Iq 1602

[hankir]

Across clues may have an extra letter in wordplay.

20. Casual, turbulent teen in engineer's old tale (4) RE??

Down clues require removing extra letter from some clues.

2d. Big bait Jack spread out (6) ?AL??G

Thanks

[Neveracrossword]

2 D - A big bat... Just an abbreviation for Jack, not sailor, then 'spread out'.

[Neveracrossword]

Big bat rather than Big Bait....you probably knew that's what I meant.

[ProfessorMaisie]

RE (engineers) around (t)ED (turbulent teen).

[ProfessorMaisie]

...I don't think it's an abbreviation for jack but a two letter alternative spelling for a bird (Scots).

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, PM - I got the answer as an entirety, didn't think about parsing then... so quite likely to be adrift!

[hankir]

Thanks NAC and ProfessorM.
Abbreviation of Jack is K?
The bat starts with K.

I have only 7 extra letters from across clues,so to find 12 more.
I have all clue entries but no idea on what the mysteries are.

[ProfessorMaisie]

I went looking for that same abbreviation Neveracrossword, because it's a bit of a cheat capitalising Jack for the bird (but setters do like to stretch the rules).

[ProfessorMaisie]

Jack stands for 'jackdaw' and KA is the scottish word for it (alt sp 'kae').

[ProfessorMaisie]

hankir - the only normal acrosses are 10,17 and 19 - the extra letters give the overall sphere of activity, but I think you'll get the writer from that.

[Neveracrossword]

Glad your're getting there, Hankir. Sorry if I caused you any confusion!

[hankir]

Thank you both.
Do the across letters spell ADAYA......

The 8 down letters give me a direction in the grid.Right?

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes to both - A DAY A...
...and if you follow the direction in the grid it will save you having to look for the across extras.

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorM.
Is this about two authors who wrote a lot of mysteries under a pseudonym?
I remember reading a few many years ago.

I cannot fit any of their books in the perimeter. So I may be wrong.

[ProfessorMaisie]

No - a very famous ex-jockey author.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...and 'mysteries' is a bit misleading - they're crime thrillers.

[hankir]

Ah! I have read him too. Thanks for that hint.
I found all the titles.
Changing two letters would give his first name only.
Both unchecked.

[ProfessorMaisie]

It's more than two letters - 'change letters in two of the perimeter mysteries' - but you're in the right place.

[hankir]

Thank you ProfessorM.
All done.