Definition of: "rain check" with explanation and origin
Definition of: rain check with explanation and origin? Meaning of rain check with examples in English idiom dictionary.
| English | English |
|
|
Definition of: "rain check" with explanation and origin
rain check
take a rain check
Meaning
- declining an offer that might be taken up later.
- refuse an offer politely, but imply that it can be taken up later.
- to guarantee that something will not be done right now but will be done later.
- one cannot accept an invitation but would like to do so later.
- to give a coupon to a customer confirming that they would be able to purchase something at a discounted price that it is being sold for right now but is out of stock.
Example Sentences
- He said he would take a rain check on visiting us today.
- I’ll have to take a rain check on going to the movies this evening; I already have other plans.
- He couldn’t attend the concert with his friends. He took a rain check instead.
- Do you mind if I take a rain check on the team outing? I have to finish this project by tomorrow.
- I would have loved to come to your place, but I’ll take a rain check on that. I will be out of town during the weekend.
- The couple took a rain check from today’s school duties because it is their anniversary and they wanted to spend the day together.
- I am taking a rain check from having morning coffee with my husband today because I have to get to a business meeting by 8 am.
- The children took a rain check from the exam as they were told that it was an optional but important assessment.
- I will have to take a rain check from going to the Kitty party because my son is not well.
- She always takes a rain check when we have to go out together. Perhaps she does not like our company.
Origin
The phrase originated in the 1870s in the USA in reference to baseball games. If it rained heavily enough for a match to be postponed, the ticket holders for the match were given a “rain check,” i.e., a voucher to attend another match.
The phrase is speculated to come from sports events getting cancelled in the event of rain. This is especially true for high-profile events that sell tickets at handsome rates to their patrons. In the event of rain, when the sport is indeed cancelled, a rain check is provided, which gives the audience assurance that the amount spent on the ticket will be compensated at a later date through another match. Gradually, its meaning changed to something that is avoided or procrastinated for later.
The Origins of rain check
American, Game, Rain, SportsEnglish
Related Dictionary
- English Definition & Meaning Dictionary
- English Idioms and phrases Dictionary
- Dictionnaire Français
- Dictionnaire d'expressions idiomatiques et de phrases en français
Read more
- Definition of "dig one’s own grave" in English?
- Definition of "foot in the door" in English?
- Definition of "break one’s back" in English?
- Definition of "not all it’s cracked up to be" in English?
- Definition of "easier said than done" in English?
- Definition of "been around" in English?
- Definition of "sacred cow" in English?
- Definition of "come to grief" in English?
- Definition of "make a clean breast" in English?
- Definition of "from cradle to grave" in English?
- Definition of "faint of heart" in English?
- Definition of "cross paths" in English?
- Definition of "riddle me" in English?
- Definition of "fall on deaf ears" in English?
- Definition of "clarion call" in English?
- Definition of "off grid" in English?
- Definition of "cover one’s tracks" in English?
- Definition of "the other side of the coin" in English?
- Definition of "cross swords" in English?
- Definition of "lights are on but nobody is home" in English?
English Idioms and phrases
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below). By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.
To evoke the desired effect in the listener, idioms require a precise replication of the phrase: not even articles can be used interchangeably (e.g. "kick a bucket" only retains the literal meaning of the phrase but not the idiomatic meaning).
Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "more powerful than a locomotive"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.
