English Idiom List: Race Card, Rack One's Brain, Rain Check On Something

the race card.

Idiom Meaning: Cliché the issue of race magnified and injected into a situation that might otherwise be nonracial. (*Typically: deal; play; use.)

Idiom Usage: At the last minute, the opposition candidate played the race card and lost the election for himself.

rack one’s brain(s).

Idiom Meaning: Fig. to try very hard to think of something.

Idiom Usage: Don’t waste any more time racking your brain for the answer. Just go look it up online.

rain cats and dogs.

Idiom Meaning: Fig. to rain very hard.

Idiom Usage: I’m not going out in that storm. It’s raining cats and dogs.

*a rain check (on sth).

Idiom Meanings:

1. Fig. a piece of paper allowing one to see an event which has been cancelled at a later time. (Originally said of sporting events that had to be canceled because of rain. *Typically: get; have; take; give so.)

Idiom Usage (1): The game was cancelled because of the storm, but we all got rain checks on it.

2. Fig. a reissuing of an invitation at a later date. (Said to someone who has invited you to something that you cannot attend now but would like to attend at a later time. *Typically: get; have; take; give so.)

Idiom Usage (2): We would love to come to your house, but we are busy next Saturday. Could we take a rain check on your kind invitation?

3. Fig. a piece of paper that allows one to purchase an item on sale at a later date. (Stores issue these pieces of paper when they run out of specially priced sale merchandise. *Typically: get; have; take; give so.)

Idiom Usage (3): The store was all out of the shampoo they advertised, but I got a rain check. Yes, you should always take a rain check so you can get it at the sale price later when they have more.