Burglarize is not equivalent to Rob.
Burglars break in and steal something.
Robbers steal while threatening the victim.
It’s like you don’t know any cops or reporters.
Yep, Ramstein is an Air Force base but not an Air Force Base.
Elaine and I toured the USS Midway in San Diego last week. What an amazing floating museum! Every helicopter and most planes that were deployed from its deck is on display. That covers 1945 through the Gulf War. Each plane is accompanied by audio tour presentations, including words from one who flew it. Many retired Navy folks there to answer questions, guide you around the bridge, speak about how the planes landed and took off and schmooze. There are self-guided tours of the living areas and communications centers. The Admiral's chef had a pretty well equipped kitchen.
But this is Navy aviation so we don't have to worry about whether it's an AFB in port and an AFb at sea.
1
No, Martin, but it does pay to distinguish between an Aircraft Carrier and a Naval Air Station.
Irresistible Force, meet Immovable Object...
I thought of a few more embedded fruits:
GO RANGERS
WAIKIKI WIKI
GAP PLEA DEAL
IMPEACHMENT
Is the last item maybe this puzzle’s latent theme? Peaches may be out of season, but not to include one in an assortment of JUICY fruit seems like a meaningful omission.
3
Tutti Frutti, aw Rooty! to a PB for me. As others mentioned , the early and obvious theme greatly expedited the other long theme entries, making the long downs became obvious, and the few unknowns were covered by crosses. Fait accompli.
To all you Brits out there, Happy Guy Fawkes Night! Light your fires, burn the traitor, and delight in Roman candles, Catherine (another traitor) Wheels, and Sparklers and Jumping Jacks to delight and scare the kids; with hot dogs, etc., washed down with mulled wine. No damp squibs allowed. I'm feeling homesick already.
Think I'll treat myself to a lollipop.
2
@NICE CUPPA
Don't light any fires in California!
2
The easy ones led to the fun shaded squares and as a non golfer one answer escaped me until I got a few more crosses. It was a perfect Tuesday, from ARIA to ABBA and OSLO to OKIE. I really didn't want to write SLUM.
Mr. Guzzetta really filled this puzzle with whim, challenge and guesses. Thanks!
1
I remembered seeing an interesting piece on why the RED SKY phenomenon in the NYT science section recently. Here it is for those interested: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/13/science/what-makes-a-red-sky-at-night-and-at-morning.html?searchResultPosition=1
4
My niece likes sucking on lemon wedges. Just thinking about it makes my mouth pucker.
1
@Queenie
My father played tuba in a marching band. He said pranksters would suck a lemon in front of the brass players to try to unnerve them.
Not a PB, but a breezy Tuesday that still bested my Monday average by almost two minutes.
Kodiak is the bear, Kodak is the camera, Kojak is the detective, and Cujo is the dog. One day I"ll keep all these straight.
I was surprised a bit by some I'd never heard appearing on a Tuesday: ROMA Downey, JAKE Tapper, KTEL (guessing this is an eastern US radio station), and still not sure what AFB means. Still, the crossings were generous, as a Tuesday should be, with a fun theme that flowed well and never felt forced.
Great work!
3
@Ryan
AFB: Air Force Base
KTEL: you must too young to have watched those KTEL records infomercials. The fact that I’m saying record is probably enough of a giveaway that I am old. Back in the day, I would tape a penny to a notecard, mail it in, and voila! 8 cassettes would appear in the mail. Along with the eventual note from lawyers that I owed them money. If you know what I’m talking about...good times
2
Ryan,
K-Tel was/is a telemarketer, AFB is an Air Force Base.
Happy Tuesday!
2
@Barry Ancona
When TELE meant television, not telephone marketer.
2
Yesterday I was the Android, but today I'm the AUTOMATON.
5
Neat puzzle. Like others I noted the recency of the one-footer.
Telly Savalas was great -- I appreciated the reminder.
