以上所述，只是使用“rain check”的一種具體情境。至于“rain check”的一般涵義，還得查考詞書：
1. rain-check①(球賽等因下雨而中斷后）留作下次繼續(xù)使用票根；②延期：give a rain check on a dinner
                                                                       ——《新英漢詞典》
2. rain check n 1 ； a ticket stub good for a later performance when the scheduled one is rained out 2: an assurance of a deferred extension of an offer;esp :an assurance that a customer can take advantage of a sale later if the item or service offered is not available
(as by being sold out)
                                                                        —WNCD
3. rain check. . . n AmE 1 a ticket for a later performance, when rain has stopped a public match of show 2 infml an agreement that one may claim latter something that is being offered now ： I don't want a cigarette now, thank you, but I'll take a rain check on it.
                                                                         —LDCE
由此可見：
甲、"rain check”可以由權充，也可以是因故（下雨或其它原因）另行發(fā)給、供以后使用立憑證；    乙、以準予延期使用者的口吻說，動詞用“ give”(a rain check on...);而用被準予延期使用者的口氣說，則用動詞“take”（a rain check on …）；
丙、“rain-check”此詞在使用過程中已經(jīng)可以離開任何具體的“憑證”，而抽象地表示“延期干……”“慢慢再來”了。如LDCE中的最后一例：“謝謝，現(xiàn)在不想抽，回頭抽罷”--- 實際上對話人之間并沒有授受什么有形的“rain check”。這樣“rain check”就既同 “rain”無關，也同“cheeks”無關了。