Independent xword 6490 4 August 2007

[kettledrum]

24a. High card rejected? Reckon to lose it, in short, in card game. (6) E - A - T - .

Is it ecarte ? I understand ace ( high card ) rejected, and I understand card game. Can someone explain 'rte' and 'reckon to lose it'. ? Thanks

[mac44]

All I can see is TRITE for short, lose IT, then anag of what's left.

[kettledrum]

Thanks Mac44 - I've seen that too, but I don't see any connection with 'reckon'.
Maybe it's not ecarte. It's difficult once you've got a word fixed in your mind to reject it and move on to another one.

[Christiana]

If it's any help Chambers 10th Edition gives 'trite' as the third string of the lyre or tone of the tetrachord RECKONED DOWNWARDS. Or am I reading too much into it, trying to make it fit?

[kettledrum]

I don't know Christiana...it looks a bit far fetched to me, but I think I'll sleep on it tonight and try to look at it with fresh eyes and a fresh mind tomorrow. Thank you anyway for trying.

[kayakamina]

Ecarte.......ACE (high card) << R(a)te (reckon to lose it i.e A)

ECA RTE

[kettledrum]

Thanks for that Kayakamina - unable to see the wood for the trees!
And I'd considered rate as a synonym for reckon, but had thought if they were thinking along those lines the clue would have been:
High card rejected? Reckon (rate) to lose a card game.

[Christiana]

Thank goodness for that. Yes I lay in bed last night turning 'rate' over in my mind (how sad is that!) but like you thought they would use the 'a'

[kettledrum]

As you say Christiana, 'thank goodness for that!'

But I can't tell you how stupid I feel. I actually play cards (bridge) - quite a lot - and am used to referring to aces as As , as well as rejecting high cards and consequently losing games!