Observer Everyman

[Orthrus]

Entertaining literature, primarily, a deep source (5) M?L?E:

Consume fruitcake with a bit of salad (4,3) P?N?,N?T;

Having branches cut back to make room for using the net (3,6) P?N, ?I?E?R

Cheers!

[Confounded]

MI (L) NE
PINE NUT
NON LINEAR

[Orthrus]

Can you parse PINE NUT and NON LINEAR?

[Toorak]

Pine (consume/eat) nut (fruitcake)

Non linear - on line (using the net) inside ran (cut) reversed

[Orthrus]

I've never heard "pine" for "consume", so I remain none the wiser. Fair call on the other one, though.

[RogerBear]

What is the definition in MILNE: an &Lit? Stretching it, I think.

But not so much as PINE.

[JJ109]

The definition of Milne is the whole clue - a deep source of entertaining literature (primarily/kids)

I don't like pine either!