The roaming eye ..... in how may different places in the filled grid can you find the letters A, M, O, and R grouped? I count 5.
2
We invertebrates have been getting our due lately -- and many ISOPODs are fine member of the community, but as I pointed out last week when ISOPOD also made an appearance, some of them are icky parasites and are quite offensive to members of my community.
I'm offended.
4
@Chief Quahog
Duly noted. 😉
@Chief Quahog
Don't be such a pillbug.
Here's the bivalve's revenge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54m4SDJiL6U
1
Our clam is a real pillbug.
Just FYI, Ray Kroc was not the founder of McDonald’s. The founders were Richard and Maurice McDonald. Yes, this is personal to me.
7
@Tom McDonald
Although the brothers founded the original McDonald's restaurant, Ray Kroc founded the McDonald's Corporation that franchised the operation and famously put Mac and Richard McDonald out of their own business. If you're related to the brothers, I can see how it would be personal to you.
Maurice was nicknamed Mac. Richard had the normal nickname for the era; it wasn't Rich or Rick.
It's a good thing that their famous triple decker burger was named after the right brother.
9
@Tom McDonald
I think that Ray did right by them tho...
"McDonald’s acquired the rights to the brother’s company in 1961 for $2.7 million."
Here's one I'd probably give to a newbie solver. Very smooth and junk-free, with long and unusual themers, but fairly easy all the same and with a theme that helps make it even easier. A revealer that can't be seen coming ahead of time, or at least it wasn't by me. I had PART and I'm thinking FRUIT PART????? Didn't see JUICY without some crosses. Also there was the occasional offbeat clue, such as those for AMORAL (4D), ROYAL (32A) and MINERS (18D). Pleasant Tuesday.
6
When I read, "Word before we or flush," and filled in ROYAL, I immediately imagined the Queen of England in the loo. Luckily, my image was fuzzy.
I loved the JUICY reveal. I would have loved it even more without the circles pointing out the JUICY fruits.
Fun and fresh Tuesday, thank you John Guzzetta!
6
@Johanna
In my haste I first read it as "Word before we flush", which struck me as one of the most bizarre all-time clues...
11
@Andrew
In my experience, that word is "Flushing!" That's so the spouse in the shower can get out of the water for a few seconds. (If the response is "Don't!", you'd better wait till the shower's done.)
3
@Steve L
While we are on the subject then, there is a plumbing company/septic system business in town that runs a catchy radio ad with a number of gambling and poker-related puns. I can't remember them all, but I do remember the final punch line: "...because you can't have a royal flush when you are sitting on a full house..."
Rare for me to get a theme answer (and at least a general idea of the theme) with no crosses and less than a minute after I started. AUTOMATON being that answer. Also got ROMANGODDESS with no crosses (and the confirming MANGO). The other two came fairly easily also.
But, got hung up in the SE corner and the reveal took a lot of work. A couple of wrong guesses (OHWOW before OHJOY for example), and even though I used to watch KOJAK, I was thinking it had to be some cartoon character from the clue.
Biggest problem, though, was focusing on trying to remember the family name for 68a. It took me a while to recall JOAD and only then did I finally realize it wasn't going to work and managed to fix up everything else.
Seemed like a surprisingly large number of K's in this one, but I have no idea what's typical.
Enjoyable solve.
1
@Rich in Atlanta , My first thought was the family name as well, and couldn't remember it. By the time it came to me I had a couple of letters so knew it was wrong anyway.
1
Another very solid “SOLVE”! And, for the second day in a row, a new PB was thwarted by a stupid mistake - - namely spelling ERIK with a “C”. Ah well!
Spotted TOMATO immediately at 17A and that helped with the next two theme answers (even before getting to the revealer). The last one - - - not so much.
Not to argue - but it matters not how one “considers” the tomato - - it IS a fruit - - to botanists. Nutritionists may view it as a vegetable. The same fuzziness applies to zucchini’s, green beans, and pumpkins. But, fortunately, a ROSE is a ROSE - is a ROSE.
