Bros by Vismut

Puzzle explanation

The two strands of letters from misprints and extra words in across clues were “Lawrence, Spirit of Place” and “Fillets of Plaice, Gerald”, titles written respectively by the brothers Lawrence and Gerald Durrell. The extra words (mother, Spiro, Leslie and Margo) were characters from Gerald’s autobiographical book My Family and Other Animals. The extra letters in wordplay of alternate down clues spelt out “a family name”, so SURNAME in the diagonal of the grid was replaced by DURRELL, forming new words.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint/extra word Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 (F)ast → L SONIC SON + I/C
6 t(I)me → A BORTSCH (S + C(urry) + H) after (ROB < + T)
11 pa(L) → W OPERATE (m)ATE after ROPE *
12 (L)ook → R KEEPER PEEK < + ER
13 moth[E]r ATTUNE ATE around TUN(a)
14 pi(T)ch → N ESCARP CAPERS *
15 pa(S)t → C NIEF IE in N/F
16 B(O)lted → E ENGLUTTED E + N(ot) + GUTTED around L(ord)
18 (S)uture → F SEA MOUSE SEAM + ’OUSE
19 S[P]iro SUBFEU BUS < + FUE(l) *
24 co(I)t’s → L OBSTETRICIANS (BREAST IN COIT’S) *
28 He(A)d → R NACHES N(ilgai) + ACHES
29 Lesl[I]e ESTRADES (sho)ES + TRADES
34 (T)ree’s → C QUICKBEAM QUICK + BEAM
35 Metr(E) → O MOTS M + STO(p) <
36 (G)ood → F SPRAIN (SPARING − G) *
37 (E)ast → P BELEES BELIES with E for I
38 (R)and → L FRÈRES R in FREE + S
39 M[A]rgo TREADLE T + READ + LE
40 (C)overs → L CASERNS CASES around RN
41 Fre(E) → D ROSES (Fre)E in DROSS − D
Down
1   SO-AND-SOS (SAND + SOS) around O
2   OPTIC ((O)C(c)[A](m)I(s)T (s)P(o)O(k)) <
3   NETES (cabi)NET ES(cort)
4   CANES CA[F]ÉS around N(achos)
5   ETENS NETES *; ref. 3dn
6   BEGGED (EG + EG <) in B[A]D
7   RESUME PRESUME − P
8   TECTONICS (CO[M]IC’S TENT) *
9   SPATULA (PAST * + LA) around U
10   CERESINE NIECES * around (t)R[I]E(d)
17   AFTERCARE E(laine) in (RAFT RACE) *
20   UBI SUPRA (P)UB[L]I(c) + SUP + RA
21   UTU FUTURE − FR (separated) − E
22   SIN SHIN[Y] − H
23   ASSESSES APEXES with SS for P and X
25   SATIRES SA[N]S around TIRE
26   CAKIER (t)ACKIER *
27   REESTS EST in [A]RES
30   SABRE (take)S A BRE(ton)
31   AMEER A(lbum) + ME[M] + E + R
32   COEDS CO + EDS
33   STELE LET < in SE[E]
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