603 FIGULINE WJM Scotland
Fragile unit this art throws?
(comp. anag. & lit.)
607 CARNEY T J Moorey
Jenkins, unfulfilled minister longing to make comeback
(car(e) + yen rev.; ref Roy J.)
609. LUCKY-BAG: C.J. & R.S. Morse
Blessed crib where wondrous gifts lie hid.
(lucky bag (=crib=steal))
610 DOUBLETHINK N C Dexter
By it ‘truth’ and ‘lie’ looked alternately
interchangeable
(anag. of alternate letters & lit.)
615 HISTORIETTE P S Elliott
It is hotter, unsettled, over east. Rain, perhaps, is indicated
(anag. + E; ref. S. Maugham’s short story)
618 CRETISM G Perry
Mister C’s inexactitude?
(anag. & lit. ref. Churchill)
622 SIMP (Printer’s Devilry) S Goldie
A/erial is mended, as tone was being lost from the set in The Crown
(As imperialism ended, a stone was being lost from the set in the crown)
627 AMBIENT J D Moore
What’ll be filling holes in a mint confection? Air
(b, e in anag., confection vb.)
631 INTERLOCK T E Sanders
Engrave ringlet for couple getting engaged
(inter lock)
635 ROSEMARY F R Palmer
An ideal companion for lamb?
(rose Mary, & lit.; ref. nursery rhyme)
640 MACHETE W J M Scotland
The jungly mass one cleaves?
(the anag. in m. + ace & lit.)
644 EASY STREET J D Moore
You’d find here a little alien after you’d worried about rates,
yes?
(anag. + ET, & lit.) Note by JDM: wondered about “tossed and
turned over ...”
STAPELIA clued by many; asterisk was misplaced in Observer.
649 AUSTRALORP E J Burge
Massage at parlour’s for Sydney’s heavy layer, perhaps
(anag.)
653 INTERNUNCIO RJ Hooper
One NOT effective in bending certain union
(anag. less a, & lit., ref. current (Nov. 1984) miners’ strike)
657 SILLY-BILLY WH Pegram
Charlie, doting on William?
(silly billy, & lit., ref. Prince Charles)
660 Anagram of ‘Not a creature was stirring, not even a
mouse’ NC Dexter
East’s trio encounter new saviour at manger
662 BARGE-COUPLE RJ Hooper
Sawyer’s contribution to topping story shows the lighter Twain
(barge couple, ref. Mark T.)
666 Any word; subsidiary indicators to omit an animal CJ Morse
Having no sense of guilt some require lessons
(re(morse)less; hidden) A special ‘Beast’ puzzle - 666.
670 TURNIP-FLEA JD Moore
Might it make rape nit-ful?
(anag. & lit.)
675 CONSTERNATE Dr. IS Fletcher
Cannot steer when sick render low
(anag.)
679 ESTOVER (Printer’s Devilry) TJ Moorey
‘Dry’ minister organizing party left-win/ger
(Dry minister organizing party left wines to verger)
683 BANISH NC Dexter
Make inhabit abroad - it being the end of Alcibiades
(anag. with s for it, & lit.)
688 CUCURBITAL RJ Hooper
What makes ‘gourdy’ when defined by coot et al?
(curb (= disease of horses!) in cuit + al, & lit.)
692. FIDIBUS def. PRICKET (Wrong number) Dr. E.J. Miller
If Budd is running, Decker’s first to go: would point to a spill!
(anag less D, ref Zola B., Mary D. incident in Olympics)
696 ANTIMNEMONIC DR Robinson
‘Un Macon intime’ drunk with no indication of good breeding could
be this
(anag. less U & lit.)
701. BALUSTRADE M. Barley.
Bears cope?
(balus trade, & lit; cope1,2).
705 MUSICOTHERAPY NC Dexter
What psychiater could effect with a trio of Moussorgsky’s?
(M, o, u + anag., & lit.)
709 GINGER DV Harry
Crackers, hats and this lively spirit make for merry gatherings
(comp. anag.)
712 PANTOMIME HORSE R Brain
‘I can appear as thespian or mome,’ articulated stage hack
(anag.)
714 MOTE DF Manley
Perceive what is within you rather than one in brother
(O for A in mate, & lit., ref. Luke 6:41)
718 FLO(GG)IN(G) (Letters Latent) S. Holgate
Batting collapse - power missing at the crease
(flo(p) in)
722 SUPERNACULUM DF Manley
Until disposal is 100% effective unending nuclear rumpus will brew
(anag. less r, ref Sellafield, etc.)
727 WELL-TO-DO NC Dexter
It’s this Littlewoods could make you
(comp. anag. & lit.)
731 STRING RK Lumsdon
Pop-singer runs shows in support for bags of needy
(r in Sting, bags = trousers)
735 MALIGN DF Manley
What a gremlin could be with regard to flying
(anag. less re, & lit.)
740 ESCADRILLE MOOREY TJ
Fleet Street I’d call chaotic - slipping time and time again
(anag. less t, t; ref. printing of solution with puzzle, due to error ‘at
the Observer end’)
744 SKIRL-IN-THE-PAN/COFFEE-DISEASE CG Millin
Sizzling hot skin tan peril - ghastly shade of brown - peculiar seaside
affliction of the madder type
(anag. incl. h; coffee + anag.)
750 SALMAGUNDY (‘750’ themed clue) WKM Slimmings
A spicy jumble this type of square with happy laugh about thousand
by X’s successor
(M in T + anag. + Y, X = Ximenes)
Theme: 750 is three quarters of TH OU SA ND. Answers containing
any of the first three quarters (i.e. TH, OU, SA) to have another
of these quarters substituted. If answer contains fourth quarter (ND)
- which is yet to come - these letters are to be omitted. Subsidiary to relate
to answer as thus amended. So SAlmaguNDy becomes TH or
OU followed by LMAGU..Y. (WKMS).
750 Dinner held at Randolph Hotel, Oxford, on 13 September 1986, the eve
of publication of No. 750.
753 SHEEPDOG RH Adey
I can make or mar Hodge’s penning record
(EP in anag. & lit.)
757 ETHEROMANIAC (Misprint) CG Millin
A race on the M1 is ridiculous - one is sure to get booked
(hooked; anag.)
762 OBELISE DF Manley
OED’s ‘boist’ ’owler? Abandoned words to ——
(comp. anag. & lit.)
764 CHILDERMASS J.D. Moore
Rattle to make Mahler disc: might songs lamenting dead children be heard
on it?
(anag., ref. Simon R.: Kindertotenlieder)
766 GUBBINS J Campbell
Scrap deregulation of British busing
(anag. inc B)
770 HERMITS CJ Brougham
Shirt ‘em hairily
(anag. & lit.)
774 VICTORINE JC Leyland
Trevi - coin thrown - a comfort if cold shouldered?
(anag.)
779 MISSING LINK RF Naish
What makes blinking heap of stones a key to man’s development?
(i.e. makes blinking bing, e.g. Stonehenge)
783 CAMPESINO EJ Burge
Get the odd peso? I can - working in farm far away
(m in anag., & lit.)
788 CROW H. Freeman
B-r-ag?
(r in bag (= cow), & lit.)
792 DISTHENE (Printer’s Devilry) EJ Burge
Overhauling old fishing tackle, I’ve managed to check the ro/t OK
(Overhauling old fishing tackle, I’ve managed to check the rod. Is the
net OK?)
796 UPHOLSTERY JF Grimshaw
Roy plus the gang adrift? This could be curtains!
(anag., ref. current state of SDP)
801 LINCHET RJ Palmer
It’s hard for worried client to retain unfurrowed brow
(h in anag.)
805 LITOTES W Jackson
Resisting gush in dyke stands one small boy
(I tot in les)
809 DOLCE VITA R Dean
Does cad love it? You can bet it!
(anag., & lit. i.e. “bet your sweet life”)
814 SPOUSAGE MS Taylor & NC Johns
What’ll break down as one ups and goes
(anag. inc. a, & lit.)
816 POTLACH (with extra O in word) M Barley
Trio of potentates behold a child; now gifts are given
(pot + lo + a ch)
818 EMBUSQUE DH Tompsett
Skipper? Board dismissing for example Caine’s!
(embus + Que(eg); ref The
Caine Mutiny)
823 SARBACANE WKM Slimmings
Reactionary supports a switch whose blow can mark one’s end
(bras rev. + a cane)
827 MICKEY-TAKING NC Dexter
(M)urine-extraction?
(2 meanings; ref Mickey Mouse)
831 COOLABAH (Spoonerism) TW Mortimer
A coal hob’s lit - native fare’s bound to be on it at meal-time
(Bear’s found; anag.)
835 PROSAICAL PF Henderson
Such works are nothing special (never entertaining English)
(anag. inc. O less E, E & lit.)
840 SONDE BRADBURY HJ
Red nosed? This may indicate high winds - or low bars!
(anag.; red vb.)
844 THEOLOGASTER (Misprint) JB Sweeting
No toper he, so large tot is out
(Soper (popular preacher); anag.)
849 VISITE RF Naish
Old rig will be inspected again when Adair’s sealed it
((Re)visite(d). Ref. Red Adair & Piper Alpha)
853 DEBACLE RJ WHALE
This situation, with letters in extremis, could make you cable Azed!
(anag. less A, Z, & lit. ref. postal strike)
857 REDCAP/NICETY CJ Morse
Refuse to salute and he’ll reprimand you with half-ironic yet misplaced
delicacy
(red2 cap, ref MP; (iro)nic + anag.)
862 OFF-AND-ON Dr. E Young
Periodical: ‘The Field’?
(off and on, ref. cricket)
866 NECTAREOUS CG Millin
Like a drop of elixir? With that inside, do not use car
(e in anag. & lit)
868. ROLAND (‘Parcel’ clue: 2 anagrams + def. of
‘contents’) Dr. I.S.
Fletcher
Letters? Arranging all I’d end as champion for a Scrabble game
(fa(ro land)ladies)
869. HOLD-UPS Dr.J.Burscough
Bush-whackers may take stick to President in United States shortly
(hold + P in US)
874 BLUESTOCKING JRH Jones
Got BSc unlike fluff?
(anag. & lit.)
878 MOUSEPIECE DW Arthur
Sumo wrestling - epic struggles needing energy on both sides, and a bit of
beef!
(anag. + anag. in E, E)
882. DOSSIER D.F. Manley
Second OED is out - the latest thing in computer gathering of reference
material
(anag. incl. s + r).
887 MONSTER Dr. GB Greer
Some in Commons term Mrs. T. one, abusively
(hidden, anag. & lit.)
891 CAT R Phillips
It’s lashed trunks afloat
(double def. cat-o’-nine-tails/catamaran)
895 TONE DEAF HL Rhodes
N. Faldo, tee shot left short, having far from perfect pitch
(anag. less l)
900 (C)HARLATANIS(M) (Puzzle entitled ‘No 900’) N C Dexter
Quack medicine? Crooked liar has bottles to flog
(tan in anag.)