Catholic Herald

[porilo]

Hi! Can anyone help with my last 2 please:

11a: Classical battle defence university's to try first to act out (7)
I have ?E?T?I? but not sure about the I.

14a: Stone's friend the Queen regularly entertained (5)
I have ?E?R?

Thanks very much.

[JJ109]

11a testudo (the Roman tortoise)
test (try) + U(niversity) + Do (act out)

[JJ109]

14a The only thing I can think of is JERRY as in Jerry Hall (Mick Jagger's partner)......but I don't see why exactly

[porilo]

Thanks very much. I would never have got TESTUDO. Not a word I've come across before. Also I had a wrong letter in one of the down answers where I'd put Titania instead of Miranda. I was thinking about JERRY too. ER could be "the Queen" but I can't parse the rest of it.

[porilo]

The answer to 14a was PEARL. Isn't it obvious now? I'm kicking myself. Friend = PAL with Queen (ER) "regularly" inside = PEARL = stone. TESTUDO was correct, thanks.