Rain check
/ˈreɪn ˌtʃɛk/
nounphraseB2
Definition
A rain check is a way to say you want to accept an invitation or offer, but you cannot do it right now. You ask to do it later instead. It comes from sports when a game is stopped by rain and tickets are valid for a later game. Now, people use it to politely delay plans.
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See It in Action
A polite way to say you cannot accept an invitation now but want to do it later
- •"I can’t go to dinner tonight, but can I take a rain check?"
- •"Thanks for the invite! I’ll take a rain check and join next time."
- •"She gave me a rain check because she was busy."
A ticket or voucher to attend an event later if the original event was stopped by rain (less common in daily speech)
- •"The game was canceled due to rain, so they gave us rain checks."
- •"Keep your rain check to come to the rescheduled match."
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "rain check" like "later" (A1 word), but with a polite promise to do it soon, not just any time
- ✓Picture a baseball game stopped by rain; fans get a special ticket to come back another day
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to join friends but something important stops you, so you say, "Can we do this later?"
- ✓Sounds like "rain check" → imagine checking the weather and deciding to wait because of rain
- ✓Think of a time when you had to say "not now, but soon" to a friend’s invitation
- ✓NOT like "no" (which means never or refusal), "rain check" means yes, but later
- ✓NOT like "postpone" (formal word), "rain check" is casual and friendly
- ✓NOT like "cancel" (stop completely), rain check means keep the plan but delay it
Try Other Words
- •Postpone: delay to a later time (Use when talking about formal or planned delays)
- •Reschedule: set a new time for an event (Use when the original time changes officially)
- •Delay: make something happen later than planned (Use for general time shifts)
- •Take a rain check: phrase meaning to say "not now, but later" (Use in casual, friendly conversation)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "rain" (water from the sky) + "check" (ticket or proof of permission)
- •Etymology: From American English, late 1800s, from baseball games stopped by rain, where tickets were given for later games
- •Historical development: Originally a physical ticket for rescheduled games, now a polite phrase for delaying plans
- •Modern usage: Used in everyday conversation to politely say "I can’t do it now, but I want to do it later"
Reflect & Connect
•When have you had to give or accept a rain check in your life? How did it feel?
•Why do you think people prefer to say "rain check" instead of just "no" when they want to delay plans?
Fill in the blanks
1.I wanted to join the party, but I had to ___ ___ because I was feeling sick.
2.When she said "rain check," I knew she wanted to ___ the invitation, not refuse it.
3.A rain check is different from a "no" because it shows you ___ to meet later.
4.At the baseball game, if it rains, you get a ___ ___ to come back another day.
5.You often hear "take a rain check" when someone wants to ___ plans politely.
6.If you accept a rain check, it means you plan to do something ___.
7.Saying "rain check" usually happens when something ___ your current plans.