What's the meaning of "The check's in the mail"?
Evan Kirshenbaum
> I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the
> following line:
>
> Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an online version of
> "The check's in the mail."
>
> What is "The check's in the mail"? Thanks in advance.
There's an old joke that the three biggest (or most common) lies are
The check's in the mail.
Of course I'll respect you in the morning.
and
I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you.
(I've also heard it with "This won't hurt a bit" as #2.)
In actual use, it's a delaying tactic. The scenario being described
is that of a person overdue in paying a debt who is called by their
creditor. Though they haven't done so, they pretend that they've
mailed the payment, and that it must be the postal service that is
responsible for the payment not having been received. Of course,
sometimes that *does* happen when you mail a check, and since this
can't be determined until the check finally shows up (or fails to), it
can often be used to buy a little time.
I can't figure out how this could apply to an email protocol, but I
know little about X.400.
--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |If I am ever forced to make a
1501 Page Mill Road, Building 1U |choice between learning and using
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |win32, or leaving the computer
|industry, let me just say it was
kirsh...@hpl.hp.com |nice knowing all of you. :-)
(650)857-7572 | Randal Schwartz
Deok Whan Kim
Kim Deok Whan
I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the
following line:
Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an
online version of "The check's in the mail."
What does the phase "The check's in the mail" mean?
Thanks in advance.
--
_______________________________________________
Deok Whan Kim - sas...@atropos.snu.ac.kr
http://rei.snu.ac.kr/~sasung/
Bun Mui
> What's the meaning of "The check's in the mail"?
>
> From: "Deok Whan Kim" <sas...@atropos.snu.ac.kr>
> Reply to: [1]"Deok Whan Kim"
> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 09:30:49 +0900
> Organization: Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
> Newsgroups:
> [2]alt.usage.english
> Followup to: [3]newsgroup
>Hi, I'm Deok Whan Kim in Korea.
>
>I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the following
>line:
>
>Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an online version of "The
>check's in the mail."
>
"The cheque's in the mail."
Bun Mui
Rushtown
>From: Kim Deok Whan sas...@atropos.snu.ac.kr
>Date: Thu, 26 August 1999 08:45 PM EDT
>Message-id: <7q4n2s$51g$1...@news.kren.nm.kr>
>
>Hi! I'm Deok Whan Kim in Korea.
>
>I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the
>following line:
>
> Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an
> online version of "The check's in the mail."
>
>
>Thanks in advance.
This is what people usually say when a creditor calls asking for an overdue
payment. The significance of the statement is that it is usually untrue.
So people laugh when you say, "the check is in the mail", knowing that you have
not yet sent it but might send it
immediately. There are two other similier
statements (ie known to be lies) but they
are a bit vulgar.
Polar
<bobl...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Kim Deok Whan wrote:
>>
>> Hi! I'm Deok Whan Kim in Korea.
>>
>> I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the
>> following line:
>>
>> Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an
>> online version of "The check's in the mail."
Reminds me of the 3 biggest lies in Hollywood:
1. The check is in the mail.
2. I won't c--- in your mouth.
3. (Can't remember this one; it was something about the telephone.
Anybody?)
[...]
--
Polar
Polar
wrote:
>On 27 Aug 1999 01:06:04 GMT, rush...@aol.com (Rushtown) wrote:
>
>>This is what people usually say when a creditor calls asking for an overdue
>>payment. The significance of the statement is that it is usually untrue.
>>So people laugh when you say, "the check is in the mail", knowing that you have
>>not yet sent it but might send it
>>immediately. There are two other similier
>>statements (ie known to be lies) but they
>>are a bit vulgar.
>
>What's vulgar about "I'll call you tomorrow"?
>
>The other one -- well, yeah.
Oh dear, I didn't see this before I sent mine. Scusi tanto!
--
Polar
Ross Howard
>Reminds me of the 3 biggest lies in Hollywood:
>
>1. The check is in the mail.
>
>2. I won't c--- in your mouth.
>
>3. (Can't remember this one; it was something about the telephone.
>Anybody?)
Wasn't it "Call me and we'll do lunch"?
Ross Howard
TedColvin
>Anybody?)
I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you.
Einde O'Callaghan
>
> Hi! I'm Deok Whan Kim in Korea.
>
> I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the
> following line:
>
> Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an
> online version of "The check's in the mail."
>
>
This is a phrase used to placate people you owe money to when the phone
up demanding that they be paid. It means "I've already sent you the
money (using a check (British English: cheque) from my bank." It is of
course usually completely untrue and it's only purpose is to get rid of
the person on the phone in the hope that they won't annoy you again for
another few days.
eo'c
René
rush...@aol.com (Rushtown) wrote:
> >Subject: What's the meaning of "The check's in the mail"?
> >From: Kim Deok Whan sas...@atropos.snu.ac.kr
> >Date: Thu, 26 August 1999 08:45 PM EDT
> >Message-id: <7q4n2s$51g$1...@news.kren.nm.kr>
> >
> >
> >I'm reading a book about computer. But I can't understand the
> >following line:
> >
> > Must be them X.400 people, who have invented an
> > online version of "The check's in the mail."
> >
> >What does the phase "The check's in the mail" mean?
> >
>
> This is what people usually say when a creditor calls asking for an
overdue
> payment. The significance of the statement is that it is usually
untrue.
> So people laugh when you say, "the check is in the mail", knowing
that you have
> not yet sent it but might send it
> immediately. There are two other similier
> statements (ie known to be lies) but they
> are a bit vulgar.
>
it dry-cleaned tomorrow"?
--
René Meertens
mailto:r...@who.dk
http://users.skynet.be/guide/
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