The Gulf monarchies, meanwhile, have fallen back on their cheque books, vying to lavish the Palestinians with aid.

ECONOMIST: But there is little they can do

As now, anyone paid by cheque will deposit it in their bank, to be sent on to various clearing houses, which route the cheque back to the issuer's bank for payment approval and the transfer of funds.

ECONOMIST: America's new law on cheques

Knowingly, he had denied me the opportunity to write back with ready excuses, to enclose a cheque bloated with guilty zeros.

NPR: 'Ancestor Stones:' Life and War in Sierra Leone

He was then contacted by the sender of the cheque and asked if he could pay back the additional money as it had been a mistake.

BBC: Bouncing cheques are a big problem for small businesses.