the check is in the mail
- idiom
- Informal
:
el cheque está en camino
- If your client tells you the check is in the mail, you should follow up until payment arrives.
Examples
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Don't worry, the check is in the mail!
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She assured the landlord that the check is in the mail, but he remained skeptical.
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Whenever I remind him about the rent, he just says the check is in the mail.
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I promise, the cheque is in the mail.
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Don't worry about the bill; the check is in the mail and should arrive soon.
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She told me the check is in the mail after I reminded her about the payment.
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He promised to send the money for the project, saying the check is in the mail.
How Trustworthy
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + check + be + in + the + mail
The literal meaning — that a paper check has been sent through the postal system — is directly compositional from 'check', 'is', 'in', and 'mail' and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the words. However, the conventional pragmatic use of this phrase as a stock excuse or dubious reassurance (i.e., a promise that may not be fulfilled) is culturally conventional and not fully predictable from the constituents, so full understanding requires exposure.
Etymology
The check is in the mail comes from the picture of someone who owes money saying the check has already been sent in the mail as an easy excuse. That's why it now means 'a promise to pay that may not be true' or 'to delay or avoid payment'.