It’s sad that the link provided (regarding “Red sky at night ...) is not more well-founded. A more accurate explanation can be found at:
https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/sciencefordessert/2010/09/29/why-is-the-sky-blue-and-the-sunset-red/
And - - in my experience - - there is more that a “bit of truth” in the predictive powers of this saying. 20+ years of sailing on the Great Lakes made a believer out of me!
1
@PeterW
Tomatoes became a vegetable when catsup (ketchup if you prefer) was declared a vegetable for school lunches
4
@ColoradoZ
Just try getting that one past your doctor, nutritionist or other competent, interested party!
I was told, early in my twenties, to avoid spicy foods (such as PIZZA), alcohol (such as BEER), and rough or fried foods (such as POTATO CHIPS).
“HOW”, I asked, “can I get by without any of the three MAJOR FOOD GROUPS in my diet?!?!?
2
@PeterW
Spotted TOMATO? I'd throw it out...
1
Excellent Tuesday puzzle. Enjoyed the theme and revealer, as well as the balanced way the hidden fruits appear across the 2 word answers. Well done!
And a big AMEN to Deb's comment about Teen Vogue.
Impressive list of articles: https://www.teenvogue.com/news-politics
5
@Chungclan
Teen Vogue is truly amazing! I’m impressed by their commitment to helping their young readers become informed citizens and critical thinkers. I was happy to see @Deb give them a shoutout! I follow them on Twitter to help remain current.
5
@Chungclan It's an excellent idea in theory to include news/politics in a publication mainly dedicated to beauty and fashion. However, it would be even better if the goal wasn't just to tell teens WHAT to think, but HOW to think for themselves.
1
@Stephanie
Well, Hey! I think the first order of business is showing that thinking can be fun, then (even more) that it can be FRUITful. After that, I think it's up to the subject to figure out that it's actually essential.
2
Fun Tuesday, but as often happens, got stuck with the TV show actor at 14A. The crossings should’ve helped, but I had firmly decided that SGA was the correct abbreviation for SIGNORA. Surely, there are better ways to clue ROMA?
@Kate
It helps to know that in Spanish, SRA is short for SEÑORA. SIGNORA is Italian. Apparently, the odd-looking SIG.RA is the abbreviation for that in Italian.
And of course, there are lots of ways to clue ROMA, but if it were always clued the same way, it wouldn't be a puzzle.
2
@Steve L
Ah, thank you. That should stick with me now. I can be very stubborn about deciding I’m right about something (SGA, for example).
Regarding ROMA, I’m not a TV snob, but I know few TV actors’ names even when it’s a show I know/watch.
@Kate
What's hard for you is easy for someone else. ROMA Downey's name has stuck with me even though I never watched that show. And it isn't because of crosswords; ROMA hasn't been clued that way since 2003.
Don't know how long you've been a cruciverbalist, but one of the tools of crossword success is being able to get the things you're not familiar with. (The things you do know are easy.)
That's why I find the attitude you occasionally find here in comments like "I didn't know it and I'd just as soon forget it" or the broader "Misogynist, violent rappers shouldn't be in crosswords" to be baffling.
2
I kept saying to myself the answer was WOMANGODDESS for a while...until the voice in my head developed a RASP??
1
@Mike
WOMAN GODDESS might be the only phrase I can think of that is both redundant and oxymoronic at the same time.
1
@Mike - I've heard of having a frog in your throat, but a WASP in your throat? Well, maybe Wm. F. Buckley...
5
@all
I started 51A with HUMAN .... thinking 51D was HACK.
DORA + ERIK was a delightful crossing. I was over-tired when I began last night and struggled with the mini. I think that was a confidence killer. Couldn't get a toehold on the main puzzle, so I went to sleep, slept all night (OH JOY - no, really!) and completed the puzzle, lickety-split, this morning. Fun theme, just a perfect Tuesday.
