Possible Clues:

• Fail to make joke, say, for periodical
• Detective gets rough synopsis
• Absorb gallon in boozy diets
• Bore set free, break down
• Girton's top dons reach conclusion on blessed fellow’s summary
• Assimilate (literally and figuratively)
• Vacuous types, say, with papers to take up and absorb
• Mentally assimilate
• Take in compendium
• Reader's ___