On The Cross with Lucas Murphy

Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle. Along the way he might just learn a little bit about life, love, and the meaning of archaic words.

I Got Steve Harvey In My Van 04/20/2021

I Got Steve Harvey In My Van It's Lucas's birthday and we talk about leasing a Hyundai. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/18788969

All In Favor of Popsicles 04/13/2021

All In Favor of Popsicles The boys discuss Godzilla vs King Kong and solve the New York Times Crossword Puzzle for Tuesday, April 13th. Watch along every Monday on our new Click the link and hit that subscribe button to catch the next episode live! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/18712547

To "Ope!" by Silence 04/06/2021

To "Ope!" by Silence The boys eventually get around to doing the Tuesday puzzle for April 6th, 2001 New York Times Crossword after spending half their time talking about chicken and pizza recipes. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/18617453

Bedtime at the Apollo 03/30/2021

Bedtime at the Apollo The boys do the New York Times Crossword Puzze for Tuesday March 30th and discuss the bizarre Christian singer Carman. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/18532700

The Marvel Cinematic Yarn 03/16/2021

The Marvel Cinematic Yarn The boys are back with another fresh puzzle from the New York Times! Tuesday March 10th, 2021 crossword for those who like to play along. DON'T FORGET: we're a live podcast now, you can watch along and join the conversation! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/18343814

Greetings Earthlings We Come Buckets 02/23/2021

Greetings Earthlings We Come Buckets The Boys are back, but now they're Twitch streamers. After some false starts and despite some technical difficulties they solved a Monday puzzle from the New York Times. We'll still be releasing the show as a podcast but you can play along with us every Monday night at /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/18056384

3rd Bad Boys From the Sun 06/09/2020

3rd Bad Boys From the Sun As the quarantine continues, Lucas and Nathan do the New York Times crossword over zoom again. Nathan saw the new blockbuster action movie. Lucas can't vote. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/14745986

BOYZ ONLY: Pray The Percy Jackson Away 05/19/2020

BOYZ ONLY: Pray The Percy Jackson Away It's an instant COVID classic! Nathan and Lucas are video chatting and doing a New York Times Crossword Puzzle that's either about the most important subject in liberal politics, or Black History Month. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/14477150

Bullies of the Mind with Laura Mattingly 04/07/2020

Bullies of the Mind with Laura Mattingly Lucas and Nathan have both been cooped up in a house with a multitude of stir crazy children and misbehaving animals, and now to make matters worse the Monday edition of the New York Times crossword puzzle is trickier than it used to be. Luckily Nathan's wife shows up and helps them beat Shortz's diabolical riddles. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/13892531

BOYZ ONLY: Yellow Rat Finks vs Green Rat Finks 02/18/2020

BOYZ ONLY: Yellow Rat Finks vs Green Rat Finks Nathan's basement bar is looking good, Lucas is worried about the jerk off years, and the timer is running on the meatloaf. It's somehow one of the most meandering conversations that also sets a speed record for puzzle finishes. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/13164245

Zorro, The Beyblade with AJ Estes 01/13/2020

Zorro, The Beyblade with AJ Estes AJ Estes from joins Lucas and Nathan to solve a Monday puzzle with hints of a seat-related connection. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/12712916

Holy Infant Half Hot, Half Lemon Pepper with Jordan Goodwin 12/16/2019

Holy Infant Half Hot, Half Lemon Pepper with Jordan Goodwin Comedian/Antarctic Explorer Jordan Goodwin helps Lucas and Nathan solve a "spooky" themed New York Times crossword puzzle. There's some confusion about the plot of Cold Mountain. Jordan has the utmost confidence in his lawyers. Nathan talks about his first foray into theatre. Remember to give the show a review on Apple Podcasts, it really does help other people discover our show! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/12414737

Stop! Or My Mom Will Skeet with Dan Alten 11/26/2019

Stop! Or My Mom Will Skeet with Dan Alten Comedian Dan Alten joins the boys in the studio for a good old fashioned New York Times Crossword. Lucas admits to hiding deviled eggs from a blind guy. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/12185645

Boyz Only: Gallagher 37 11/05/2019

Boyz Only: Gallagher 37 Lucas and Nathan are here to keep you up to speed on everything you need to know in the upcoming season of the Knockout Game. Lucas is starting a leech farm, Nathan can’t understand who was saving up all those feathers, and the boys debate the benefits of falling from outer space vs falling off the roof. All this plus a New York Times Crossword Puzzle. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11913311

Jerkin' Off Around the Campfire with Craig Williams 10/22/2019

Jerkin' Off Around the Campfire with Craig Williams Writer and host of the Killscreen Cinema podcast Craig Williams joins Lucas and Nathan for a lively conversation about horror films that also includes some New York Times Crossword Puzzle solving at some point! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11735351

Office Bully with Holly Lynnea 10/15/2019

Office Bully with Holly Lynnea The multitalented Holly Lynnea returns for a spooky New York Times crossword puzzle that covers everything from the similarities between Madea and Jaden Smith, to Freddy vs Jason slashfiction, and even Roadrunner cartoon continuity errors. You can check out all of Holly's upcoming appearances at /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11645774

The Penisher with Ryan Riker 10/08/2019

The Penisher with Ryan Riker Come along with us as Nathan goes on an adderall adventure, Lucas ponders a pencil in his pee hole, and guest Ryan Riker skips a birthday party to solve the New York Times Crossword Puzzle! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11554835

Robo Bader Ginsborg with Nathaniel Potts-Wells 10/01/2019

Robo Bader Ginsborg with Nathaniel Potts-Wells It's a Monday puzzle episode, with a thin candy shell to protect the troops from the gloops. We talk prison art, buying Dennis Kucinich's Sentra, and Nathan's extremely disturbing foray into VCR hacking. If you enjoy the show please don't forget to go give us a review on iTunes! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11466782

