Snatchy: A Christmas Jumbo by Mass

A first prize of fifty pounds and two further prizes of twenty pounds will be awarded for the first three correct entries opened on 14 January. In addition, book prizes will be awarded for the next twelve correct solutions (choose from the list ompage 62 and write the code letter in the box under the puzzle). Entries to: Christmas Jumbo, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

ACROSS

17 Union members with points. questions, about Union? (9) 18 Brisk, King has advantage (5) 19 Extremely dry pub reduced In- come (6)

22 Possibly remit gold with debts honourable ( 1 I)

25 Stale mince-pie? Prepare to digest it, we're told (6)

28 T' pixies revolve — disturbed, bolt for inaccessible place (14, two words)

29 Trims around edge of the , Mexican riding-blanket (6) ''13 Swan circling about to . plume

itself (5) Native returned 'er rebuff (5)

35 Pretty geranium, partly striped , one not seen nowadays (5) 36 Shoddy horseplay at court,

Wimbledon's centre (7,

37 Bird with) comb that is about to dive (9, hyphened)

39 Mustard-plasters concocted for Miss Spain (9)

42 Energy in ecstatic cry of exulta- tion (5)

45 Morse? 'E'd dashes — piles (7) 49 Wood,seaweed. beached (6)

SI Be certain to follow recipe

enclosed (6)

53 Tree in bluster hustled (4) 54 Welsh girl's heartless horror-

story (novel) rejected (7)

56 Harvest grapes with maiden,

57Romance in quickly (10) is fun, they say (5)

61 Fancy pigeons I preserve inside

watch-towers (9)

63 Iliad seer misconstrued as neo-

( latonist? 9

68 Like corn cultivated of yore (5) 73 Liberal in eats, oversupply (5) 74 Caers about stee sloe 6)

76

77 Slips? Dreads losinp g leap (

d (6) Submarine was among first coated against corrosion (11)

79 Particle synthesised about zero with diagram of chemical

of s(14)

82 Spropertieslip fifty in bank rock(5)

83 Get heartless villain irregularly? He might (9) 84 a Sco Langut (q.e7) of 26? Almost blue, to

85 Girl in drink, high state (7) BOWN 1 Dominated with subtly rated moves, capturing Queen (12) 2 3 „Disparaged, rebuked audibly (8) Domed buildings with features

central to Rom (5)

5 Is up amongans rarest assorted lemuroids (8)

6 Scientific study of mountains -

7 and of seaweed, apparently? (8) Plant producing ang_el's wings for a Boeing? Odd! t7) 8 Angel dazzled initially, exalted (7)

9 Binding a bone in limb (8) IA 86 10 and 12 are snatches from carols. Fourteen other lights are clued by the follow ng: While shepherds watched . . . Ding-dong merrily on high . . . Hark, the herald angels . . . happy morn . . . three ships (one Miltonic). One other light shows the singers. Ignore three hyphens. The OED gives 35 and 50.

Name Book Choice Address 13 Trail puma — could be bearer of 33 second offspring (9) 15 Veterans on stage — Custer's 38 men, reportedly (8) 20 Vagrants look sullen poking into 40 most of refuse (8, hyphened) 43 23 Characteristic of certain algae?

So imago evolves, to us (9) 46 24 Produced excessive bills again? • 50 One's made legal claim (10) 26 'E probes periodicals, more than 52 one Wizard (5) 54 31 Happened on ring, gem, with • relief (5) 55 32 Saint carried on 2 according to 58 Milton (6) Heath dwellers making low cairns flanking river (7) They take people out, active in daily strikes, one hears (1(1) Russian, I turn on Right (4) In breaking code, eccentric shows misconduct (9)

Pride's burst — sinks again (6). Lack of timidity? Could be, in presidents (12)

Minor square with alley (5) Such as train second-class stu- dents, it's said (8) Guide songs heard (6) Bells, yes, blending, about 500, in joyful way (9) 59 Loud Scottish meadow bird (5) 60 Her patter's deceptive, like a catch? (9, hyphened) 62 Phoebe grabs at salt (8) 65 Interest grew about tip of anther, opening towards centre of flower (8) 67 Chillingly stiff in trap (8) 69 Marine type became hostile over counter (8, hyphened) 70 Man round about river, source of drink (8, two words) 71 About to discuss seclusion (7) 78 Active interest, out of considera- tion (5) 80 Monkey: it's up a tree (4)

The solution to Crossword 686 is on page 62. Book prizes are sent out by the Post-a-Book' service