09.08 Thu

T H U R S D A Y
September 8, 2011
Bill Thompson & Anne Thompson Richter

Theme: Chopped Liver — The first and last letters of each theme answer spell the word "liver."

Theme answers:

• 18A: Portrayer of the Elf maiden Arwen in "The Lord of the Rings" (LIV TYLER).
• 26A: Exist like a mob informant, say (LIVE IN FEAR).
• 49A: Enjoy leisurely (LINGER OVER).
• 60A: Solon (LAW GIVER).
• 69A: It's chopped, in a way, in 18-, 26-, 49- and 60-Across (LIVER).

"Chopped liver" is a great phrase and it definitely works as a theme.
Did you notice that the word is broken up differently in each theme answer? Very cool. I, personally, have never eaten liver. It just looks too much like an internal organ for me. ::shiver::

It's only Thursday, but there were quite a few things in today's grid that I just flat-out didn't know.

• 9A: "__ Astor": Sargent portrait (LADY). Luckily, this one became clear with crosses.
• 23A: Award for books on tape (AUDIE). That's a pretty cute name for an award, so I'm glad to have heard of it now. I wonder if when celebrities are writing memoirs these days they think to themselves, "Oh crap. I'm going to have to read this whole thing out loud."
• 42A: "Pink Shoe Laces" singer Stevens (DODIE). I think I'm just barely the wrong age for this one. I vaguely — vaguely — recall a singer named DODIE, but I never would have put the name together with Stevens.

• 62A: Santa Catalina's only city (AVALON). Again, with crosses there came a point where there wasn't much it could be but AVALON, but it's definitely not a place I've heard of. In Santa Catalina anyway. I know it from King Arthur. And the car lot.
• 68A: Old IBM PCs (XT'S). Could have been any two letters and an S as far as I was concerned.
• 30D: Indira's successor (RAJIV). For a minute, I thought this one should be parsed RAJ and the Roman numeral 4. Haha! But I heard a little voice way in the back of my head telling me that was stupid.

Stand-out entries today include POOR DEVIL (35D: Unfortunate soul) and "DANG IT!" (48D: "Aw, shucks!"). Clunkers are ARE UP (34A: Words in a market report) and COLORER (6D: Kid finishing a book, maybe). Other than that, I think we'll get right to the bullets.

Bullets:

• 6A: Jazz aficionado (CAT). Not many people can get away with calling other people CATs. But the ones who can are very very cool.
• 16A: __ of mystery (AURA). First thought in my head was "MAN of mystery." When that didn't fit, it was really hard to change gears and think of something different.
• 37A: Somersaulting dive (GAINER). Haven't thought about this word since … the last time I watched the Summer Olympics.
• 56A: Beatles title woman who "made a fool of everyone" (SADIE). Don't tell Andrea, but I only know the title of this song — I've never heard it!
• 2D: Nincompoop (BOOB). Yesterday with the BREAST, today with BOOB, what do we have to look forward to tomorrow?!
• 10D: Seasonal song starter (AULD). I never think of New Year's with a clue like this. I just decide there are too many Christmas songs and I'll wait for crosses. Then … ::facepalm::.
• 12D: Easy to maneuver, at sea (YARE). Learned this one from crosswords.

• 19D: Cap with a pom-pom called a toorie (TAM). Wow. Who knew that pom-pom had a fancy name? That's awesome.
• 44D: Guts (INNARDS). Ew.
• 59D: Growl (GNAR). Again, learned it from crosswords. This is one of those words that looks like it should mean something totally different than what it means. I want it to mean a knot or a mess of some kind.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 41A: Tolkien creature (ORC).
• 57A: Bit of work (ERG).
• 1D: Indian tomb site (AGRA).
• 50D: "Giant Brain" unveiled in 1946 (ENIAC).
• 63D: "Wheel of Fortune" purchase (AN I).

Everything — 1A: Leader elected by monks (ABBOT); 6A: Jazz aficionado (CAT); 9A: "__ Astor": Sargent portrait (LADY); 13A: Rule (GOVERN); 15A: Maker of Good Grips kitchen tools (OXO); 16A: __ of mystery (AURA); 17A: Former quarterback Peete (RODNEY); 18A: Portrayer of the Elf maiden Arwen in "The Lord of the Rings" (LIV TYLER); 20A: Hunk's pride (ABS); 21A: The sun, in Canc˙n (EL SOL); 23A: Award for books on tape (AUDIE); 24A: Torchiere, e.g. (FLOOR LAMP); 26A: Exist like a mob informant, say (LIVE IN FEAR); 29A: Mlle. counterpart (SRTA.); 33A: Nut in a cupule (ACORN); 34A: Words in a market report (ARE UP); 36A: Equip with firepower (ARM); 37A: Somersaulting dive (GAINER); 39A: Executive position (TOP JOB); 41A: Tolkien creature (ORC); 42A: "Pink Shoe Laces" singer Stevens (DODIE); 46A: Green shade (OLIVE); 47A: Tourney ranking (SEED); 49A: Enjoy leisurely (LINGER OVER); 51A: 1988 Radio Hall of Fame inductee (AMOS 'N' ANDY); 53A: Boss, in Swahili (BWANA); 56A: Beatles title woman who "made a fool of everyone" (SADIE); 57A: Bit of work (ERG); 60A: Solon (LAW GIVER); 62A: Santa Catalina's only city (AVALON); 64A: All: Pref. (OMNI-); 65A: Wrap up (END); 66A: Place for a picture (CINEMA); 67A: Narc's goal (BUST); 68A: Old IBM PCs (XT'S); 69A: It's chopped, in a way, in 18-, 26-, 49- and 60-Across (LIVER); 1D: Indian tomb site (AGRA); 2D: Nincompoop (BOOB); 3D: Briefs not seen in court (BVD'S); 4D: Sommelier's prefix (OEN-); 5D: Like many a New England street (TREE-LINED); 6D: Kid finishing a book, maybe (COLORER); 7D: They're under shoulder joints, anatomically (AXILLAE); 8D: "Mazel __!" (TOV); 9D: Bucks shots (LAYUPS); 10D: Seasonal song starter (AULD); 11D: Eins und zwei (DREI); 12D: Easy to maneuver, at sea (YARE); 14D: Versatile synthetic (NYLON); 19D: Cap with a pom-pom called a toorie (TAM); 22D: Remote hiding place? (SOFA); 24D: Frond bearer (FERN); 25D: Stuck, after "in" (A RUT); 26D: Old Nigerian capital (LAGOS); 27D: Words of compassion (I CARE); 28D: Walt Disney, vis-à-vis Mickey Mouse (VOICE); 30D: Indira's successor (RAJIV); 31D: Treasure stash (TROVE); 32D: Brew hue (AMBER); 35D: Unfortunate soul (POOR DEVIL); 38D: Chewy caramel candy (ROLO); 40D: Sneaky maneuver (PLOY); 43D: Buck the majority (DISSENT); 44D: Guts (INNARDS); 45D: Quaint outburst (EGAD); 48D: "Aw, shucks!" ("DANG IT!"); 50D: "Giant Brain" unveiled in 1946 (ENIAC); 52D: It follows April in Paris (MAI); 53D: Shapeless form (BLOB); 54D: U.S.'s largest S&L until its 2008 collapse (WAMU); 55D: Botanical bristles (AWNS); 57D: Mtn. statistic (ELEV.); 58D: Where all roads lead? (ROME); 59D: Growl (GNAR); 61D: Annoy (VEX); 63D: "Wheel of Fortune" purchase (AN I).