check is in the mail
A common excuse used by debtors to put off creditors.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He keeps saying the check is in the mail.”
“I asked my tenant about the unpaid rent, but he just told me the check is in the mail again.”
“Despite his repeated promises that the check is in the mail, the contractor has yet to receive payment for the work completed months ago.”
- 01
carry the mail
To work diligently; to serve as the principal performer of a demanding task or set of tasks.
- 02
check and balance
Provide mutual oversight and limitation by independent organizations in order to prevent abuses of power.
- 03
check the math
To verify the source or accuracy of something.
- 04
check through
To permit someone to continue onward, e.g. through a security checkpoint, after verifying their identity, tickets, etc.
- 05
gut check
An honest, reflective appraisal of one's true feelings concerning a matter of concern.
- 06
mail it in
To deliver a performance without commitment or effort, with lackluster results.
- 07
need one's eyes checked
To be seeing things (having visual hallucinations).
- 08
reality check
A wake-up call; a reminder.
Last updated August 10, 2026