XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 864

PATERNAL

1.  L. W. Jenkinson (Bolton): A planter may well be concerned for his seed (anag.).

2.  A. J. Hughes (Sutton Coldfield): Penal art is involved in the Mikado’s kind of way of governing (anag.; ref. “In a fatherly kind of way…”, introd. to song, Act II).

3.  T. Anderson (Folkestone): How Husband feels outside hospital ward, mate having a set of triplets within? (a tern in pal; tern²).

V.H.C.

Miss V. K. Abrahams (Cromer): Learn tap dancing— pop style! (anag.).

R. Abrey (Folkestone): The old man’s uncommon later ’n what’s like him (pa + anag.).

C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): One given the right backing before long may go to the top of the pops (pate + an r. (rev.) + l.; l. = long).

W. G. Arnott (Newcastle): Round, round, round a trio of the pops (a tern² in lap (rev.)).

F. D. H. Atkinson (Claygate): Pop, pop, pop! What can describe the old man’s feelings? (i.e. pa ternal (= threefold)).

C. O. Butcher (E4): Disc, with a long following, cut by Ringo’s top of the pops (R in paten + a, l.; l. = long).

N. C. Dexter (Market Harborough): Pa-pa’s pa-pa-pa? (i.e. pa ternal (= threefold)).

J. A. Fincken (Bexley): Art panel staggered—by Dada or Pop? (anag.; ref. Dada and Pop Art movements).

W. F. Goodman (Ickenham): Crown and anchor operators get a pound from father (Pate RN a L; dice game).

Sir S. Kaye (SW10): Pop’s thin liquor—needs a gin (about third of Gordon’s) in it. Now, put it back! ((Go)r(don’s) in a net in lap (all rev.); lap² n.).

A. D. Legge (Walsall): Carving of lean part shows which side a young Sprat favours (anag.; ref. ‘Jack Sprat’).

A. A. Malcolm (Perth): The top—four infernal concluding items—of the pops (pate + (infe)rnal).

Miss G. M. May (W10): Buddy’s introduced a prize for the top three numbers of the pops (a tern² in pal).

W. H. Pegram (Enfield): Just like a father! He learnt differently! (i.e. pa + anag.).

R. Postill (Jersey): Mate embracing a bird feels thus? So’s your old man! (a tern¹ in pal; so’s your old man = vulgarism expressing incredulity).

W. K. M. Slimmings (Worcester Park): Like one who gets mark of approval—nearly wagging tail off! (pat + anag. of nearl(y); gets = begets).

S. Sondheim (New York): Pop art panel, derived from Dada (anag.; pop = explode; ref. Dada and Pop Art movements).

J. W. Taylor (Stoke-on-Trent): Pop’s a distortion of Art—penal! (anag.; ref. Pop Art movement).

H.C.

R. B. Adcock, D. B. J. Ambler, Mrs P. M. Armour, S. Barnett, R. T. Baxter, Lt Col R. L. Bell, T. E. Bell, J. M. Brew, Rev C. M. Broun, Mrs M. P. Craine, J. Crowther, F. E. Dixon, Mrs B. Fisher, J. Foster, A. L. Freeman, Mrs J. O. Fuller, F. D. Gardiner, G. P. Goddard, E. Gomersall, R. W. Hall, H. Hancock, F. H. W. Hawes, Mrs M. Henderson, H. C. Hills, H. L. Hindley, S. Holgate, E. M. Hornby, Mrs L. Jarman, L. F. Leason, J. Leitrim, Miss J. S. Lumsden, H. Lyon, W. L. Miron, P. H. Morgan, C. J. Morse, H. B. Morton, M. Newman, S. L. Paton, E. G. Phillips, B. A. Pike, Maj J. N. Purdon, Mr & Mrs A. Rivlin, T. E. Sanders, J. W. Sherwood, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, J. G. Stubbs, P. W. Thacker, M. J. Tomkinson, K. I. Torrance, D. J. Williams.
 

COMMENTS:—Nearly 400 entries, about 370 correct, and no common cause of errors. There were some good and many goodish clues, but as a whole the entry was just a little dull. The many “parental” and “prenatal” anagrams had to be ruled out: none was strikingly better than the rest, and all tended to be rather obvious; this is apt to happen when the order of the letters is so little disturbed. Once again, with an adjective, there was the old trouble of not indicating the right part of speech: I wish I could convince all solvers of this necessity. It was interesting to have an entry from Mr. J. R. Tilley, the winner of the first first prize 20 years ago with his clue to CAT-LAP—“Once round the tiles for a drink.” I don’t think he enters very often nowadays. Alas, his clue failed through the adjective trouble, beginning with “Be like father”: this can only lead to a verb. Some competitors who used “learn tap dancing” used a hyphen: this effectively prevents it from soundly indicating an anagram of “learn tap.”
 
Thank you for many kind enquiries after my health: I’m glad to say that I’m perfectly all right again now. Thank you also for congratulations on the recent centenary; but I can’t agree with the over-enthusiastic solver who says “Here’s to another 40!” I should be over 100 by that time, and I think the puzzles might by then have become a little eccentric. There have already been occasional signs of senility—e.g. “Ximenio” last Christmas !— though I like to think there haven’t been any—touch wood— just lately.