Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

28. Is it flying from the warship's mast when it is dressed for a ceremonial occasion (7)

Could it be OVERALL?

(As in "dressing overall", a Naval term.)

Hi David.

It might be bunting which is the name of a bird and also the name given to decorative flags flown from ships.

JimC

Brilliant, JimC. You're 'spot on'. I tried earlier, but just couldn't 'see' it.

The quiz title is apparel and all my other answers have been something one could wear so do not think bunting would be correct.
Thanks for trying

Sammy is correct with overall.

If OVERALL is the answer ... the clue is pretty poor indeed.

Since 'dressing overall' is the nautical term for a warship flying the appropriate flags for a ceremonial occasion the clue is both apposite and instructive.

Hi again.

At the risk of being thought pedantic, 'apparel' can refer to clothing or dress for humans and non-humans. I just looked it up in Chambers dictionary and it even has an archaic meaning of (a ship's?) 'rigging'.

So, for example, a ship can be 'dressed overall' (as Sammy pointed out) with bunting. A tree can have an apparel of foliage. Etc...

I don't know the context of David's quiz, so possibly only human apparel is acceptable particularly if all other answers have been human clothing.

BW.
JimC

Hello Jimc
Be honest now, if you had been familiar with the naval term 'dress overall' in the context of a warship flying the correct flags on a ceremonial occasion would you have gone for the generic 'bunting' rather than the specific 'overall'?
Warships don't 'dress overall with bunting' as you say, they just 'dress overall'.
I've had a word with the crew here and we're all willing to put good money on this if you're interested.
As to pedantry, isn't that why we're all here?