密歇根新闻广播 "Rain check"的用法

 

When was the last time you asked for a rain check?

Maybe a store gave you a rain check for a product you wanted that was out of stock. Or maybe you invited a friend out to lunch, but they were busy and asked for a rain check.

If you've ever asked for a rain check, you're actually using a phrase that we can trace back to baseball and, surprisingly, chess.

The earliest citation¹ of "rain check" in the Oxford² English Dictionary is from 1884: "The Toledo Baseball Club will give rain checks this season." By the turn of the 20th century, "rain check" comes to refer to situations other than rained-out baseball games or other sporting events.

Not long after that, we start to see "rain check" used in retail³ situations. In 1955, we get this quote from the Mansfield News Journal in Ohio: "Should any of these specials be out of stock, we furnish every customer desiring one with a rain check authorizing⁴ the purchase of this special at the advertised price."

The "check" in "rain check" goes back to chess. In chess, "check" is the act of threatening the other player's king. You could say that a player's king is "in check" when its position is threatened. Later on, "check" also comes to refer to a sudden stop in the course of something, because it's obstructed⁵ or there's opposition⁶.

From there, "check" becomes a restraint upon an action by a supervising power -- e.g. keeping someone in check. It also comes to mean something that serves as a stop or a restraint, as in "checks and balances."

By the early 18th century, a "check" is a control to assure accuracy or security from fraud. By the 19th century, it can also be a receipt or a ticket that is used to show ownership -- that's where we get "coat check" and "hat check." This kind of check is also related to the check or bill you get at a restaurant as well as the check for money drawn⁷ from a bank account.

1 citation   

n.引用，引证，引用文；传票

参考例句：

• He had to sign the proposition for the citation.他只好在受奖申请书上签了字。
• The court could issue a citation and fine Ms. Robbins.法庭可能会发传票，对罗宾斯女士处以罚款。

2 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

5 obstructed   

阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• Tall trees obstructed his view of the road. 有大树挡着，他看不到道路。
• The Irish and Bristol Channels were closed or grievously obstructed. 爱尔兰海峡和布里斯托尔海峡或遭受封锁，或受到了严重阻碍。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。