August 9, 2023

Title: BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Constructor: Bruce Haight

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

BUFFER ZONE (17A: Neutral area between hostile forces)

BELOW ZERO (35A: Like temperatures that are beyond freezing)

BUG ZAPPERS (59A: Electric insect killers)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer begins with a B, and the second word begins with a Z. Therefore, we have three BZ phrases, or BZ, BZ, BZ.

Things I learned:

• TESS (32A: "The Rabbit Hutch" author Gunty) The Rabbit Hutch is TESS Gunty's debut novel. The book won the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction. The Rabbit Hutch focuses on one summer week in the lives of the tenants of an apartment building in a fictional Indiana town. The name of the housing complex is La Lapiniére, but most people call it the Rabbit Hutch.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• SLEPT (5A: Caught some Z's) and LAZES (6D: Acts like a couch potato) and REST DAY (12D: Break between workouts) and DOZES (53D: Catches some Z's) Although the title is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, this puzzle is giving off a rather relaxed attitude!
• RAD (31A: "Very cool") Is RAD making a comeback? This is the second day in a row it's appeared in the puzzle.
• NYU (34A: Manhattan sch.) and EDU (27D: College URL ending) New York University (NYU) is a private research university whose main campus is located in Manhattan. Appropriate to see NYU and EDU crossing.
• LSU (Baton Rouge sch.) Louisiana State University (LSU), whose official name is Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, is a public land-grant research university located in Baton Rouge.
• RAID (43A: Coordinated mission in massively multiplayer games) Thank you to my son, who has told me about the RAIDs he and his friends have done, or are planning to do. Otherwise, I might not have known the gaming definition of the word RAID. In massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), some missions can only be accomplished when a number of players work together to defeat either another team of players, or a computer-controlled enemy. This type of mission is referred to as a RAID.
• ROSSI (66A: Martini & ___ (vermouth brand)) and LEA (39D: ___ & Perrins Worcestershire sauce) Martini & ROSSI and LEA & Perrins aren't related products, but it amused me to see two products in the puzzle with the ___ & ___ name format. Martini & ROSSI is an Italian company primarily associated with vermouth, though they also make other products, including sparkling wine. Martini & ROSSI was founded in Turin, Italy in 1863. LEA & Perrins was founded in Worcester, England in 1837. Its headquarters remain in Worcester, though the company is now a subsidiary of Kraft Heinz. LEA & Perrins Worcestershire sauce is the company's best-known product. 
• TREE POSE(9D: One-legged yoga pose) TREE POSE is one of the balancing poses in yoga. To get into TREE POSE, one stands on one leg, bending the other leg and placing the foot of that leg against the standing leg, either above or below the knee. The hands are either raised overhead, or placed palms together in front of the chest. Balance is not my strong suit, and I always feel incredibly accomplished on days when I can hold TREE POSE for more than a few moments. The site I linked to above counsels, "Keep your sense of humor about learning to stand on one leg." This is good advice!
• ELIZA (26D: "My Fair Lady" lady) My Fair Lady is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion. ELIZA Doolittle is a Cockney flowerseller that takes speech lessons from professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins. My Fair Lady debuted on Broadway in 1956, with Julie Andrews as ELIZA Doolittle, and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins.
• BOWLS (30D: Rolls a heavy ball toward some pins) This clue made me laugh! It's true, when one BOWLS, one rolls a heavy ball down a narrow track toward some pins that are arranged in a triangle. 

Geography review:

• BOISE (33A: Idaho's capital) BOISE is the capital and most populous city of Idaho. BOISE's nickname is "The City of Trees." 
• UKRAINE (41D: Kyiv's country) Kyiv is the capital of UKRAINE. Kyiv has been in the news a lot lately, of course, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of the country. The current invasion is a continuation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. 
• DENALI (49D: North America's highest point) DENALI, located in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. DENALI is the centerpiece of DENALI National Park, a park that is on the "to be visited" list of national parks for my husband and me.

I enjoy puzzles where the title needs to be reinterpreted to understand the theme. In this case, the title is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, but the theme interprets it as BZ, BZ, BZ. That's fun! Thank you, Bruce, for this puzzle that was a wonderful way to start my Wednesday.