Estimates of the number who are without a current (ie, chequebook) account range as high as 23%.

ECONOMIST: Squeezing the banks

But he won hearts, if not minds, by throwing lavish parties and opening his chequebook to British causes.

ECONOMIST: Walter Annenberg

German officials were warning on Wednesday that Germany would not simply open its chequebook to solve the budget talks.

BBC: EU budget: Another battle looms

As for Chelsea, owner Roman Abramovich has kept his chequebook under lock and key for most of the summer.

BBC: SPORT | Football | Mourinho's pressure point?

Mr Osborne said there would be "no more open chequebook" for out-of-work families.

BBC: George Osborne: Cap brought in on benefit claims

Details of this are either in the front cover of your chequebook or in the terms and conditions of your account.

BBC: NEWS | Programmes | Moneybox | Post-dated cheques: A popular myth?

The other would let them offer interest-bearing chequebook accounts to business customers.

ECONOMIST: Industrial loan companies

Those who weren't holding a chequebook were treated slightly differently.

BBC: Life with Maxwell

Stung by Japan's vacillations over whether to send people or money to Kuwait in the 1990-91 Gulf war (it went for the chequebook), he championed more decisive leadership through the creation of single-seat electoral districts.

ECONOMIST: Japan��s Ichiro Ozawa

On the government role in the deal, he said he personally went to the US to talk to the GM chief executive and chairman, but did not "wave a chequebook" in order to secure the deal.

BBC: Cable: UK 'good place' for car industry