Fill Me In

Latest Episodes:

Fill Me In #257: The denial of impending September. Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian present a hefty Lollapuzzoola wrap-up (with no puzzle spoilers), and remind you to visit bemoresmarter.com to get the puzzles, if you haven't yet had a chance. Also, we've decided this was the end of Season 5. No new contest this week – Lollapuzzoola has sapped our energy. Check out our twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

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
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 #256: We have out-somethinged the fox. Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

This week, there's a little more promotion of Lollapuzzoola, which happens on Saturday, August 15. Sign up now! Also, strange discussions of copyright, "groovy," and skulks of foxes. No new contest this week – Lollapuzzoola has sapped our energy. Check out our twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

Grids For Good – BUY THIS!
Daily Crossword Links (Matt Gritzmacher's list)
Four articles about words (by Ben Zimmer)
gecxwords

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #255: Blanket. Blanket? No, umbrella. Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

This week, there's the inevitable nonsense about bacon and baseball, but we also announce Lollapuzzoola details! Constructors, schedule, how to sign up (as if you don't know already). Our Contest of Still Going On is still going on (which you can download at https://bit.ly/fmi254con), and we invite you to our twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

Grids For Good – BUY THIS!
Daily Crossword Links (Matt Gritzmacher's list)
Scott Weiss's work at Squonkland.net and his newest Anti-Match Quiz
Adam Aaronson's puzzles
TIME Magazine article about Erik Agard

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #254: Of all the things that are possible, that's certainly one of them. Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian talk Sondheim (but not really in the way you'd think), learn about mass nouns, and attempt to tame a small bit of literary criticism fire. There's a new contest (which you can download at https://bit.ly/fmi254con), and a twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #253: We are your rock. Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian learn some stuff about boats, consider the essence of Finnegan's Wake, and receive some suggestions from AY, UPVE, ALTUA (WOPS). There's a contest (which you can download at https://bit.ly/fmi252con), and a twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

Grids For Good – BUY THIS!
Daily Crossword Links (Matt Gritzmacher's list)
Panda Magazine
JPZ generators
Brian Gubin's crosswords
Boswords! (and the ACPT, which is cancelled)

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #252: It's not slowing me down any. Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian learn how to pronounce cities in Massachusetts, where to find "Weltanschauung" on the internet, and glorify the typesetting of The Westing Game (briefly). There's a contest (which you can download at https://bit.ly/fmi252con), and a twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

Grids For Good – BUY THIS!
Daily Crossword Links (Matt Gritzmacher's list)
Panda Magazine
Fireball Crosswords
Stella Zawistowski's Tough As Nails blog
Brooke Husic's crossword Twitter

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #251: Here's a picture of an elephant playing basketball. Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian solve previously unsolved cryptic clues live on the air (well, Ryan does most of it), discuss the merits of a book they haven't read, and discover the concept of the disposable puzzle. There's a weekly contest (which you can download at https://bit.ly/fmi250con), and a twice-weekly Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

Grids For Good – BUY THIS!
Daily Crossword Links (Matt Gritzmacher's list)
Puzzles by Ella Dershowitz
Thinking Inside the Box (which we haven't read yet)

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #250: I know more about cousins than I know about rugby. Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian save a date, plan for long distance puzzling, and learn the term "randomgram." There's a brand new Contest of Now (which you can download at https://bit.ly/fmi250con), and most weeks, we stream puzzle solving at https://www.twitch.tv/nextdoorcomics on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

Stuff to click:

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #249: Mamma Mia single-handedly ruined the American musical theater (a powerful title, even if this conversation got cut from the interview). Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian are delighted to bring you another interview segment – puzzlemaker and musical theater pianist Amanda Rafkin! Amanda writes daily puzzles for her own blog, has been published in numerous other venues, and has some very strong opinions about musicals. We also have our standards – a Contest of Still Going On and a plug for our Twitch stream (Wednesday and Saturday at 7pm ET).

Stuff to click:

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
RSS feed: http://bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/rss
Contact us: Email (fmi@bemoresmarter.com) / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google Voice (315-510-9892)

Fill Me In #248: 1-Across Percent Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

This week, Ryan and Brian do their best to stick to the script – it's a Thunder Round of fun puzzles, a new Contest of Now (download it here), and don't forget our Twitch stream for cryptic crosswords and P&A Magazine (Wed. and Sat. @ 7:00pm ET).

Today's hot links: