Fill Me In


Fill Me In is a weekly podcast program, in which we (Ryan Hecht and Brian Cimmet) talk for about 30-40 minutes about a variety of subjects, some of which occasionally include puzzles.

When we first started the podcast in April 2008, we spent almost the entire show discussing each of the New York Times crossword puzzles that week in great detail. We analyzed clues, themes, crowed with pride over no-Googling a Tuesday and complained at great length that Saturdays should be all but excised from human existence.

As the show has progressed and grown, we’ve improved our sound quality, we’ve gotten into a more organized routine, we’ve featured interviews with crossword celebrities, and we’ve allowed some other nonsense and banter to mix into the show. We still spend time on the weekly puzzles, but also devote parts of the show to other aspects of the puzzle world and community as well as the inevitable “two nerds with microphones” banter and repartee.

We’ve put this page together to help new listeners get caught up and join in the fun without either having to listen to everything we’ve done so far or feeling left out of the game. So here’s some basic stuff and a little glossary to help you know what’s going on.