Hi. Does anybody know the origin of the expression: "rain check"? Thanks.?

Answer 1

American baseball fans will be familiar with the term, as that is where it arose: when a game was rained out, those who had tickets for that game were given a rain check which they could redeem at another game.

Answer 2

Prior to 1889, US Baseball fans were issued a new ticket if rain was so heavy that it caused a game to be postponed. Abner Powell, a major league baseball player and manager in the 19th century, added a detachable stub called a rain check that year. This avoided issuing tickets to fans who may not have been legitimate ticket holders, and encouraged fans to buy tickets without fear that they would pay for a game that might be rained out. This quickly became a standard practice for all major league teams.

The term may have originated in the era of open-air markets where the occurrence of significant rain usually required a vendor to pack up his goods and leave. The term may also be based on the issuing of tickets to claim property such as a coat or hat check.

The term is also used in social interactions - "I'll have to get a raincheck on that" is a polite way to turn down an invitation to a party, a date, or a social get-together, usually with the strong implication that another time would be acceptable.

Answer 3

Raincheck Origin

Answer 4

i have heard them say that on telly before and didnt know what is meant, its irritating because it sounds stupid 'hey düd, can i take a rain check? nyaa nyaa, im americaen' but judging from how they use it, i think it means whatever they are doing, they are going to do it later instead.