Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U W Y
TAKE/GIVE (SOMEONE) A RAIN CHECK
to accept a different time for an appointment from the original one; to request that an appointment be rescheduled
 ...
1. Thanks for asking me to have lunch with you today. Unfortunately, I’m busy. Can I take a rain check? I’m free for lunch almost any day next week.
2. Bonnie had a date with Tom for Saturday but her mother became ill and she told him she couldn’t make it. She asked if he could give her a rain check for another time.

The expression originates from baseball and other outdoor sporting events, in which rain checks are given if the game is canceled because of rain. The rain check entitles the spectator to see another game on another day free of charge.


Go Back