Fill Me In

Latest Episodes:

Fill Me In #367: "Why?" is the bigger one … and "How?" comes in second. Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian welcome Shannon Rapp back to the program with a fantastic extended Thunder Round all about indie puzzles! It's quite spoiler-laden, so if you want to check out the puzzles first, here are links to the sources:

girlbosswords: Themeless 20: Difficult Women (September 15, 2022 by Malaika Handa and Brooke Husic)
Completing the Square: Puzzle 44: Quadz (October 16, 2022 by carter)
AVCX: "Can We Solve It? Yes, We Can!" (October 14, 2022 by Rafael Musa and Kate Chin Park)
crosstina aquafina: themeless no. 19 [feat. erik agard] (October 12, 2022 by Kelsey Dixon)
Crossword Nexus: All In Love Is Fair (October 21, 2022 by Alex Boisvert and Ben Zimmer)
xwordswithbabka: Bread Week (September 18, 2022 by Dan Schwartz)

And if you're looking for more information and access to non-major-outlet puzzles, check out Daily Crossword Links and Will Nediger's monthly indie roundup (linked is the September edition).

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Do you enjoy our show? Actually, it doesn't matter! Please consider leaving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. This will help new listeners find our show, and you'll be inducted into the Quintuple Decker Turkey Club.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

We're putting these words here to help with search engine optimization. We don't think it will work, but you probably haven't read this far, so it doesn't matter: baseball, crossword, crosswords, etymology, game, hunt, movies, musicals, mystery, oscar, pizza, puzzle, puzzles, soup, trivia, words

Fill Me In #366: It'll be November soon. You know that because Ryan is miserable. Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan is sad and Brian is grumpy. What does that mean for Fill Me In? Another week of random banter about whatever happens to come up. Many questions about math, music, and "Stayin' Alive," if you're into that sort of thing.

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #365: A different awkward from the normal awkward. Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian are delighted to welcome Kate Chin Park and Will Eisenberg to the studio for a conversation about woodworking, pie-baking, and even a bit on crosswords. (Will and Kate constructed our most recent contest puzzle, so there's a recap of that as well!). As always, the other babble includes baseball, musicals, and sandwiches. Are you surprised?

Stuff to click:

Kate Chin Park's Twitter and blog
Will Eisenberg's Twitter and blog
Will's essay "On Trust"
Tim Croce's Club 72 puzzles

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #364: Utterly devoid of value and form. Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian ARE IN THE SAME PHYSICAL SPACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS AND THAT'S MORE OVERWHELMING THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE! All that, plus a contest puzzle from Kate Chin Park and Will Eisenberg, which you can download at https://www.dropbox.com/s/jk3z1f2coh9pfzw/fmi363con.puz?dl=1

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #363: Ryan, you're exploding with amazement. Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian welcomes the mastermind behind Daily Crossword Links (and reigning Lollapuzzoola Champion) Matt Gritzmacher! Anyone looking for new crosswords to try (especially if you thought the #nytxw was the only game in town) -- get thee to Daily Crossword Links. Also -- a new contest puzzle from Kate Chin Park and Will Eisenberg, which you can download at https://www.dropbox.com/s/jk3z1f2coh9pfzw/fmi363con.puz?dl=1

Other stuff to click:

Have linked enough to Daily Crossword Links? Also, follow the team on Twitter (Matt, Shannon, Parker)
The Inkubator's "Class Period" puzzle
NYT's "How to Make a Crossword" (Part 3)

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #362: Soap bubbles, sophomores, and the breakfast test. Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian consider the legacy of The Phantom of the Opera, the responsibility of Yu Darvish, and the squishability of something that is both wet and soft. All that plus a contest puzzle from Neville Fogarty and Rachel Fabi, which you can download at https://www.dropbox.com/s/7865fgb7qppsgvu/fmi361con.puz?dl=1

Other stuff to click:

New FMI listener Evan's Crosshare puzzles
The 70-years-old "Happy Trails"
XWstats.com, in case you haven't seen it.
And you can still get the puzzles from Lollapuzzoola!

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #361: I'm on board only because I followed the cool people, not because I understand where the train is going. Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Don't tell Ryan, but this week, Rachel Fabi and Neville Fogarty break into the studio and coerce Brian into the longest episode of Fill Me In ever! And to make it even stranger, it has more puzzle content than usual ... and a lot of it is about cryptic crosswords!

Neville gives a master class on cryptics at about the 44-minute mark, and the all-cryptic-crossword Thunder Round starts about 72 minutes in. The rest? Some Viewer Mail, some musical theater, very little baseball, and perhaps more laughter than you're accustomed to hearing on this show.

The cryptics of this week's Thunder Round are (some of these require paid subscriptions):

New Yorker (9/4) by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
New York Times (9/4) by John Ewbank
The Browser (9/4) by Nate Cardin
AVCX (8/25) by Nate Cardin
Out of Left Field (we don't actually delve into this one, but it was #127) by Joshua Kosman and Henry Picciotto
Square Chase #17, "Heist," by Steve Mossberg
Wall Street Journal, "Art Gallery" (8/27) by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Go solve them first if you don't want to be spoiled by the Thunder Round.

Other stuff to click:

These Puzzles Fund Abortion
Jesse Lansner and Laura Braunstein's "The A's Have It"
Neville Fogarty's website that looks like it hasn't been updated in over a year
The brand new contest puzzle written by Rachel Fabi and Neville Fogarty!

You can still get the puzzles from Lollapuzzoola!

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #360: I can sacrifice one Dorito to the street. Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian conceive of a new crossword game show, discuss what foods may and may not survive the five-second rule, and take a deep dive into ass.

You can still get the puzzles from Lollapuzzoola!

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #359: Still trying to jump the shark, a whole season later. Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian conclude Season Seven without having achieved "the arc" (which was apparently to have made a movie?!) -- and Ben Zimmer shows up to talk us through the highlights of Lollapuzzoola from behind the scenes.

It's a long show, and we considered cutting out the vegetable talk and the Thunder Round ... but Ben Zimmer makes everything better. He's like bacon that way.

You can still get the puzzles from Lollapuzzoola!

Other stuff to click:

Learned League
Ben Zimmer's column on crudité
Lollapuzzoola Local Division champion Ada Nicolle's crossword website, Lucky Streak Crosswords
Lollapuzzoola Express Division champion Matt Gritzmacher's Daily Crossword Links (with a new internet home!)

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #358: Super hot and neck-and-neck. Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian race through the podcast in part because it's way later than when they normally record, and in part because Zoom put up a timer midway through the call and everyone got scared.

If you get bored, write something for the Fill Me In wiki. And if you're feeling philanthropic, donate to our Patreon.

Drop us a note or a Tweet or a postcard or a phone call — we'd love to hear from you.

Helpful links:

Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fill-me-in/id1364379980
Google Play link: https://player.fm/series/fill-me-in-2151002
Amazon/Audible link: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJRM927
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected