flynn, CAT. Well done, Mason!!Show note imagery: Tarsiers, who feel some weird compulsion to always vote AYE when asked for their opinion

If Brad Lively's name sounds familiar, that's because he's published a whopping 4 crosswords this year, including today's. We are grateful for that, of course, as his crosswords in general are very nicely constructed, and today's is perfect Tuesday fare. Deets inside.In addition to our exploration of today's puzzle, we have another thrilling Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!Show note imagery: Need a vaCATIOn from your cat? Put it in a CATIO

This was a pleasing Monday crossword, with a straightforward, amusing theme, and clues unlikely to generate too many BLANKSTARES. It was penned by Alex Eaton-Salners, who rarely does Monday crosswords — but when he does, he does them well, today's being a case in point.Besides the crossword, we've identified our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword of The Week Award) winner, so if that's you, drop us a line and prepare to be inundated with the very finest in NE WI swag

Zoe Bell is the Executive Producer of Games at The New York Times. If you've played Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Strands, Letter Boxed, the Mini, or the Crossword, you've played something she helped build or bring to life. NYT has nearly 13 million subscribers, which includes the game business that features some ads but no in-app purchases and no battle pass.The players run from your group chat to the Vatican. The Pope has mentioned doing the Wordle in interviews, and Carol Burnett's celebrity Wordle group, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Charlize Theron, went on Jimmy Kimmel to accuse her of cheating. Her defense: there's no way to cheat at Wordle, and solving it in one guess is just an accident.Zoe sits down with Jen Donahoe to explain how a newspaper that has run for 175 years became one of the biggest names in games. They get into why the team kills 96% of the games it tries, how a subscription model reshapes the way they design and measure success, and what it takes to launch Crossplay, a full multiplayer layer on games that are fundamentally solo.They also talk about making every puzzle by hand while the rest of the industry automates, and where AI earns a place when human craft is the whole point. For anyone building games, this one is a window into the economics and the discipline behind one of the most envied portfolios in the business.CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:03 From Zynga to Times03:40 Culture Shock at NYT05:53 Respecting Game Expertise07:36 Apps and Platforms10:13 Subscription Monetization14:13 Who Plays These Games18:31 Democratic Game Ideation21:13 Greenlight to Launch Pipeline24:36 Testing Markets and Kill Rate26:00 Killing Prototypes Fast26:37 Morale With Low Hit Rates28:43 Testing Before Soft Launch29:19 KPIs And Portfolio Fit30:31 UA In Subscription Games36:46 Streaks And Crossplay Bonds39:14 AI Human Puzzles First46:32 What's Next And Submissions48:17 Hiring And Tech Stack

We continue our bonus content by doing the world's first crossword! https://worldtreasures.org/assets/uploads/documents/The_Worlds_First_Crossword.pdf    For everything Escape This Podcast, head to https://www.consumethismedia.com/escape-this-podcast   Purchase access to our standalone bonus series here: https://www.consumethismedia.com/bonus-series  Or you can support the show on Patreon for blog posts, bonus audio, videos, trivia, and the chance to appear as a character in one of Dani's rooms. To hang out with us and other fans, join our discord here: https://discord.gg/AH9MZqM  Check out our second podcast, Solve This Murder! Website || iTunes || RSS Have questions, comments, puzzles, or anything else? Send us an email! (escapethispod@gmail.com)

Today's crossword was by veteran constructors Rebecca Goldstein and Christina Iverson, both of whom are unequivocally 30A, Mentally agile, CLEVER. For instance, we had the very fine 97A, Time to give up?, LENT (ha!); the dissing equivalent of a stiletto, 82D, "You had one ___!", JOB!; and the surprising 49D, "Keep dreaming", HECKNO. TL;DR, this was a super Sunday diversion — five squares on the JAMCR scale.Show note imagery: Inside the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, CA.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Kathy Bloomer's fifth NYTimes crossword since 2018, and it was splendid — ideal Tuesday fare. The theme was ... ingenious (the quality control at the NYTimes when it comes to themes is simply staggering); and the rest of the grid was educational and entertaining. We had no idea  about 43A, Notable features of the Charleston, S.C., skyline, STEEPLES; pondered the current whereabouts of 38D, Comet discovered in 1995, HALEBOPP; and were seized with a sudden urge to seek out 53D, "Hyde and ___" (1955 Bugs Bunny short), HARE.Show note imagery: Charleston, S.C., STEEPLES and all.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was Victoria Fernandez Grande's second NYTimes crossword, and her first came just 2 months ago, so she is off to an impressive start! Monday crosswords are designed to be the easiest crosswords of the week, but that doesn't imply drab cluing, not on Will Shortz's watch! A surprise to us was 71A, Actions at the Bellagio or Encore, BETS; another shocker was 28D, Group whose "Gold: Greatest Hits" is the second-best-selling album in U.K. history, ABBA (wait, what??); and we were delighted to discover one of our favorite recent enhancements to our favorite language, aka English, 51D, Little specifics, in slang, DEETS.Show note imagery: TIM Cook, arguably the world's greatest supply-chain wrangler

Compared to yesterday's crossword, with its somewhat complex theme, today's was simultaneously both easier and harder. Easier in the sense that once you had enough crosses, you could probably suss out the answer — a fairly common phrase. Harder in the sense that without the crosses the chances of just rattling off the answer were pretty much zero. All in all, we found today's crossword to be a worthy Thursday puzzle, and by the power vested in us by, well, ourselves, bestow upon it a full 5 squares, on the JAMCR scale.Show note imagery: The most noble of gasesWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a quality Friday crossword by Amanda Winters, her second for the NYTimes. It was not hugely difficult by Friday standards, but the quality of the clues was first rate, and there was nary a hint of crosswordese anywhere in the grid. We approve, and give it 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.In addition to the crossword, we are also having a sale on facts, so we have two fun facts for Fun Fact Friday — check 'em out!Show note imagery: An elephant who always looks good in green, BABAR!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword, a collaboration between veteran constructors Adam Wagner and Simeon Seigel, was relatively controversial: some solvers found it to be a splendid tour de force of modern crossword construction, others found it to be less splendid and more slog. Your cohosts are a case in point: but we will keep you briefly in suspense, dear listener, as to who felt what. (And as a meta-puzzle, see if you can suss that out prior to listening).Show note imagery: "Here's lookin' at you, kid", a popular quote from the most quotable movie of all time.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

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 (

Timed just perfectly to match the mini-heatwave about to ravage NE Wisconsin (temperatures might get up to 90°F

V is for Victory. Right? Well, hopefully. This week, I've got Crossword Clues starting with the letter V. I give you the number of letters and a clue. You just come up with the word. 

V is for Victory. Right? Well, hopefully. This week, I've got Crossword Clues starting with the letter V. I give you the number of letters and a clue. You just come up with the word. 

For those of you keeping track, Brad Wiegmann, author of today's very fine puzzle, has as of today published an NYTimes crossword every day of the week except ... Saturday! So, he's just one acceptance letter away from "hitting for the cycle", and we imagine that, at this very moment, Brad is trying to think up some dastardly difficult clues. In the meantime, the clues that he dreamt up for today's crossword were excellent — as you will hear in today's podcast.Show note imagery: Behold, a PENTATONICSCALEWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This was a highly challenging crossword by Byron Walden, each clue a masterpiece of misdirection, with a dash of obscurity thrown in for good measure. Both cohosts had to fight mightily for each answer in a grid that contained an incredible 13 debuts.There were so many amazing clues that while we squeezed as many as we could into the podcast, we regretted having to omit 2A, They're hard to pull off, FEATS (wow!); 6D, Wind pipe?, CHIME (yikes!); and finally 31A, Capital of Greenland, NUUK (yowzer!). tl;dr; a brilliant crossword that dances on the edge of impossible.Show notes imagery: Beautiful (but chilly) downtown NUUK, capital of GreenlandWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Today's crossword was an homage to "this sceptered isle", which just happens to be one of our favorite tourist destinations. In short, there's no way we can be unbiased, we loved this puzzle! Other than the crossword, we have another Triplet Tuesday™️ segment for your enjoyment, and Mike's performance was ... a surprise. To keep you in suspense, we won't reveal, at this juncture, whether it was a good surprise or a bad surprise — to ascertain that, you'll need to check out today's episode.Finally, we wrap it up with some wonderful listener mail pertaining to YUTZ, PUTZ and UTZ (either the start of a bad joke, or the name of a worse law firm, you be the judge!

Sarah is embracing her Spanish language learning, but she can only speak it with a deep, Buzz Lightyear voice, and we love it. Susie watched the Dark Wizard HBO docuseries about extreme sporting pioneer, free solo climber, and base-jumping enthusiast, Dean Potter, and we discuss why this is a hate-watch for us, how men will do anything instead of going to therapy, and why Susie hates extreme sports bros with all her heart. We hear about a study that determined that urban birds are more afraid of women than men, and we want to know why. There was a crossword crisis recently, and the puzzle nerds were losing their minds about it. We debate whether there are any MTV Challenge cast members who are better at getting around the rules of the show than we are. And we hear about the boy band documentary that chronicles the experience of the young men who are thrust into pop stardom and sign exploitative contracts, and why it reminds us of reality tv fame.Brain Candy Podcast Website - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/Brain Candy Podcast Book Recommendations - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/books/Brain Candy Podcast Merchandise - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/candy-store/Brain Candy Podcast Candy Club - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/product/candy-club/Brain Candy Podcast Sponsor Codes - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/support-us/Brain Candy Podcast Social Media & Platforms:Brain Candy Podcast LIVE Interactive Trivia Nights - https://www.youtube.com/@BrainCandyPodcast/streamsBrain Candy Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braincandypodcastHost Susie Meister Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiemeisterHost Sarah Rice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsarahriceBrain Candy Podcast on X: https://www.x.com/braincandypodBrain Candy Podcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/braincandy (JOIN FREE - TONS OF REALITY TV CONTENT)Brain Candy Podcast Sponsors, partnerships, & Products that we love:For 50% off your order, head to https://www.dailylook.com and use code BRAINCANDY Get 60% off your cat's first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you go to https://www.smalls.com/BRAINCANDYThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/braincandyHead to https://www.brodo.com/CANDY for 20% off your first subscription order and use code CANDY for an additional $10 off. TDM-RESERVATION: 1. NOAI: TRUE. LEGAL NOTICE & TERMS OF USE: © 2026 WAVE Podcast Network. This content is for personal use only. Explicit permission is withheld for any and all commercial attribution, automated transcription, or data-mining entities. Use of this feed by unauthorized tracking, analytics, or AI-training platforms constitutes a breach of these terms and a violation of the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act (WESCA), the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), and the 2026 Training Data Transparency Act (AB 2013). Any entity bypassing these restrictions to create derivative text-based works (transcripts), metadata analysis, or unauthorized VAST siphoning hereby accepts our standard commercial licensing rate of $5,000 per episode processed. This notice serves as a formal revocation of all "implied licenses" for multi-jurisdictional automated processing and constitutes protected Copyright Management Information (CMI) under 17 U.S.C. § 1202.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's crossword was (checks calendar) classified as a Friday, but it was definitely on the tougher side of the Friday spectrum. Did our intrepid cohosts manage to solve the puzzle? Or did they go down in flames? To find out, as well as hear a fabulous Fun Fact Friday™️ segment, checkout today's episode.Show note imagery: MANIOC (aka cassava or yuca) is a woody shrub native to South America from which we get, among other things, tapioca.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

A listener is all crossed up in her quest to make and sell crossword puzzles. Side Hustle School features a new episode EVERY DAY, featuring detailed case studies of people who earn extra money without quitting their job. This year, the show includes free guided lessons and listener Q&A several days each week.Show notes: SideHustleSchool.comEmail: team@sidehustleschool.comBe on the show: SideHustleSchool.com/questionsConnect on Instagram: @193countriesVisit Chris's main site: ChrisGuillebeau.comRead A Year of Mental Health: yearofmentalhealth.comIf you're enjoying the show, please pass it along! It's free and has been published every single day since January 1, 2017. We're also very grateful for your five-star ratings—it shows that people are listening and looking forward to new episodes.

