Sunday July 2, 2017 Alan P. Olschwang

Theme:  "Up the River" - Each theme entry has a river going up.

5D. British actor who played Algy Longworth in 1930s Bulldog Drummond movies : REGINALD DENNY. Niger. Never hard of the actor.

7D. Garage job : ALIGNMENT. Gila.

11D. Western actor who taught Harrison Ford how to use a bullwhip : LASH LARUE. Ural.

15D. "Titanic" theme vocalist : CELINE DION. Nile.

61D. Was perfectly tailored : FIT LIKE A GLOVE. Volga. Longest river in Russia.

76D. Memorable line from Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" : I'M IN HEAVEN. Neva. One more Russian river.

85D. Third James Bond novel : MOON RAKER. Arno.

87D. Samba relative : BOSSA NOVA. Avon.

So nice to see Alan Olschwang back. He made so many puzzles for us during those Wayne R. Williams days.

Some of the rivers span across two words. Some are just fully contained in another word. Not too many choices for Alan.

It seems that Rich has changed his policy and allows circles on Sundays.

Across:      

1. Back biter? : MOLAR. We also have 41. Scary biter : TSETSE. "Biter" clue echoes.

6. They're rarely good dance partners : OAFS. Also 50. Square dance milieu : HOEDOWN. Do you still remember the sweet high school picture Yellowrocks used for her avatar some time ago? Pre-Butterfly.

10. Worry word : ALAS

14. Nut under a tree : ACORN

19. Sherlock's adversary Adler : IRENE

20. Zero-star meal : SLOP.  I had baked walleye & roasted rosemary potatoes last Friday. So good. This is the first year I grow rosemary.

21. Hard finish? : WARE. Hardware.

22. Big fight : MELEE

23. Words on the street? : SLANG. Nice clue.

24. Big Island port : HILO

25. Spanish pronoun : ESTA. Also 73. Span. title : SRA

26. Window treatment : BLIND

27. Cargo unit : TON

28. Lennon classic covered by Pentatonix : IMAGINE

31. Like some riots : HILARIOUS. Great fill.

33. Absurd : INSANE

35. Aborted operation : NO-GO. Tiny two-letter dupe with 51. Turn : GO BAD. The hardest to spot dupe in a grid is EAT/ATE.

36. Something to learn : LESSON. I continue to make dupe errors. Never learn! Thank God Rich/Patti are always there to save me.


37. Willamette University home : SALEM

39. "Enigma Variations" composer : ELGAR

45. Coral Sea sight : ATOLL

48. More hard-up : NEEDIER
  
52. NBC weekend staple : SNL

53. Ancient German : TEUTON

55. Fuming : IRED. Not a word I use.

56. Polishes, as prose : EMENDS

58. Support source : TECH. Our local paper had an disconcerting article on how CenturyLink has been running a Wells Fargo-style scheme.

60. Job listing ltrs. : EEO

61. Bacon and eggs, say : FOODS. I also planted French Tarragon this year. For my scrambled eggs.

62. Puts in order : NEATENS

64. Police protector : VEST

66. Woodworking supply : STAIN. Followed by 68. Workable wood : ASH

69. Firmly affixed : NAILED

71. State with confidence : ASSERT
 
76. Hastings hearth : INGLE. Learned from doing crosswords.

77. Deserve : EARN

79. Tells : RELATES

81. Hostile force : ENEMY

84. Cartesian conclusion : I AM

86. Volvo competitor : SAAB

88. Freshen : AIR OUT

89. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI. Dad of Norah Jones.

90. Like hiss or boom : ECHOIC. Not a word I use.

92. Snappy dresser : FOP

94. Scandinavian capital : KRONE. Currency. We also have 43. Scand. land : SWED

95. Fictional wolf's disguise : GRANDMA

97. Employ to excess : OVERUSE

99. Fisherman with pots : EELER. You can probably find this roasted eel from the Asian aisle in your grocery store. Very tasty.

