Crossword Help Forum
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Pangram. It is not common, but not extremely rare either. I suspect setters enjoy setting near pangrams (missing one letter) to tease solvers.

See a really long list of terms at https://timesforthetimes.co.uk/glossary

Thank you, and also for the link (it's not paywalled shriek). I couldn't be sure until I got 23D, which I thought was a really cool clue.

Hi everyone I'm still going on this having got an awful lot further than I expected! I've seen the hints for 23d so will wait for the PDM but can I check my crossers are right for 15d? I have E_T_L_I_E. I have a four letter word in the middle that is not good for a poker player, and looking for definition companion. Am I on the right track? The rest was a right old struggle but I'm quietly pleased I only needed some of your hints. Thanks in advance.

Hi havermonkey
First letter isn't E. Your 4 - letter word in the middle is right, though.

Got it thanks! No idea what I'd done with 14a, I think I'd pencilled in a hidden early on and didn't fully fix it. Thank goodness, will come back and stare at 23d again later.

Gave up yesterday, decided it was way beyond my capabilities.
Too cold and icy to go for a walk today so came back to it and with help from you guys I have managed to finish — can’t believe it. Not sure of all the parsing but who cares!
FOI 1a LOI 7d COD 8d
Thanks for your help , forecast is for near tropical temperatures tomorrow —- ie 9 degrees which is certainly better than the minus 9 and 10 of recent nights.

Last one in. 23a. Forgot that meaning. And the beak was misdirecting my parsing. Hard but nothing outrageously vague, in my opinion. Still, needed forum for clarification on at least three clues.

Cheers all.

It's about persistence a lot of the time isn't it? And nudges!

Absolutely you are spot on!!

That was a struggle. Don't understand 25a, as the solution is a compound not an ingredient.
Can't see how the last 5+4 of 1a works either, despite the earlier suggestions to reverse them.