XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 1097

PANTOPHAGIST

1.  E. Chalkley: What pig has to become when gripped by hunger? (anag. in pant, & lit.; hunger vb.).

2.  Lt Col D. Macfie: To Pathans pig is not O.K., but I’ll eat anything (anag.; Muslim principle).

3.  R. G. C. Levens (Oxford): Pa stop a night? That’s out—he’d empty the larder (anag.).

V.H.C.

Col P. S. Baines: A tapping shot. How’s that? Out. I snap up everything (anag.).

P. F. Bauchop: Pig hasn’t a pot—strange for him (anag. & lit.).

C. O. Butcher: I’ve broad tastes—after pop I’m excited at things about opera (pa + op. in anag.).

A. A. Calland: Papa’s got thin. Very odd—he’ll eat anything (anag.).

R. M. S. Cork: I can stomach a lot of things, but that gas in pop upsets me (anag.).

S. Goldie: I’m hopeless at shopping at foodstores—I like all they have (anag.).

E. M. Hornby: Possibly a tiptop gnash is what I need (anag. & lit.).

Mrs E. McFee: Papa’s got thin—that’s odd in one whose diet is unrestricted (anag.).

T. W. Melluish: A Gargantuan pie for him is a thin stopgap (anag. & lit.; pie²).

F. E. Morgan: Dish up things to papa anyhow: meat and veg. are the same to him (anag.).

Mrs E. M. Pardo: Papa’s got thin. Odd—he eats everything (anag.).

S. L. Paton: Being like Bunter, is the potential snag that I pop? (anag.).

J. Riley: A hat’s topping, properly minced—and he’s just the man to eat it (anag.).

Brig R. F. E. Stoney: Avid consumer has got a pint of Pimm’s No. 1 mixed for him (anag. incl. P).

J. G. Stubbs: Tonight papa’s indisposed: he does not restrict his diet (anag.).

Rev C. D. Westbrook: Put crudely, a pig at nosh needing to get in some gym? (anag. in PT, & lit.).

H.C.

D. B. J. Ambler, F. D. H. Atkinson, C. Allen Baker, M. J. Balfour, T. E. Bell, R. Brain, Rev C. M. Broun, J. Crowther, N. C. Dexter, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, F. E. Dixon, A. S. Everest, A. L. Freeman, P. D. Gaffey, Dr E. Gallagher, F. D. Gardiner, R. B. Harling, P. R. L. Heath, G. M. Hornby, C. H. Hudson, J. G. Hull, H. W. Jenkins, A. H. Jones, Sir S. Kaye, N. Kemmer, R. E. Kimmons, L. F. Leason, Mrs B. Lewis, Mrs M. Lucas, Dr Macgillivray, Mrs J. Mackie, L. May, B. J. McCann, D. P. M. Michael, C. G. Millin, C. J. Morse, F. E. Newlove, M. Newman, H. C. S. Perry, Mrs E. M. Phair, R. Postill, R. W. Quibell, E. J. Rackham, Mrs G. Rajkowska, T. E. Sanders, L. T. Stokes, F. B. Stubbs, J. B. Sweeting, C. M. Tatham, Mrs C. M. Theodorson, W. H. Thornton, S. A. Wetherfield, C. E. Williams.
 

COMMENTS:—A little short of 300 entries, and congratulations to all who successfully dealt with this mease of red herrings. It really was tough, and there were hardly any mistakes in the solutions sent in; I’m not a bit surprised at the drop in their number. CAMERLINGOS, NETHERLINGS and CARRIWITCHET were especially elusive, though all three words have been used, unmutilated, in puzzles during the last few years. I was glad to read that so many enjoyed this occasional harder struggle than usual; one solver even asked for more, with birds next time; I may have a shot at it, but not too soon. Anagrams predominated in the entry. The commonest were “Tonight papa’s…” and “That pop I sang…”; I have included in the V.H.C.s the one I liked best of the first kind, but those of the second kind were too alike for a choice to be fair. There was still a tendency here and there to be too lengthy—one clue ran to 43 words. I preferred clues which did not refer to the fish, hag, which had “got away”; I avoided doing this anywhere in the puzzle—it seemed to me contrary to the idea. I must mention a weakness which I didn’t mention last month, one which often crops up; that is the device of forcing a word or words to do double duty, which they can’t do in sound, natural English, e.g., “Hasn’t pig with a pot got the makings of one? Yes.” What the writer means is “Hasn’t hasn’t pig with a pot…”; and the words used can’t mean that. I thought the prize-winners and V.H.C.s well up to standard.
 
I must end on a sad note. Many solvers may not have heard or seen in the papers that two old friends, Brigadier W. E. Duncan and Mr. B. C. Westall have died recently. Both were very keen competitors and delightful men; Brigadier Duncan organised the Ximenes Dinner for No. 750 and Mr. Westall that for No. 1000. They will be greatly missed.