100. Algonquian chief : SACHEM. Never heard of this word.

101. Govt. issue : T-NOTE

102. Arabian peninsula capital : SANAA

104. Infatuate : ENAMOR

106. Intestine sections : ILEA

108. Plumed birds : EGRETS

112. Dr. Brown's classic : CREAM SODA

115. Ivy in Ithaca : CORNELL. Where Bill G and Santa went,

117. Seek office : RUN

118. Baby bug : LARVA

119. Wedding reception eye-catcher : CAKE

121. Worked up : AGOG

122. Spender of rials : OMANI

124. French 101 infinitive : AIMER. Love. The three characters between Je and t'aime  is Chinese "I Love You". The one under t is Korean.

125. "Power Hits" series record label : K-TEL

126. Went off the deep end : DOVE

127. Picked a ticket, perhaps : VOTED

128. Board : PLANK

129. Lowly worker : SERF

130. Christmas symbol : STAR

131. Lyrical poetic form : EPODE
  

Down:

 1. Peruvian volcano El __ : MISTI. Oh hi.

2. Wrinkle-resistant fiber : ORLON. Unlike RAYON (Viscose), which wrinkles easily.

3. Cants : LEANS

4. "Barbara __": Beach Boys hit : ANN

6. DOL watchdog : OSHA. Department of Labor.

8. Book sheet : FOLIO

9. Freeloaded : SPONGED

10. Stupefied state : AWE

12. More pretentious : ARTIER

13. Waterproofs, perhaps : SEALS

14. Cynical Bierce who defined "sweater" as "Garment worn by child when its mother is feeling
chilly" : AMBROSE
 
16. Broad assortment : OLIO

17. Bausch + Lomb brand : RENU

18. Rorem and Beatty : NEDS. Also 90. Filmdom's Thompson and Watson : EMMAs

29. Qantas hub letters : MEL. OK, Melbourne.

30. Tertiary Period stones : EOLITHS

32. __ Martin: Bond's car : ASTON

34. Like italics : ASLANT

38. Middle of dinner? : ENS. Dinner.

40. Turn right : GEE

42. Capa attacker : TORO. Bull in Spanish.

44. Circle's lack : ENDS. Drew a blank.

45. Gemini rocket stage : AGENA. Have not seen this entry for a long time.

46. Some library volumes : TOMES

47. Caribbean sorcery : OBEAH.  Is it still practiced?

49. Sorbonne student : ELEVE

50. Nocturnal tree dweller : HOOTER

54. Trueheart of the comics : TESS

57. Problem with a line : SNAG. Fishing line.


59. Turn over : CEDE

63. Glass component : SILICA

65. Ancient home of Irish kings : TARA. I think Argyle used this clue in one of our puzzles.

67. Academic specialty : AREA

70. Sister of Rachel : LEAH

72. A lot more than a little mistake : SNAFU

73. It may have a swivel top : STOOL. Oh, like those in the bar.

74. Get together with old classmates, say : REUNE. Do you actually use this verb form?

75. China __: showy bloom : ASTER

78. Religious recluse : ASCETIC

80. Unpaid bill : ARREAR. Often in plural.

81. Energy bits : ERGS

82. Ancient Japanese capital : NARA. Japan's capital between 710 and 794, according to Wiki.

83. Brush fire op : EVAC

91. 1961 Literature Nobelist Andric : IVO. Stranger to me.

93. Plant studied by Mendel : PEA

96. Hamlet's homeland : DENMARK

98. Puts in another roll of film : RELOADS

101. Up till now : TO DATE

103. First word in Dante's "Inferno" : NEL. Forgot. We had this before.

105. Taunts : MOCKS

107. Grain bane : ERGOT

109. Sister of Calliope : ERATO. Same roots as Eros.


110. Not sharp or flat : TUNED

111. Rather nasty : SNIDE

112. Storm harbinger : CLAP

113. Marsh bird : RAIL. Cute.

114. Name on the column "At Wit's End" : ERMA (Bombeck)

116. Hungarian city known for red wine : EGER

120. Seasonal worker? : ELF

123. Swiffer WetJet, e.g. : MOP

C.C.

