If someone says they will ‘take a rain check’, it means they cannot accept your invitation but would like to at a later time. It’s a friendly way to say no when someone invites you to do something or go somewhere. It’s especially common in American English. Here are some examples:
A: Do you want to get a coffee this afternoon?
B: I’ll have to take a rain check on that. How about Friday?
Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I have to work late tonight. How about next week?
A: Want to go to the concert this weekend?
B: Sorry, I’m going to take a rain check with this one.
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When someone says ‘take a rain check’, you can reply by saying ‘Sure, no problem’ or ‘No problem, next time!’.
When was the last time you ‘took a rain check’ on something?
Where does this idiom come from? When baseball games were canceled because of rain, people were given a new ‘rain check’ ticket they could use for another game. |
Related links:
What does ‘I’m dying for a coffee mean’?
Five English phrases for dinner parties
Can you tell a funny story in English?