Three common English idioms for social situations
Listen, read, and guess what the idioms mean. Then check below.
What to Say
How can you say ‘No’ to an invitation for now, but keep the invitation open for another time?
• Can I take a rain check?
What can you say if someone invites you to an event that is dependent on something else, such as good weather?
• (Let’s keep our) fingers crossed.
And if you’re doing something social with someone or a group of people (eating in a restaurant, for example) and you want to say that you’ll pay for it?
• This is on me.
Meanings
take a rain check – keep an invitation open for another time. (A rain check, in the U.S., is a ticket for later use. It’s given to spectators when a sports event can’t happen because of rain.)
Fingers crossed / keep (your) fingers crossed – hope that something will be OK
on me – I’m going to pay for both/all of us.
![[image: funny cartoon]](https://english-e.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dinner-on-me.jpg)