The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word VERTEBRAE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
V
E
R
T
E
B
R
A
E
More clues leading to the result VERTEBRAE
- Bones Uhle finally found buried in green hill
- Bones find peace at last in green hillside
- Bits of bone European found buried in green Scottish hillside
- Bony bits in ear — wager about five all round
- Ever bet foolishly with a rascal? Start showing some backbone!
- They are articulate in personal columns
- Organ, speculated vicar, needs looking over – it’s our nerve centre?
- Listener made a wager with clergyman about some bones
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "They are articulate in personal columns" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they are articulate in personal columns = vertebrae.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does VERTEBRAE mean?
VERTEBRAE noun- Any of the small bones which make up the backbone.