Inquisitor 1201

[Nical]

Anyone doing this? Have hit a slump - any advice,tips would be welcome.
45 A. Partners firstly reject grooms (7) ?ea?t??
43 A. Mentors' reprimands about mild expletive (6) t?l???
NB - There's a single extra letter in each clue (these apparently give instructions, but I've still got a lot of gaps.)

[cruciverbali]

Nical, if it's the wordplay that generates the extra letter then 43a could be TUT(L)ORS.

[Nical]

Thanks - that looks good/right.

[stymied]

45a NE(G)ATE NS

[Nical]

Thanks too, stymied - I was just about to post that I'd now got 45 Across. In fact, I'm one letter away from being finished with the whole puzzle.

[Wideernie]

Have done 99% of this, have got the message and acted on it but haven't got all the answers. There are some ambiguous letters which are proving sticky.

[Nical]

Wideernie. We could swap - I've got all the answers, have got the message but am unable to act on it, so haven't come up with the Prime Example.

[Laphria]

Ditto, Nical. I have tried a number of options for interpreting the instructions and drawn a blank. Interested to see if you (we) get any hints!

[keithsolver]

I also am struggling to interpret the instructions. I have highlighted the 15 squares that apparently I am supposed to, but can't see how to read as instructed. Surely I am missing something obvious here.

[Q-lyn]

If you count the squares (1 to 13 on first row) not using the printed numbers, up to 169, you get a longer message (diagonally with gaps), although I think I have a mistake in my second word

[Wideernie]

Finished! A three letter meaning of 'squiffy' was holding me up for ages!!!!!!

Don't use the clue numbers to get the message.

[Laphria]

A cup of coffee and it came to me. I had been there before, but was reading in the wrong order.

[haggis58]

Can anyone help me with 1 across. I have: use??t unless I've gone wrong somewhere.

[Wideernie]

Can anyone help me with 1 across. I have: use??t unless I've gone wrong somewhere. >>>>

No, you're not wrong. It's a rarely used word, an anagram of student with a letter missing.

[stymied]

Look down the USE entry in CXhambers -- it's there!

[haggis58]

Thanks Wildernie - knew it was an anagram of student without one letter but just couldn't fathom it. Should have read the preamble and been more aware of the instruction to ignore the punctuation mark. Have now completed the grid but cannot see the message to highlight other than 'today'.

[haggis58]

Have just 'cracked it' and now have the full highlighting and the prime example. Very clever! One clue entry still bemuses me - can someone explain how 16d is worked out.

[Wideernie]

16d Setbacks = knocks. R(king) substitutes another K, then N is the extra letter.

ps. I think I prefer Wildernie over Wideernie!!!!:-)

[haggis58]

Sorry Wideernie, but your right Wildernie does sound better! I just had touch of lysdexia!

[Indy-trier]

I came to this puzzle late this week and, having completed the grid I have followed the instructions and highlighted what I think are lots of relevant cells. Now, which ever way I turn it I can't make any sense of it. Would it help if I half close my eyes and look? Am going mad, so any tips would be much appreciated!

[Indy-trier]

Why is it that, as soon as I ask for help I often find the answer, even when it's too late for any replies! As soon as I realised that one was not a prime number it all made sense! Am now sorted - just in time for this week's!!