5
@Ann
I know what you mean about struggling with the mini. They used to require no thought whatsoever. Now some of the clues are becoming slightly cryptic.
1
It's a solid Tuesday-level theme with an excellent reveal, an exemplar of what a puzzle theme is for newer solvers. And I have to throw love to any puzzle with PATINA, such a gorgeous word, as an answer. Thank you for that and a lovely solve, John.
I would have liked it better without the gray areas; I think even newer solvers could have figured that out. But I like APE crossing APE smack dab in the middle, the STEP up, and the TAN lines in 29D and 38D. It should be noted that the Nats of the NL East can be found on that edge of the puzzle flipping over backwards over their championship.
Plus a special shout out to 17A, which contains an AUTO part.
5
@Lewis
The docent, always helping me see more.
4
@Lewis
PATINA sure is a lovely word. Go Nats! But not Pats! (no spoiler)
2
@Lewis
PATINA was a complete unknown to me. I'll have to try starting to use that word.
Yesterday I believe, Puzzlemucker found the same semordnilap NATS actually crossing ASTOR, the anagram of their opposition. STAN seems to be becoming a frequent visitor here!
1
Seemed very difficult at first but then everything fell into place after AUTOMATON for robot and ANKLEMONITOR (I tried bracelet but that didn’t work).
As an AF vet, I have to nitpick 56A. Edwards is an AFB while Ramstein is an AB. The constructor was better off with Lackland as the second example, especially on a Tuesday.
TIL about a REDSKY in the morning. My Granny used to say it was going to rain if a big flock of birds walked in a field. This has certainly been true — even allowing for a bit of confirmation bias.
No jellyfish in today’s puzzle, so I guess I’m not a SEER, though I was slightly surprised to see forunteller in 16D.
6
@Pani Korunova
As someone who apparently knows the difference, tell us how an AFB and an AB are distinguished? Someone else mentioned this before and I wondered if it was a significant difference.
3
@Steve L
Hey Steve! Stateside bases are Air Force Bases (AFBs) and overseas bases are Air Bases (ABs). If you see AFB, that means it’s a domestic base. However, it’s not a huge deal (at least not for me).
5
@Pani Korunova
Thanks for clearing that up!
3
Fun to see the TOMATO show up in the first theme answer. I briefly had an O for the penultimate letter in the next one and was thinking onion and hamburger toppings, but that didn't last long. I was really curious to see what the reveal was going to be and it didn't disappoint.
Here shepherds take warning when viewing that morning RED SKY.
Nice lively Tuesday puzzle, John.
6
I got stuck in the South East corner, too many names in both across and down, grrr. one direction is fine but both directions?
6
LETTER BOXED THREAD
V-A (5), A-S(10)
... will search for shorter, but with the V and K, options are limited!
3
Thank you so much. Never would have gotten it w/out your outline.
@Mari
I had the same and I don't expect to find much else.
Yesterday was much more abundant. I had LUBES STROPHIC.
@Andrew
Yesterday:
RICHES SUBPLOT
LUBES STROPHIC
CHERUBS SPOILT
PHLEBITIS SCOUR
... as you say, many abundant options yesterday. Today we are stuck with one, I think.
1
SPELLING BEE GRID
P C E L M O X
Nov 5th 2019
WORDS: 32, POINTS: 94, PANAGRAMS: 1, PERFECT: 1
C x 7
E x 5
L x 3
M x 1
P x 16
4L x 21
5L x 3
6L x 6
7L x 1
8L x 1
4 5 6 7 8 Tot
C 4 1 1 1 - 7
E 2 2 - - 1 5
L 2 - 1 - - 3
M 1 - - - - 1
P 12 - 4 - - 16
Tot 21 3 6 1 1 32
40
@Mari SPELLING BEE
32 words 94 points 1 pangram. I’m a bit disappointed when I solve so quickly. Only unusual words are the subject of an E5 verb and an unsteady gait we had a couple weeks ago,
C x 7, E x 5, L x 3, M x 1, P x 16
I almost posted at the same time as you and X, but this time I composed my message first and then posted.