Saturday, May 6th, 2017, Alan Olschwang

Theme: None

Words: 72 (V,W,Z)

Blocks: 28

The last time we saw a Saturday puzzle from Alan was January of last year - I believe that I have cringed every time I've seen his name as the constructor, and today was no different.  However, I did manage to get through most of the puzzle pretty smoothly - a few answers in my wheelhouse got me some traction, and it was only in the NW corner that I got stumped.  Triple 10x6 corners one way, triple 8's the other, and one spanner;

36. 1924 novel set during the British Raj : A PASSAGE TO INDIA - and a movie in 1984

15. Controlled : RODE HERD ON - I did not get my "ta-DA~!" because I had rode HARD on - which made sense; I have never heard the HERD version - but that's the straight up definition

13. Jonquil and daffodil : NARCISSI - learning moment; the Wiki

65. It may be spontaneous : COMBUSTION

38. Brazen : ARROGANT

"May the Fourth be with you" is followed 

by the less-popular "May the Sith"

ACROSS:

1. Without delay : THIS SECOND

11. Eleanor Roosevelt's real first name : ANNA

16. 1967 self-titled folk album : JOAN - pondered this or BAEZ

17. Uncomplicated : ELEMENTARY - I just finished building a countertop which I made using 5/4 stock and my new biscuit joiner - now I feel like tackling something a little more complicated, like a chess set ( which I'd need a lathe for ) and something cool, like this;

18. Abruzzi town in a Longfellow poem : ATRI - dah~! Not ASTI

19. British prime minister during two millennia : BLAIR - my 1d. made me change this

20. Hot skillet sound : SSSsss

21. Suits : EXECS

22. Leaves alone : LETS BE

24. Somme time : ÉTÉ - Frawnche - been a while

26. Somme co. : CIE - and thus, more Frawnche

27. What may be seen before long : ERE

28. It, in Italy : ESSA

31. Supper, say : REPAST

33. "Way to go!" : "ATTA BOY~!"

35. Language that gave us "galore" : ERSE 

legs galore

40. Bit of mischief : LARK

41. Perfectly : TO A TURN

42. Attack from above : STRAFE

44. Con __: briskly, on scores : MOTO

45. Diner owner __ Lee on "2 Broke Girls" : HAN - a different "Han"

48. Metal precioso : ORO

49. Surfing need, briefly : ISP - web surfing, with an Internet Service Provider

51. Even : SQUARE

53. Proper : RIGHT

55. Chocolate __ : LAB - Dah~! Not BAR

58. Commercial word after "open," perhaps : UNTIL

59. Beneficial berry : ACAI

60. Occurred : CAME TO PASS

62. Cloud __ : NINE - I was curious about the origin

63. Beneath : INFERIOR TO

64. Challenge for srs. : SATs

DOWN:

1. Amp setting : TREBLE - ah, not ELEVEN

2. Call out : HOLLER

3. Imagine : IDEATE

4. Big Macks : SEMIs

5. Palate cleansers : SHERBETS

6. Yeats' yet : E'EN - poetic 'even'

7. Flat-screen predecessors : CRTs - went with LCDs, but was not convinced

8. Harem rooms : ODAs - been a long time since I've seen this in a crossword

9. Ancient mariners : NORSE

10. Letters after Sen. Schumer's name : D, NY - democrat for New York

11. Bon Ami competitor : AJAX

12. Greeting carrier : NOTE CARD

14. Licorice-flavored brew : ANISE TEA - got it from doing crosswords

21. Extra-wide spec : EEE

23. Willing subjects? : ESTATES - wasn't fooled, but my first thought, OFFSPRING, didn't fit

25. Team builders : TRYOUTS - good clue

29. Pudding starch : SAGO - tried TARO, and that's 100% 50% correct

30. Crossing the keel : ABEAM

32. One of the Ivies : PENN -oops, not YALE

33. Silly question starter? : ASK A....

34. Anne Frank's father : OTTO - shout-out~!

36. They were in it but didn't win it : ALSO RANS

37. Crime author Cornwell : PATRICIA - filled via perps

39. Mohawk's confederacy : IROQUOIS - spelled it wrong; in the DOWN, it was hard to see

43. One may be thrown in anger : FIT

45. 1962 John Wayne film set in Africa : HATARI - yeah, not "sAfARI" - never seen a John Wayne movie - before my time

46. Blueblood, informally : ARISTOcrat

47. Wrestling hold : NELSON

50. Pizza Hut's Texas headquarters : PLANO

52. Prepare for a transplant : UNPOT - we had REpot last week

54. Gets moving : HIES

56. Band letters : AM/FM

57. "Peaky Blinders" network, with "the" : BEEB - The BBC

60. Mil. VIP : CIC - we have a new Commander In Chief

61. It replaced "Court" in a TV channel name : TRU

Splynter

Friday, November 18, 2016, Alan Olschwang

Title: It must be Thursday in 2008 Alan Olschwang is back!

