September 30, 2025

Title: FUZZY LOGIC

Constructor: Mark Budovitch

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• PUBLIC GOOD (17A: Herd immunity or streetlights, e.g.)
• SYMBOLIC GESTURE (32A: Nonverbal action loaded with meaning)
• DOG LICENSE (53A: Proof of puppy parenthood, perhaps)

FUZZY LOGIC: Each theme answer contains an anagram of the word LOGIC: PUBLIC GOOD, SYMBOLIC GESTURE, and DOG LICENSE. 

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• CLOSE (22A: Word before "call" or "talker") The phrase "close talker" is new to me. It's used to refer to a person who invades the personal space of another person during a conversation – by leaning in, for example. 
• ONER (40A: Shot also known as a long take) In filmmaking, a ONER is a shot with a particularly long duration. A ONER may also be referred to as a long take, a continuous take, or a continuous shot.
• GO HOME (11D: "You don't have to ___, but you can't stay here") "You don't have to GO HOME, but you can't stay here," is a phrase associated with closing time at bars. The line is a lyric in Semisonic's 1998 song, "Closing Time." 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• O'HARA (14A: "The Studio" actor Catherine) The Studio is an Apple TV+ series that premiered in March of this year. The series is a satire of the movie industry. Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the new head of a Hollywood studio who is struggling to balance corporate demands with his desire to make quality films. Catherine O'HARA portrays Patty Leigh, the former head of the studio, who was fired at the request of the company's CEO.
• NORA (16A: The "N" of N.K. Jemisin) N. K. Jemisin, whose initials stand for NORA Keita, is a four-time Hugo-Award winning author. Her works include the Broken Earth series (2015-2017), and the Great Cities series (2020-2022).
• PUBLIC GOOD (17A: Herd immunity or streetlights, e.g.) I really like both this answer and the way it is clued. I think a lot of things that are done for the PUBLIC GOOD are often taken for granted. 
• THEMED (24A: Like this crossword puzzle) No matter how many times I see this particular self-referential clue, I still enjoy it.
• HEELS (30A: Shoes with a kitten variety) Audrey Hepburn is credited with popularizing kitten HEELS – stiletto HEELS generally less than two inches in height – in the 1960s. My cat, Willow, says that she is always wearing kitten HEELS. (Do cats have HEELS? I've never thought about that before...)

• RESEND (41A: "The attachment was missing. Can you ___ it?") This clue made me laugh out loud! I have sent so many emails without the attachment.
• BALLAD (47A: The Beatles' "Michelle" or "Something") This seems like a good opportunity to link to these lovely BALLADs. The Beatles released "Michelle" in 1965 – "Michelle, ma belle / These are words that go together well..." The song "Something" was released in 1969 – "Something in the way she moves / attracts me like no other lover..."
• EMTS (62A: They're real lifesavers!) The exclamation point in the clue alerts solvers to take the clue literally. Emergency medical technicians (EMTS) can literally save someone's life.
• CHUM (2D: "New Meg. Old ___" (punny "Meg 2: The Trench" tagline)) The Meg is a 2018 movie with the tagline, "Pleased to eat you." The movie is about a Megaladon, a species of shark that is extinct except in the movies. A sequel, Meg 2: The Trench – with its tagline "New Meg. Old CHUM" – was released in 2023. The sequel is based on Steve Allen's 1999 book, The Trench. The "trench" in the title refers to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean.
• TED (9D: "___ Lasso" (Apple TV+ show)) It was announced earlier this year that TED Lasso had been renewed for a fourth season. an exact date for the release of the fourth season hasn't been announced, but it looks like it may be the middle of next year.
• RADIUM (41D: Element co-discovered by Marie Curie) RADIUM was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898. RADIUM occurs in nature in uranium ores.
• SLOTHS (43D: Slow-moving mammals) SLOTHS move at an average speed of 13 feet per minute. This is not fast at all. I have previously conducted an experiment and discovered that my normal walking pace is 12 times faster than a SLOTH. I have also previously learned that SLOTHS move three times faster in water than they do on land. 
• SKI (57D: Compete like Lindsey Vonn) Lindsey Vonn is a former alpine SKI racer. Representing Team USA, she won the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the first downhill gold medal won by an American woman. The 2019 documentary, Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season, tells her story.

The word FUZZY in the title immediately had me suspecting this might be an anagram theme. It turns out that particular thought was not FUZZY LOGIC, but was clear thinking. Thank you, Mark, for this enjoyable puzzle.

One more thing today: Yesterday, I was on Iowa Public Radio's "Talk of Iowa" discussing the Midwest Crossword Tournament. The podcast is available now if you're interested in listening. It's the episode titled, "How climate change impacts health in rural America," and my interview starts at about 31:30 (or 31:45 ... it seems to be different on different devices). As noted on the podcast, registration for the online portion of the Midwest Crossword Tournament ends today.