"write checks one can't cash" meaning in English

See write checks one can't cash in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: writes checks one can't cash [present, singular, third-person], writing checks one can't cash [participle, present], wrote checks one couldn't cash [past], written checks one couldn't cash [participle, past], write cheques one can't cash [alternative]
Etymology: A check (or "cheque" in British English) is a document that orders a financial institution to pay a specific amount of money. The money would be taken from the account of the person who wrote the check and paid to the person in whose name the check has been issued. If one writes a check for an amount of money one does not have available in the associated account, also known as writing a bad check, the resulting check cannot be cashed by the receiving party. In this situation, a promise of payment was made by writing the check, but the promise is not honored due to insufficient funds. Head templates: {{en-verb|write<,,wrote,written> checks one can't<~,~,couldn't> cash|head=~check􂀿s:􂁀}} write checks one can't cash (third-person singular simple present writes checks one can't cash, present participle writing checks one can't cash, simple past wrote checks one couldn't cash, past participle written checks one couldn't cash)
  1. (idiomatic, informal) To make promises one cannot keep, or to make boasts that are not true. Tags: idiomatic, informal Related terms: overpromise, put one's money where one's mouth is
    Sense id: en-write_checks_one_can't_cash-en-verb-XWexf1h4 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "A check (or \"cheque\" in British English) is a document that orders a financial institution to pay a specific amount of money. The money would be taken from the account of the person who wrote the check and paid to the person in whose name the check has been issued. If one writes a check for an amount of money one does not have available in the associated account, also known as writing a bad check, the resulting check cannot be cashed by the receiving party. In this situation, a promise of payment was made by writing the check, but the promise is not honored due to insufficient funds.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "writes checks one can't cash",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "writing checks one can't cash",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wrote checks one couldn't cash",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "written checks one couldn't cash",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "write cheques one can't cash",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "write<,,wrote,written> checks one can't<~,~,couldn't> cash",
        "head": "~check􂀿s:􂁀"
      },
      "expansion": "write checks one can't cash (third-person singular simple present writes checks one can't cash, present participle writing checks one can't cash, simple past wrote checks one couldn't cash, past participle written checks one couldn't cash)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              64,
              93
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2020, Michel Prince, Fourth and Goal:",
          "text": "You're acting like a frat boy, which is fun and all, but you're writing checks you can't cash.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              29,
              58
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2022, Jennifer Brozek, Shadowrun: Elfin Black:",
          "text": "“I think your mouth might be writing checks you can't cash.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make promises one cannot keep, or to make boasts that are not true."
      ],
      "id": "en-write_checks_one_can't_cash-en-verb-XWexf1h4",
      "links": [
        [
          "make",
          "make"
        ],
        [
          "promise",
          "promise"
        ],
        [
          "boast",
          "boast"
        ],
        [
          "true",
          "true"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal) To make promises one cannot keep, or to make boasts that are not true."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "overpromise"
        },
        {
          "word": "put one's money where one's mouth is"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "write checks one can't cash"
}
{
  "etymology_text": "A check (or \"cheque\" in British English) is a document that orders a financial institution to pay a specific amount of money. The money would be taken from the account of the person who wrote the check and paid to the person in whose name the check has been issued. If one writes a check for an amount of money one does not have available in the associated account, also known as writing a bad check, the resulting check cannot be cashed by the receiving party. In this situation, a promise of payment was made by writing the check, but the promise is not honored due to insufficient funds.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "writes checks one can't cash",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "writing checks one can't cash",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wrote checks one couldn't cash",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "written checks one couldn't cash",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "write cheques one can't cash",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "write<,,wrote,written> checks one can't<~,~,couldn't> cash",
        "head": "~check􂀿s:􂁀"
      },
      "expansion": "write checks one can't cash (third-person singular simple present writes checks one can't cash, present participle writing checks one can't cash, simple past wrote checks one couldn't cash, past participle written checks one couldn't cash)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "overpromise"
    },
    {
      "word": "put one's money where one's mouth is"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              64,
              93
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2020, Michel Prince, Fourth and Goal:",
          "text": "You're acting like a frat boy, which is fun and all, but you're writing checks you can't cash.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              29,
              58
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2022, Jennifer Brozek, Shadowrun: Elfin Black:",
          "text": "“I think your mouth might be writing checks you can't cash.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make promises one cannot keep, or to make boasts that are not true."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "make",
          "make"
        ],
        [
          "promise",
          "promise"
        ],
        [
          "boast",
          "boast"
        ],
        [
          "true",
          "true"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal) To make promises one cannot keep, or to make boasts that are not true."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "write checks one can't cash"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-03-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-03-03 using wiktextract (05c257f and 9d9a410). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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