A ZESTFUL puzzle today, crammed with Z's, thanks to today's theme featuring the band ZZ Top. In order to correspond with the theme's directive, ZZTOP (2004 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ... and a hint to 3-, 10-, 29-, and 33-Down), four theme entries that include pairs of Z's have had those Z's moved to the top of the answer, so instead of BUZZALDRIN ("Astronaut for whom a Pixar character is named"), we have ZZBUALDRIN. No other alterations are made. In the case of the theme clue, "Bear of children's rhyme," two pairs of Z's are moved to the top for the interesting looking answer ZZZZFUYWUY. Now that's what I call an eye twister. :)
Elsewhere, the pizzazz of ZZ tops made for some zippy Across answers like TOPAZ, OOZIER, LAZED, and the amusing QMC "Open with one's teeth?" (UNZIP).
I was dazzled by "Bed threads" for PJS and the nicely ambiguous "Put out" for SORE. The QMCs "Make a right turn?" for ATONE, STEREO for "Start to type?" and HEN for "One sitting on a coop board?" are also fun QMCs.
OTOH, I was a bit ATSEA with "Pre-Inca civilization known for its underground aqueducts and geoglphys" (NAZCA), "CNBC subj." (IPO), "Tropical fruta" (PINA), and "Colombian offerings that may be served with hogao" (AREPAS), the latter becoming a real problem when I didn't know if the answer to 47D: "'It makes sense now!'" should be oHISEE or AHISEE. Elsewhere, I really wanted "Currently being tried" to be 'in beta' but that was a non-starter for several reasons, principally because there weren't enough squares. The correct interpretation of 'tried' finally led to ATBAR. I thought the pairing of the science-y "Microscopic" in the clue with the cutesy WEE as the answer was a little bit zany.
In short, a puzzle ablaze with the letter Z (or zed for those following along in Canada :) made for a zingy grid for zealous solvers.
~Frannie.
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