At Arm’s Length by Hotspur

Puzzle explanation

Letters that had been misprinted letters and the correct words are shown in the table below. The correct letters gave “Six Characters in Search of an Author”, its author Pirandello appearing in a main diagonal. Six characters, Belinda, Napoleon, Kipps, Frankenstein, Herzog and Jenkins were to be identified and highlighted. Their respective authors, Belloc, Orwell, Wells, Shelley, Bellow and Powell (verifiable in The Oxford Companion to English Literature) could be traced in the grid moving orthogonally or diagonally, each using the letters ELL of Pirandello, which were thus to be highlighted. The title “At Arm’s Length” hinted at the definition of ELL.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint:
Correction		 Answer Explanation
Across
1 S: Susu AFRICAN FRI(lly) in (A + CAN)
6   BELINDA BED about LIN + A
12   ALBANY A + BAN in L(aidl)Y
14 I: Trick RAMP RAMPART – ART(illery)
15   NAPOLEON NAN about (P(eppercorn) + OLEO)
16 X: axis KIPPS Homophone (KIPS)
18 C: crack ONE OE about N
20   BOA A after BO
21 H: homes CRIBS C + RIBS
23   LLANOS Hidden reversed
24 A: part BELTWAY BEL + TWAY
25   PLAT TALP(a) <
27   ANSATE AS NEAT *
30 R: Revel ROISTER MOISTER, R for M
32 A: alone ISOLATE IT about SOLA + E(ctoplasm)
33   WHILOM First letters
34 C: Race TEAR Two definitions
37 T: pests BEDBUGS BUD * in BEGS
39   HERZOG G after (HERO about Z)
40 E: Score TALLY T + ALLY
45   ENS (M)ens(a)
47 R: brood EYE E + YE
48   SNOOD SNO + OD
49 S: soloist WINDSOCK C in (WINDS + OK); reference pilot flying solo
51 I: Jilted LORN Hidden
52 N: goner SÉANCE SE(x) + AN(d) + CE
53   EUPEPSY SUEY * about PEP
54   JENKINS J + ENS about KIN
Down
1 S: Pester ANNOY (t)ANNOY
2   FRANKENSTEIN FRANK + EINSTEIN – I
3 E: wed I DO Two definitions (IDO); the clue should have indicated “two words”
4 A: peace CALM CA + L + M
5   ALEXIA A + EX in AIL <
7 R: roll ENWALLOW ENOW about (W + ALL)
8   IRIDAL I + RID + A + L
9 C: Scuff NAPE NAP + E
10 H: shell APSE LAPSE – L
11 O: Ooze SPEW S + PEW
13   BOBBY BOOBY, B for O
16   KELP L in KEP; reference “Kelper” as inhabitant of the Falkland Islands, capital Stanley
17   PROTEOGLYCAN PETROLOGY * + CAN
19 F: flow ICTAL C in ITAL(ics)
22 A: grass SORD DROS(s) <
24 N: bond BAIL BA + IL
26   ARMS ALARMS – L – A
28   ÉTAGÈRES (S + ERE + GATE) <
29 A: tailed NEWT W in NET
31   SIBYL (BOSSILY – OS) *
35   AZIONE A + ZION + E
36   ROAD ABROAD – AB
37 U: Stoup BASIN AS in BIN
38 T: cast ELANCE Hidden
41   MEOW O(thello) in MEW
42 H: haven SEKOS (STOKES – T) <
43   ISLE Alternate letters
44 O: boonies’ DORP DO + R + P; reference dull provincial place, see boondocks
46   ADEN A + NED <
50 R: Mart SUK SUNK – N
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