9
@Kevin Davis make tat unusual word the OBJECT of the E5 verb. Grammar is fuzzy so long from my last English class.
5
@Mari The old 'EE' trick to form an object is back today. COLLOP still not accepted. Quick and easy...
5
SPELLING BEE
32 words, 94 points, 1 perfect pangram
4 5 6 7 8 Tot
C 4 1 1 1 - 7
E 2 2 - - 1 5
L 2 - 1 - - 3
M 1 - - - - 1
P 12 - 4 - - 16
16
@x Thanks x. apologies - I didn't check first before re-posting the grid. Very quick today!
What the heck is KTEL
5
@Joseph
You have to be a certain age to know this; also you'd have to have watched at least 15 minutes of TV in those days to have ever heard a K-TEL commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7G_XF48h9g
6
@Joseph Hi kids!
@Joseph
Aaah, KTEL! Purveyors of cheesy "hits" records (vinyl or 8 track!) that crammed 10 hit songs on a side (the more common number being 4 to 6). What a bargain! But how did they fit do many awesome songs on each album? By editing and cutting the k-rap (hi Emus!) Out of them, taking a normally 4 or 5 minute song down to a zippy ( and often barely recognizable) 2 minutes. Also, cramming so much onto a single LP side also made for dubious quality in the pressing, leading to lots of skips and repeats. Sometimes I miss the old days of vinyl LPs and 45 RPM singles. But then I remember how easy and portable online music services are... but that vinyl sound!! Progress almost always comes with a price...
2
Lovely Tuesday puzzle. Had Masons for rock experts first. My only beef is about 69A: Please, please let’s not succumb to the notion that Facebook is a source of news.  There is a reason it is called “feed“. Was delighted to see OSLO clued as is, just a couple of weeks ago I saw the outstanding play by JT Rogers. A story about politicians talking in their offices, kept me on the edge of my seat for three hours. 
6
@Dr. Panda
Re FF - But it's the only place I get news of my cousins' birthdays and adorable grandkids, so I think the clue is fine.
2
@Ann
I mean Re FB
@Dr. Panda
Couldn’t agree more re: the “stuff” on Facebook being - even remotely - called “NEWS”.
In the early days - maybe - there was “news” about one’s friends, family, associates, etc. There was much banality - but it was innocent banality.
Now - definitely - an otherwise innocent communications tool has been coopted by commercial and political interests. Facebook FEEDS information about its users back to the companies who use its services for advertising. And widely variant and (some) vicious third parties spread gross disinformation and distortions via Facebook and too many of the poor saps who read it THINK that it is “NEWS”.
I cancelled my Facebook account 8-10 years ago.
My experience with Twitter lasted about four days.
5
Unlike yesterday's seven unknowns, today there were only PIBB, STAN, JAKE and KTEL. Except spelling counts. I don't recall KOJAK's lollipops and I briefly thought may KOnAn, but noticed JAKE a better name than nAKE, so filled those two last squares in and got the usual something-wrong message.
Went back over all the acrosses, couldn't see anything wrong. In the downs I finally noticed that the soviet agency wasn't a cGB I'd never heard of. I had had the idea it was Leif Ericson!
Eight minutes even slower than Monday.
1
@kilaueabart
I had exactly the same problem with misspelling “ERIc’s” name!!
@PeterW
Here's a mnemonic for you. "KGB - Red Guard" It will help you spell both Erik the Red AND Erik Agard!
Now does anyone have a mnemonic for me for Edgar AllAn Poe? I consistently misspell that one!
1
Andrew,
E's (only) on the ends?
5
It’s fun getting through a puzzle, reviewing the answers and wondering what possibly could have tripped you up in the first few passes. Of course an empty grid has more possibilities and hence more distractions, but it’s funny how the mind works.
