Raincheck

Today my friend reminded me of an English expression that she already taught me a long time ago. She asked if it was ok if she rainchecked our meeting. It took me a few seconds to get it, but after that we postponed our Zoom meeting. 

As usual, when I don’t get the meaning of a word or idiom, I try to identify possible meanings. You can see below what I imagined when I read “raincheck”!

Studying English language is pretty fun! LOL

Anyway, the meaning doesn’t match the picture I created in my mind. It means that you will not be able to attend or accept an invitation. For example: Mike asked Sally out but she rainchecked.

It can also be a noun in a sentence, like a ticket or a paper that allows you to get something or attend an event in the future. Four years later we were able to take a rain check.

Or it is an idiom “take a rain check on something”. Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I have to work late tonight.

But my first idea when I tried to understand the meaning of raincheck wasn’t totally wrong. Googling I figured out that its etymology came from baseball games, when baseball teams would reprint tickets in case of postponement due to rain.