Cryptic clue I can't solve

Question

I'm new to cryptics but I managed to complete an entire puzzle from The Nation except for one clue where I'm stuck:

"A strip said to be possibly what was popular in living rooms once (10)" .

And IF I answered all of the other clues correctly, then the pattern for the answer to this one is as follows:

_s_i_i_t_a

Probably simple for you experts out there but it has me stumped!

Omega Krypton · Accepted Answer · 2019-10-01 02:29:38Z

8

This is a pretty obscure word (one that I hadn't heard before):

"Aspidistra"

is a genus of plant often used as a houseplant.

The clue should be parsed with

"to be possibly" as an anagram indicator, and "a strip said" as the fodder to be anagrammed (with the rest being a definition).

Omega Krypton

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answered Oct 1, 2019 at 2:25

Deusovi♦

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$\begingroup$ That. Was. Fast. +1 $\endgroup$
– Omega Krypton
Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 2:29
$\begingroup$ Wow! I'm impressed! And although I have heard the word I would have never guessed it "was popular in living rooms once".... Thanks much! $\endgroup$
– lhartney
Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 2:40
1

$\begingroup$ @lhartney and Deusovi - this word would be much better known in Britain - it's still fairly common to see them as houseplants here! Plus George Orwell wrote this novel, which I suspect might be its only appearance in a book title! :) $\endgroup$
– Stiv
Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 6:30
1

$\begingroup$ I don't know if this is its only appearance in a song title, but here's the wonderful Gracie Fields singing her song The Biggest Aspidistra In the World. youtube.com/watch?v=lHN-ZQzkJJU#t=28 $\endgroup$
– Rosie F
Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 6:55
$\begingroup$ Sorry, there is a problem with Wikipedia. $\endgroup$
– Scratch---Cat
Commented Oct 1, 2019 at 7:31

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