1
Ten cents to fill up a peach basket with Jersey plum TOMATOs. That was the prevailing pay grade when I labored, ca early 60’s, in the fields. You do not want to know the rate we pickers commanded for a bushel full of ST(r)ING beans...Tuesday’s twofer consists of a pair of ballads; a Guy Clark one to sink your teeth into then a sweetie from Jimmy Buffett.
https://youtu.be/6TWwyhCVBDg
https://youtu.be/BFw-PrAQsE8
Pickin’ And A Grinin’,
Bru
8
@brutus
TEN cents!?!?!? OUTRAGEOUS!!
Only a few years before (late 50’s) we walked to a neighbor lady’s house, (an ancient, nearly cadaverous lady), and were driven 6-8 miles in the morning chill to cut asparagus as the sun came up - - for TWO CENTS a pound!!
We cut the patches again in the mid-late afternoon. That stuff grows so fast you have to keep moving down the rows to avoid getting goosed.
Upon consideration, I guess those weren’t petty wages! Doubling every ten years (to convert to “today’s dollars”), that would make $2.56 for about five minutes’ work - which could translate into close to $30 an hour.
But the season is so SHORT!!
1
@Brutus
I was wondering if your Jimmy Buffett link was going to be Last MANGO in Paris, but the one you posted was a good one, too.
Had MEATYPART and couldn’t figure out why the grey squares were all fruits and a vegetable. Then it hit me. TOMATO actually helped a lot, cause I wouldn’t have thought JUICE without it.
imo, a juicy part doesn’t necessarily mean the role has range. It could be very one dimensional character, but still be juicy.
Fun puzzle
3
Newbie,
You self-identify as a newbie, but many more seasoned solvers sometimes forget clues are hints, not definitions. But even as a definition, JUICY PART seems fine to me for a "Movie role with range..."
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/juicy
3
@Barry Ancona
Maybe that’s true for theme clues, but in my limited three week experience of being here, half the comments are about how X is factually incorrect. Pretty quiet today, except AFB.
I’m not “seasoned” enough to complain (nit pick)...yet.
The only crossword I’ve done in the past couple of weeks that made me “mad” was the one with double letters in grey that were ignored when answering the downs. That seemed ridiculous to me, as I had many answers but thought they were wrong because they were one letter too short. I mean, give me a chance... Now, I know
1
I call those corrections "um, actually"s. I am glad that no one corrected the definition of pekoe.
This puzzle is the apple of my eye.
(I'm going bananas.)
14
Prevents you from becoming a vegetable. 
8
@Mike
You’re always berry punny, orange you?
8
@Puzzlemucker
That's why they call him the Munster Punster.
2
A delightful fill for a Tuesday. Many things felt fresh, even beyond the fruit . . .
7
Did anyone else initially think that aftershave might STINK?
28
@monkeyDavid - I was just about to type the same thing! Only wondering what INAKES meant led me to the other possible sensation.
Good puzzle, wasn’t it? Smooth, clever. Enjoyed it.
2
@MonkeyDavid I did. I’m allergic to perfume, and insisted my husband quit wearing the stuff when we were dating. I was pretty sure the answer wasn’t STINK, though!
2
@MonkeyDavid
Yes.
1
Juicy fruit!
3
ROMA TOMATO, LEMON WEDGE, RED PEAR, and JUICY MANGO. Nice!
Jasper Cropsey’s “Autumn on The Hudson” (still looks this way some days up here):
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Autumn--On_the_Hudson_River-1860-Jasper_Francis_Cropsey.jpg
11
A tomato is a fruit.
There. I said it. Now according to Steve no one else is allowed to comment on it.
9
...unless you consider its culinary classification.
3
@K Barrett
But is TIN a heavy metal?
4
We mine of yesterday
1
Ramstein is an "Air Base" not an "Air Force Base".
5