For the few remaining regular posters who go back to the Tribune Media Services puzzles which inspired C.C. to become a blogger, this is a blast from the past. Every Thursday we had a quip/quote puzzle from Mr. O. The fourth puzzle that was blogged by C.C. at her Corner was this ONE which predates all of us. As C.C. honed her interviewing skills, she presented us with this GLIMPSE into his mind. The quip:

"20A. Start of a quip : IT WON'T MATTER (12).
  29A. Quip, part 2 : HOW FAR YOU (9).
  38A. Quip, part 3 : PUSH THE ENVELOPE (15).
  45A. Quip, part 4 : IT'LL STILL (9).
  53A. End of the quip : BE STATIONERY (12)."

I think the ER is funnier.
His version is used to protect the symmetry of the clues.



As with most of these type puzzles, the quip is based on a pun - stationery / stationary. It feels strange to be back in the day; I hope you enjoy the trip. It is interesting how many constructors are resurfacing after an extended absence.

Across:

1. Did one part of a typical triathlon : SWAM. A sport with swimming, cycling, and long-distance running.

5. Overwhelm : SWAMP.

10. Camera output : SNAP.

14. Tuscan waterway : ARNO. The RIVER. More river talk. 51A. Swiss waterway : AARE. A fun tour by ORANGE (Amy Renaldo).

15. Smoothes : EASES.

16. 1899 gold rush town : NOME. 50 years later.

17. It's nothing to Noelle : RIEN. Just French.

18. Pines, e.g. : TREES. Sometimes the simple answer is right even on Friday.

19. Wavy lines, in comics : ODOR. There are  ORGANIZED rules?

23. Stuff in a sack : LOOT.

24. Dough shortage consequence : DEBT.

27. "Chicago P.D." detective Lindsay : ERIN. A pretty young lady who is played by Sophia Bush

34. Speaks : ORATES.

36. Durango day : DIA. This time the language is Spanish.

37. Rotation meas. : RPS. Revolutions Per Second? Certainly not RPMS. Hmm, rock, paper, scissors? Nit pick?

42. Pranks, in a way, informally : TPS. Good symmetry with the questionable RPS. NC questions whether this is really done in America; yes it does happen often.

43. Browser's find : URL.URL is the short version for : Uniform Resource Locator, previously Universal Resource Locator – usually pronounced by sounding out each letter. URL – is the unique address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. Various sources.

44. Privileged groups : ELITES.

49. Wrapped up : OVER. That story arc was finally wrapped up.

50. See 52-Down : SEAT. 52D. With 50-Across, flier's option : AISLE.

60. Hook for landing large fish : GAFF. Is this a GAFFE?

63. Wines named for an Iberian city : PORTS. Tell them all about it Chairman.

64. Pivot around : SLUE.

65. Plot measure : ACRE.

66. Mexican Academy of Film award : ARIEL. Interesting LINK.

67. McCain's alma mater: Abbr. : USNA. United States Naval Academy.

68. Casino device : SHOE. They like the 8 deck version in Las Vegas to defeat the card counters.

69. Spider's web, e.g. : SNARE.

70. Jury member : PEER. Only the British could have started something that became so different.

Down:

1. Asian garment : SARI.

2. Legal paper : WRIT. More law 13D. __ stirpes: estate law term : PER.

3. Once more : ANEW. 7D. Europe-bound, perhaps : ASEA.

4. Yosemite's El Capitan, e.g. : MONOLITH. people actually climb this for fun!

5. Scrape : SET TO.

6. Affection : WARMTH.

8. Athletic contest : MEET. an organized event at which a number of races or other sporting contests are held. "a swim meet."

9. "Hey, you!" : PSST.

