Money Matters Rainbow Quiz: #95 & 98

[grumpygeezer]

Hi all, I am having difficulty with these two and it's making me even grumpier than usual. I can't see that anyone else has yet asked on thes etwo, so please can you validate my thoughts.

#95 "The fools just failed to make estimate (5)"

I have fools as 'asses'. Adding an 's' to make 'assess' would give me 'estimate'. This looks ok except that I can't see a link to money! (Unless it's coveting my neighbour's ass - which incidentally has some truth in it - but this seems too tenuous a link even for the convoluted minds of these quiz setters).
I could change the 's' at the end to a 't' and thus make 'asset'. This has a clear money link, but no link I can see to 'estimate'. I can even invert 'asset' to form 'tessa', but this doesn't achieve anything. So folks, where am I missing something?

#98. "American writer has old book to pen ..... (4,5)"

The best guess I have here is 'Mark Twain' as he was an American writer and mark has a currency connotation. But no way of linking 'twain' to the rest of the clue.

So folks am I on the right track please with these two? If I am please encourage me. If I am not, a gentle hint in the right direction may help make me less grumpy.

Thank you

[squarebear]

Someone else queried the assess one too:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puz zles/Question462824.html

[Quizmonkey]

Asses (just short of assess = estimate). Asses is plural of 'as' = an old coin.

[crofter]

# 95 "Asses" is also the plural for "As"

# 98 I also got locked into Mark Twain ~ but not so!
Mark is also a book in the NT, whereas the clue definitely implicates the OT!

[Pea Brain]

95. Look up 'as' in chambers. Go for the plural !!
98. Old Testament Book plus British coin. U.S.author

Be grumpy no more!!!!

[bracelet]

grumpygeezer: Am having the same problem as you with #95 but you are on the right lines with #98 just the wrong American author - try a surname beginning with P. I'm going mad with #53, can you help? Bracelet.

[jodder]

Hi Bracelet, I've put stale bread for 53 but not entirely happy with it Jodder

[Goofy]

I thik bread stick is better - as in stick around

[grumpygeezer]

Thank you all. In much better humour now.

Can't add to all the talk here on #53, bracelet. I'm stuck with 'stale bread' as the best bet. But it's not up to their usual clue standard if this is the correct answer.

Thanks to all

gg

[pepperwalker]

I have had similar thoughts as you about 95 except I hadn't thought of tessa
However - I have got 98
What is often referred to as an old book (or books!) in crosswords? When you've got this find a four lettered book and google it with "american writer". The surname is another word for pen but not the writing kind.
Hope thats not too vague
Pepperwalker