BOYZ ONLY: Gothttorney at Law 09/04/2019

BOYZ ONLY: Gothttorney at Law If Nathan sounds a little different it’s because his mustache is gone, folks. The boys are back at it again with the Labor Day puzzle from the Failing New York Times, as well as all the conversation about Cracker Barrel you’ve come to expect. Plus reviews of gum, putting stuff inside your pee hole, and stealing valor from pole dancers. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11114423

Boyz Only: Caligula 2020 08/27/2019

Boyz Only: Caligula 2020 There's a mouse in the house and it's not the one shaking you down for a new subscription service! Nathan and Lucas discuss their political situations, plans for joining community theatre, redneck domestic partnerships, and cultures who use the wrong parts of the animals.All this and a Monday puzzle! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/11011034

Boyz Only: Thigh Gap Jim 08/13/2019

Boyz Only: Thigh Gap Jim Lucas and Nathan are BACK, BABY! There's a solid half hour of very granular discussion about the production of booze, followed by the consumption of booze. We talk about the angry hot dog biker, Nathan's water park lifestyle, Boston Milkshakes, our complete and withering disdain for prestige television, invent scrabbilliards, and try to get to the bottom of a Sherlock Holmes Tampon Mystery. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/10843979

Hack Man Fever LIVE with Sean Cannon 07/09/2019

Hack Man Fever LIVE with Sean Cannon On The Cross is coming to you LIVE from Poorcastle Festival with our special guest Sean Cannon, here to help us solve the New York Times Crossword Puzzle in a tent full of confused music festival goers. We launch into the poopoo and peepee material pretty quickly and it devolves from there into a heated debate about what the best pizza buffet is. Fans from the crowd get on stage to explain the history of dirty jokes, and Lucas makes some broad generalizations about what constitutes a soup. Plus a dueling speed round between a mini puzzle and Sean’s credentials! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/10452461

Boyz Only: Spud as a Bud in a Rud 07/02/2019

Boyz Only: Spud as a Bud in a Rud The Boys are back with another puzzling pod. Nathan’s working out the kinks on his bankruptcy scheme, Lucas hates youtube celebrities, there’s some discussion on where Geico fits into the classic structures of narrative conflict, and Nathan describes his ideal date with Sarah Huckabee Sanders. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/10372358

Boyz Only: Liberty's Toe 06/25/2019

Boyz Only: Liberty's Toe Are the rumors true? Is On The Cross headed for a breakup? Nathan's been blocking Lucas's Words with Friends requests, Lucas has nothing but contempt for Nathan's love of 90's bands. Things seem pretty unstable. Still the boys have reunited, not unlike the Beatles, for a rooftop performance this week. Join them as they take on a "mini-marathon" of three short puzzles. One easy one, one humiliatingly tough one, and one that's gay as hell. There's a lot of talk about video games, and a little talk about politics vis-a-vis terrible beer preferences. Also: if you live in the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio area, we're doing a live show July 6th at Poorcastle Fest! Go to for the complete lineup and tickets, it's gonna be one heck of a show. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/10291478

The Bone Rattler with Misty Stine 05/22/2019

The Bone Rattler with Misty Stine Comedian Misty Stine comes by the studio to help solve a "food and drink" themed crossword puzzle from the New York Times app. We discuss the worst stage in town, hipsters, alternate calendars as a tool of the bourgeoisie, stamp addiction, and that Game of Thrones. If you like the show please go to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review! Let us know you're out there! /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/9874595

Boyz Only: Diaper Genie 05/07/2019

Boyz Only: Diaper Genie Nathan's gone garden crazy. Lucas is just trying to keep up. There's mild spoilers about the fate of Hagar the Horrible in the new Avengers movie. Nobody is keeping the go kart cheaters in check. All this plus we read the minutes from the last meeting of the itty bitty titty committee. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/9683777

Trying to Rob a Squirrel with Lucious Williams 04/30/2019

Trying to Rob a Squirrel with Lucious Williams Lucious Williams is back for a New York Times Crossword mini-marathon! The boys bang out two mini puzzles, talk gardening, name problems, racism, Mini Kiss, preacher breathing, and which zoo animals we could beat in a fight. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/9584687

The Princess and the Pud with Hunter Roberts 04/24/2019

The Princess and the Pud with Hunter Roberts We got a big, fat tiddy hit of a show! Hunter Roberts joins the boys for a comic themed edition of the New York Times Crossword. We talk about the Chinese jerkoff robot, Lake Poopyboobs, Garfield, faraway magic, and the dangers of vintage energy booze. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/9509939

Boyz Only: How Thicc that Lord? 03/26/2019

Boyz Only: How Thicc that Lord? Lucas and Nathan go it alone this week with a full-blown Monday puzzle, and much like Icarus from the Led Zeppelin t shirt, their hubris was their undoing. It wasn't a particularly difficult puzzle, and they certainly got distracted talking about other things, but it took them a solid two hours to figure it out. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/9142664

Good Cop, Wolf Cop with Eric Sorgel 03/13/2019

Good Cop, Wolf Cop with Eric Sorgel Return guest Eric Sorgel joins the boys for a New York Times crossword puzzle and somehow it becomes about Mister Noodle, opossum adjacent muggings, and driving your Ford to the fjord. Nathan offers a taste of the Nerd’s Rope, Eric has a doomsday posse put together, and Lucas owns what could be a lifetime supply of toilet paper. /episode/index/show/onthecross/id/8986619

On The Cross with Lucas Murphy

TOPICS