ADDLE (65 Across) means to mix up, but today it has an extra meaning because it explains the theme: add
le to a normal phrase and get something different. But one has to break the word ADDLE into syllables in order to get the meaning. Very clever! I don't believe I have seen a theme wrapped up in one word that did not denote the attendant theme. I particularly liked
LEONTELEVISION and
LEASHWEDNESDAY.
Also fun were:
It's often left in the copier: Abbr. ORIG
Mountain ride BIKE
Lover's sweet talk? NOTHINGS [as in the idiom "whisper sweet nothings"]
I don't know why when I read "He played Ugarte in 'Casablanca'" my spirits lifted. I was also glad to be reminded of the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel: "The Last Judgment" flashed into my mind's eye. Can mere references to art be so powerful?