Employer of Norah O'Donnell / MON 7-5-21 / Ugandan tyrant ___ Amin / Yale collegian / Co-star of TV's "Maude" / The Bronx or Brooklyn, informally / Fictional detective Nero

• SEA CUCUMBER (17A: Marine inhabitant that's an animal, not a plant, despite what it's called)
• WHY YOU LITTLE (27A: Angry shout to a miscreant)
• EL LIBERTADOR (41A: Sobriquet for Simón Bolívar)
• EYE IN THE SKY (54A: Observation satellite)

Word of the Day: RAREBIT (10D: Cheese-on-toast dish) —

Welsh rabbit or Welsh rarebit (/ˈræbɪt/ or /ˈrɛərbɪt/)^[1] is a dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread.^[2] The original 18th-century name of the dish was the jocular "Welsh rabbit", which was later reinterpreted as "rarebit", as the dish contains no rabbit. Variants include English rabbit, Scotch rabbit, buck rabbit, golden buck, and blushing bunny.

Though cheese on toast was popular in Wales, there is no strong evidence that the dish originated in Welsh cuisine.

 (Wikipedia) 

It's another August Monday! Next month is actually August so people will probably make jokes. Let's get into the puzzle. Whoof! It was a rough Monday - crossing EL LIBERTADOR with IDI (42D: Ugandan tyrant ___ Amin) and CBS NEWS (39D: Employer of Norah O'Donnell) clued that way is criminal. Lots of names and places. Mondays are supposed to be for beginners! Also why was Yale randomly in there twice? Is REPACK even a word? What the heck is a RAREBIT? OWLET was a cute clue. I appreciate ATRIA being clued as something other than "Chambers of the heart" as it often is.

...What exactly was the theme? Like, what was that supposed to be? I only noticed the theme way after it would've been helpful. I guess I'm just used to Monday themes being cute and simple and this was neither. 

Bullets:

• BORO (27D: The Bronx or Brooklyn, informally)— I'm sorry what? I googled "boro New York" and got nothing. Is this actual New York slang or what?
• HOTEL SAFE (29D: Place to store valuables when traveling)— You can't just put "hotel" in front of "safe" and call it a phrare. #Crosswordese
• JIB (8D: Triangular sail) — As you know I'm a big sports-head. I manned the jib for years back in my high school sports days. Heres a picture of me ready to set sail.
  
  
• CABARET (26A: Nightclub)— I told you about my sports days but don't even get me started on my musical theater days. Heres an earworm for your Monday.
  
  

Signed, August Thompson, tired graduate student.
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