10. Common nocturnal disturbance : SNORER. Syntax? Isn't it the snoring that is the disturbance?

11. Wordless opinion : NOD.

12. Te-__: cigar brand : AMO.

21. Good-sized combo : NONET. Nine pieces.

22. First name in childcare writing : EDA.

25. How many learn : BY ROTE. Memorization without thought.

26. High hat : TOPPER.

27. Rages : ERUPTS.

28. Brawl in the sticks : RASSLE.

30. Former "Access Hollywood" anchor Nancy : O'DELL. Too political.

31. When repeated, mutually advantageous : WIN. Much of what I do now is win-win where a buyer and seller of real property are both very happy at the closing.

32. Most liked, casually : FAVE. I have a cousin who loves this word.

33. Versatility list : USES.

34. Eye opener? : OPTIcal e.g.

35. Close : SHUT.

39. NW Penn. airport : ERIe. The universal code for airports. This ONE really is not in Erie is it gentleman?

40. Ecuadoran gold region : EL ORO.  El Oro province is the southernmost of Ecuador's coastal provinces. It was named for its historically important gold production. Today it is one of the world's major exporters of bananas. Wiki.

41. Cheers : LIVENS UP. Nice fill that liv...oh never mind.

46. Tuition add-on : LAB FEE.

47. Abbr. in some Canadian place names : STE. A female saint. more French.

48. LDS part : LATTER. It is religion; some say Mormon, but in 1834, the church was being referred to as the "Church of the Latter Day Saints" in early church publications, and in 1838 Smith announced that he had received a revelation from God that officially changed the name to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." wiki.

54. Therapeutic resorts : SPAS.

55. Ambivalent : TORN.  You think?

56. One of a tenor's repertoire : ARIA.

57. Word suggesting options : ELSE. Back again.

58. Ancient character : RUNE. Not Mel Brooks.

59. Sentence component : YEAR.  Penal system not classroom.

60. Yakking : GAS.

61. German gripe : ACH.

62. One way to sway : FRO and to? Another way to go is over and out, which is a good segue into my saying thank you Mr. Olschwang for a different ride. It is not our first LAT quip but we do not see many. Hope you all enjoyed and come back and see us next time. Lemonade out.

Sunday Feb 7, 2016 Alan Olschwang

TITLE: PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS

INITIALLY, I had no idea about the gimmick and wondered what presidential firsts would have to do with TRAINS, AUDIBLES, et al and then JUST FOR KICKS hit me like a ton of feathers (which weigh the same as a ton of bricks)!

Mark's lovely Super Bowl Sunday puzzle required no reveal as he reasoned that the first letters of seven three-word-phrases will stand out like a brick in a punchbowl and, coupled with the title, would  allow solvers unravel his ploy of using the INITIALS of seven U.S. presidents to start each word in those phrases.  

Tain't easy McGee. Try it with your initials and let us know what you get.

Husker Gary back on the bandstand to serve as emcee on Alan's clever exercise. Using my initials, I'll just say it's a Gosh Darn Shame if you were expecting C.C.'s Sunday blogging. WAIT,  this just in, C.C. will make a triumphant return on Valentine's Day Sunday! Cheers rise from the assembled masses!

Let's first see the themeage:

23. Austria's Railjet, for one (#33) : HIGH SPEED TRAIN - Our 33rd president Harry S (stands for nothing) Truman or this train capable of 143 mph

45. Changes the play at the line of scrimmage (#21) : CALLS AN AUDIBLE - Our 21st president Chester Alan Arthur or what Peyton will be doing today in the Super Bowl to change the play by yelling

74. Words from a returning traveler (#43) : GUESS WHOS BACK - Our 43rd president George Walker Bush or what Yankee fans might have said about our crossword pal A-ROD this year

102. D.C. trip highlight (#27) : WHITE HOUSE TOUR - Our 350 lb. 27th president William Howard Taft or the purpose for which these are used. 

130. Drinking song popularized by the Glenn Miller Orchestra (#36) : LITTLE BROWN JUG - Our 36th president Lyndon Baines Johnson or the traveling trophy for the winner of the annual Minnesota/Michigan game. Michigan leads the series 74 - 25 - 3

17. On a lark (#35) : JUST FOR KICKS - Our 35th president John Fitzgerald Kennedy or why the Carolina Panthers hired Graham Gano

67. Could be more productive (#34) : DON'T DO ENOUGH - Our 34th president Dwight David Eisenhower or my biking output

Across     
  
1. Got a four, probably : MADE PAR - Jusitn Spieth's 8-under scorecard for the first round of the 2015 Master's shows most golf holes are PAR Fours

8. Undermines : ERODES

14. With one's back against the wall : IN A JAM

20. Unsettle : AGITATE

21. Ridicule : DERIDE - What some do to the men in our theme

22. Retiring : DEMURE

25. Has a life : EXISTS

26. Fatuous : INANE

27. "The Lion King" baddie : SCAR

28. French connections? : TETE A TETES - Some Tête-à-Têtes are très discret

30. Derisive shout : HOOT

32. Source of twigs called withies : OSIER - Our Red OSIER Dogwood were beautiful in all seasons

34. __ nouveau : ART

35. Take the high way? : FLY - Cute

36. Vietnam's __ Dinh Diem : NGO - He was assassinated 3 wks before JFK by... 

38. MLB scorecard entry : SAC - SACrificing your turn at bat to perhaps score the GO AHEAD RUN from yesterday's Silkie or at least move a baserunner up

40. Most massive known dwarf planet : ERIS - Pluto's new family

42. Word on mail from Madrid : AEREO 

50. NutraSweet developer : SEARLE - Their Enovid was the first FDA-approved birth control pill and was very lucrative for the company

53. Fatty acid type : OLEIC

54. Sea-Tac abbr. : ARR - Our ARR(ival) at the SEA(ttle)-TAC(oma) airport in 2014 was delayed in Minneapolis by what Delta called a "sick airplane"

55. Some oscilloscope users: Abbr. : EE'S - We physics teachers use 'em too like Electric Engineers

56. Invited : ASKED

57. Actor with a mohawk : MR T - I pity the fool with a haircut like his

59. "Football Night in America" network : NBC

62. "Avatar" extras : ET'S 

64. Telling tales : LYING - Maybe the current FX Series People vs OJ Simpson will tell us the truth (actors in top row, real life people in bottom)

65. Like many an infielder's throw : SIDE ARM - Much quicker

69. Missoula home : MONTANA - Also our good friend Darlene

72. Spotty affliction? : ACNE

73. Latin trio word : AMO - AMO, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant. That's a whole lot of lovin' 

78. White wine aperitif : KIR - I had this in last Sunday's OFF CENTER puzzle

79. "M" director Fritz : LANG

81. 1988 NFL MVP : ESIASON - Boomer ESIASON's foundation was on the 101st floor of the WTC North Tower on 9/11/01. All employees were survived as they were to report to work late that day

82. Sentence sections : PHRASES

84. Bits in a byte, e.g. : OCTET - 8 bits in a byte in Computerland 

86. Vague number : ANY

87. One who might be given the business : SON 

89. Ages and ages : EON

90. Acknowledge tacitly : NOD TO

91. Prophet's claim : ESP - "Hey, prophet, shall I bet the Panthers and lay the points?"

93. Yet, to Yeats : THO

96. Put a handle on : NAMED - C'mon, you know the song with - "Who could put a NAME on you?"

100. Cuddles : SPOONS

106. Author Madeleine L'__ : ENGLE - Best known for A Wrinkle In Time

108. Holly genus : ILEX

109. Sports __ : BRA - The most famous picture of one

110. Valuable deposit : ORE

111. Former Saturn model : ION

113. Max. : ULT

115. Drained of color : ASHEN

117. Alibi problems : GAPS

120. Critical point : CROSSROADS - Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

124. Lotion additive : ALOE

126. Agricultural pioneer : DEERE 

129. Call on the carpet : HAUL UP

133. '90s veep : AL GORE

134. Bumpy : UNEVEN

135. Andalusian city : GRANADA

136. Snickered : TE HEED - or TEE HEED

137. Roma road : STRADA - Artisti di STRADA a Roma (Street artists in Rome)

138. Tossed about : STREWED - Less common past participle of STREW
 
Down

1. When doubled, a common dolphinfish : MAHI

2. Back-country "contrary to" : AGIN

3. Do spadework : DIG A HOLE - or quit... (3 words but no prez initials)

4. Centric start : ETHNO

5. '90s Toyota : PASEO

6. Netmen's gp. : ATP - Association of Tennis Professionals

7. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES

8. Icelandic literary works : EDDAS - Do you see EDDA in there?

9. Gave it another go : RETRIED - I Retired from teaching and after 6 months I RETRIED it for another six years

10. Skating legend : ORR

11. Venomous venting : DIATRIBE - A lot of us know what famous comedian was unleashing a DIATRIBE on actress Edie McClurg in this hilarious scene

