XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 13

IPOMAEA

1.  Mrs Jarman (Brough): I’m in the trailer with half a gun, anti-aircraft, in the middle east (I + pom(-pom) + E in AA; trailing plant).

2.  C. Hordern (W8): Hark! The peremptory Cockney calls for his pet in a trailer (‘’i pom ’ere!’; trailing plant).

3.  J. M. Doulton (Orpington): Here you see the trailer of “A Poem in Indiana” (anag. of a poem in Ia[?]; film trailer; trailing plant).

H.C.

T. A. L. Cairns (Totton): Most of Mesopotamia lost for a mess of sweet-potato! (anag. less most; ipomoea is a kind of s.-p.).

L. E. Eyres (York): Sell the fruit of this plant for a penny? The idea! (poma (L.) for d in idea).

P. Irving (Edinburgh): A. Poe I am sure could write you a creeper (anag.; ref. Edgar Allan Poe).

C. B. Joyner (Exeter): Pious Pamela, nonplussed and shaken, creeps away like a worm (anag. less plus).

J. Maling (Gosport): Tip Tom at tea? Tease away, you weedy twister! (tip Tom at tea less T’s (‘tease’)).

A. I. Oldaker (N21): Pennsylvania, Maine, Iowa and Ohio to be amalgamated? It’s a plant! (anag. of Pa, Me, Ia, O).

E. W. Padgett (Oakham): Eastern portion of life-saving jacket comes to nothing, but why should the climber be bitter about it? (0 Mae (West) in IPA (beer); climbing plant).

R. C. Payn (Ardrossan): It’s a plant to get the Navy out of Pomerania (anag. of Pomerania less RN).

R. D. Prior (Harrow): Plant growing out of every other stop on the Simplon-Maas-Edam line (alternate letters).

I. W. Seaton (Belfast): This tropical cigar wrapper sounds like a Cockney calling his dog (‘’i pom ’ere!’; type of bindweed).

J. F. Smith (Nottingham): The Navy helps to get damaged plant out of Pomerania (anag. of Pomerania less RN).

R. W. E. Stickings (Brentwood): If you muddle your Latin Verse in 1A, you may still make a climber (anag. of poema in IA).

M. Whitehouse (Baildon): This trailing plant yields a first-class fruit (anag. of a A1 pome).

COMMENTS:—An intractable word made the standard less high than usual—no outstanding inspirations, though “in the middle east” is very neat. L. E. Eyres sent, perhaps, the cleverest clue, but poma clued as “fruit” with no hint of Latin caused its relegation (with regret) to a commendation. J. Maling and R. D. Prior sent clues of interesting and original types. There were more extra-far-fetched clues than usual—invited, perhaps, by last time’s misprint, which made the already dark winner even darker! There were many rather “bitty” anagrams: M. Whitehouse’s was the best of these.
 
[Archive note: The spelling IPOMAEA appeared in the contemporary ed. of Chambers. Subsequent editions give IPOMOEA.]
 
[Notice from the Observer crossword results: “Half-yearly consolation prizes: L. E. Eyres, G. A. Hornsby, J. J. Murphy (3 commendations each) Last two please send addresses.”]