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 — a sentence that will become uproariously funny* once you've checked out today's episode.Show note imagery: The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, in Memphis, TN*or at least cause a mild twitching of the zygomaticus major and zygomaticus minor muscles****the muscles repsonsible for smilingWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

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 stroll through the grid in today's episode, and you, dear reader/listener, are cordially invited to join us on the journey.Besides the crossword, since it is Tuesday, we have a Triplet Tuesday™️ segment, and this time Jean's doing the high-wire act, and without a net (gasp!) or even Annette (who?!

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. And yet, demonstrating his ability to be OTM (OBTUSER Than Most™️), Mike was able to get temporarily mired in the grid. You can hear all the shocking details inside, and discover the well-deserved winner of this week's JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of the Week Award).Show note imagery: Don't delay, learn how to BELAY today

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 union-to-be, BRIDE; marveled at the "maritime corner", 20A, Pirate's booty, LOOT and 22A, Swabbie's tool, MOP; and almost swooned at the mention of our very, very favorite comic character, 49A, World War I Flying _______ (Snoopy alter ego), ACE. Show note imagery: The ODEON Theater, in Amman, JordanWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

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 ironically and amusingly took Mike 4x longer than usual to solve. There is a good reason for this, however, explained in today's episode.Also in today's episode, we have chosen this week's JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award). Deets, as usual,  inside.Show note imagery: Olive Garden, known for its bottomless salad bowls, its delectable PASTA, and breadsticks to die forWe love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

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' ya" moment, as we toiled, and toiled, and toiled away. We give it a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale, and if we could, we'd give it more! Deets inside.Show note imagery: A very young John Travolta, playing VINNIE Barbarino on "Welcome Back, Kotter"We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

This episode is brought to you by Strong Coffee Company, WHOOP, Caldera Lab and Audible. Boost mental sharpness today and prevent cognitive decline tomorrow, including Alzheimer's disease, with science-backed strategies that will extend your brain's longevity beyond what you thought was possible. The most important part of the body, especially as we age, is our brain. So why aren't we taking the health of our brain as seriously as our heart and achy joints, particularly when people are struggling to focus every day, and dementia and Alzheimer's cases continue to rise? In The Stimulated Mind, Dr. Tommy Wood, a Formula 1 sports performance coach and neuroscientist specializing in lifelong brain health, dispels the myth that the brain is doomed to decline with age. Instead, by providing the right stimulus and building more "headroom"—the amount of mental function we have available to us—we can help our brain to adapt and develop. Follow Tommy @drtommywood Follow Chase @chase_chewning ----- 00:00 – Can up to 70% of dementia be prevented? 00:17 – Why skill-building protects the brain 00:34 – The belief about aging that becomes self-fulfilling 01:55 – Why we're overstimulated and under-stimulated at the same time 03:00 – Train your brain like you train your body 04:28 – Why rest, recovery, and sleep matter for brain performance 05:59 – Brain function is more malleable than most people think 07:15 – Why failure is the primary driver of neuroplasticity 08:22 – Crossword puzzles vs real cognitive challenge 09:40 – What people think is helping brain health, but isn't enough 11:53 – The placebo effect and why "something" can still help 12:28 – Why crosswords help less than you think 14:04 – What it actually means to "stimulate" the brain 15:43 – Why education and complex skills delay cognitive decline 17:05 – Brain clocks, biological age, and measuring brain aging 19:15 – What dancers, artists, gamers, and musicians all have in common 20:23 – It matters less what you do than how hard you engage 22:49 – The truth about the 10,000 hour rule 24:08 – Can video games actually help the brain? 27:40 – The best way to combine learning and application 29:52 – The brain as an adaptation machine 31:11 – How immersion and environment accelerate learning 33:09 – Why some people thrive under pressure and others shut down 35:33 – Is there really a difference between brain and mind? 38:08 – Belief, performance, and the neuroscience of "I can" vs "I can't" 40:25 – What happens in the brain when you think you can't do something 44:27 – Stress-is-bad vs stress-is-enhancing mindsets 50:49 – Can your own beliefs override what you're told? 53:24 – Growth mindset and why belief changes performance 54:30 – Why people lose belief in themselves 56:23 – Self-compassion, process, and staying engaged long-term 58:35 – Mindfulness, presence, and learning as an adult 01:02:02 – Can these habits really prevent Alzheimer's and dementia? 01:02:45 – The real dementia risk numbers: 45% to 70% 01:03:29 – Biggest modifiable risk factors for dementia 01:04:29 – Hearing aids, cataracts, and reversing hidden risk 01:06:26 – Why dementia risk is massively modifiable 01:07:21 – Alzheimer's vs vascular dementia explained 01:09:23 – Why women have historically carried more Alzheimer's burden 01:10:03 – Education, equality, and declining dementia rates 01:15:03 – Where boredom fits into brain health and performance 01:16:02 – Pomodoro, deep work, and cognitive recovery 01:17:06 – Why boredom may be essential for creativity 01:19:24 – Treat your brain like a cognitive athlete 01:20:11 – Creatine for brain health: hype or helpful? 01:25:19 – Best-supported supplements for cognitive performance 01:27:20 – Omega-3s, B vitamins, vitamin D, and iron 01:29:03 – Magnesium, zinc, choline, and antioxidants 01:31:20 – Cognitive headroom: reserve, resilience, and resolve 01:35:33 – What "Ever Forward" means to Tommy Wood ----- Episode resources: Save 15% on organic coffee and lattes with code CHASE at https://www.StrongCoffeeCompany.com/chase Get a FREE activity tracker at https://www.Join.WHOOP.com/everforward Save 20% on my favorite men's skincare with code EVERFORWARD at https://www.CalderaLab.com Watch and subscribe on YouTube Get Tommy's new book The Stimulated Mind and get the audiobook for FREE with your 30-day trial of Audible

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. We are pleased to report that Rachel Fabi's latest crossword checks all the boxes. To confirm that, be sure and check out today's episode, available ... right now!Show note imagery: Negative Nancy, not to be confused with whining Willy!We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Our intrepid cohosts, solving independently as usual, took very different crossword solving journeys in tackling this, Kareem Ayas' tenth NYTimes opus. Jean found it a walk in the park; Mike found it more of a free solo event, in which one false move could be fatal (to his streak

Today's grid is sweet — literally, thanks to all those delicious, disguised dessert items. Fortunately, they are the virtual kind, and therefore highly unlikely to wreck your diet. In addition to the terrific themed clues, we LOLed at 67A, Oil bigwig?, ARTCURATOR (awesome!); were amazed by 42A, Amundsen who went to the South Pole 15 years before he flew over the North Pole, ROALD (who knew?); and chuckled at 28D, Cold-weather coat, FROST (

This was a fine debut crossword by Philippe Monfiston. It had oodles of interesting clues, a score of bad (by which we mean good

Kudos to Adryel W. Robles Ojeda for getting their very first crossword published in the NYTimes. We found it both fun and fast. We liked all the clues in today's puzzle, but among those that we did not already cover in today's episode, three stood out: 49A, Sharp or flat location on a piano, usually, BLACKKEY (makes sense); 37D, 3 to 1 are good ones, ODDS (cute); and 42A, Most common word in English, THE (not, as we initially guessed, HEYIMWALKINHERE

This was Royce Ferguson's third Saturday NYTimes crossword, and it was highly enjoyable. It was not a walk in the park, but neither was it the "scale El Capitan by one's teeth" type of puzzle that it could have been — and for which we are grateful.There were terrific clues in the grid, such as 26D, Crystal and Rock, notably, OSCARHOSTS (

We are always partial to crosswords with KAZOO in the grid, but that is not the only reason why we are so enamored with today's puzzle. No, they had us at the theme — perfect for a Thursday — and kept us engaged with such great clues as 63A, School with a larger-than-life bronze statue of Henry VI, ETON (um, ok); 46A, One side in a "Holy War" rivalry in college football, UTES (vs??? Sure, leave us hanging

Tom Allen joins Dan, James and Andy to discuss Noel, Nudie, Greeks and Gardening.Visit nosuchthingasafish.com for news about live shows, merchandise and more episodes. Join Club Fish for ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content at apple.co/nosuchthingasafish or nosuchthingasafish.com/patreon