12. Nicollette's "Desperate Housewives" role : EDIE - Or an actual EDIE above

13. Words with letter or fax : SENT A

14. Conceptualizes : IDEATES

15. To follow : NEXT

16. Sweetie along the Seine : AMIE

18. Soviet cooperative : ARTEL - An ARTEL of Russian (pre-Soviet) artists in 1863

19. Unkempt : MESSY

24. Green wheels : ECO CAR

29. One may be named for a president : ERA

31. Screening org. : TSA - Some women claim TSA agents ask them to go through the scanner more than once

33. NW Penn. airport : ERI - ERI(E) Airport. In NY a lake, county and canal 

36. Base fig. : NCO - Remember the NCO who was in charge of the motor pool at Ft. Baxter?

37. __ pal : GAL

39. Santa __ winds : ANA

41. Rains hard? : SLEETS

43. Like Pinocchio, eventually : REAL

44. Cinch course : EASY A

46. Bar fruit : LIME

47. Beanpole : SCRAG

48. Immortalized vessel of rhyme : URN - Keats' last two lines from his Ode On A Grecian URN

49. Abbr. before a year : ESTAB

51. "Law & Order" detective Briscoe : LENNIE - Jerry Orbach also did movies and trod the boards of Broadway 

52. Trimming tools : EDGERS

58. "No argument" : TRUE - See Keats above

60. Mercedes rivals : BMW'S - I only learned it was Bavarian not British Motor Works when we toured around Munich 

61. Pacific salmon : COHOS

63. Walk in the park : SNAP

65. Drawing rooms : SALONS

66. End of the '50s TV intro that began "This is the city" : I'M A COP - Later changed to "I carry a badge" following police officer complaints

68. Badlands formation : MESA

70. Verboten thing : NO NO

71. Aleve can alleviate one : ACHE

75. Toughness : SINEW

76. Greets, with "to" : SAYS HI

77. Danish capital : KRONE - You'd receive 34 KRONER (pl.) in change for this bill when getting a McDonald's Combo meal in Copenhagen 

80. Board : GET ON

83. Structural subj. : ANAT - ANATOMY abbr.

85. Half a patio pair : TONG - TONGS

88. High degree : NTH

92. Columnlike architectural piece : PILASTER - Some rather famous ones

94. Hang out : HOBNOB - Archaic - From Hob and Nob - give and take - drinking to each other's health

95. "__ Gang" : OUR - Last Sunday we saw Alfalfa and Buckwheat

97. Saskatchewan city : MOOSE JAW - The Peacock Collegiate High School teams in MOOSE JAW are called the Toilers

98. Asian lead-in : EUR

99. "The Chronic" Dr. : DRE

101. Downed noisily : SLURPED

103. French possessive : TES - e.g. TES livres (your books)

104. Blew out : EXHALED

105. Give a little : SAG

107. Gp. that hired an orchestra for its "Eldorado" album : ELO

111. Phased-out Apple messaging tool : iCHAT

112. Papal garment : ORALE - Today called the FANON - the white/gold striped cape - yet to be worn by Francis 

114. Anklebone : TALUS

116. Barack's 2010 High Court appointee : ELENA

118. Exchange of nasty spots : AD WAR - Finally, with Iowa Caucuses gone, some of you others can have these

119. Shells alternative : PENNE

121. Astringent fruit : SLOE

122. Foolproof : SURE - "Is that right Mr. Madoff?"

123. By __ of: due to : DINT

125. Joule components : ERGS - An ERG = An ant doing a pushup and a Joule = 10,000,000 ants doing a pushup

127. Snippy, say : RUDE

128. "Great Scott!" : EGAD

131. Power agcy. created in 1933 : TVA - The Danville, KY elevator that was left when the TVA dammed the Tennessee River. The bottom five floors were flooded as Kentucky Lake was formed

132. Fido's find : ORT

Using my initials again, I'd call Alan's puzzle Genuinely Delightful Solving! Now let's go see your INTIAL responses -

The Grid: