Kevin Gowen <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote:

> > Most of the time, I can figure out the meanings of various Seppongo
> > idioms from the context (although I recently discovered I'd gone
> > wildly wrong with "take a rain check"), but there's one idiom that's
> > confusing me. Is there a website somewhere that gives detailed
> > explanations? Googling on the phrase in question just brings up pages
> > that use it, not a description of what it means.
> 
> What's the confusing idiom?

I daren't post it here, since it's so public and I don't want to trigger
another flame fest if that person gets to see it later.
 
> Others have given you great references but have ignored the real issue: What
> was your "rain check" howler?

Not so much of a "howler". I'd guessed at its meaning from films, and so
took it as a polite brush-off: "Thanks but no thanks". So I got somewhat
miffed when someone used it at me, until he later came back and said he
now had time--the movies never show that bit.

________________________________________________________________________
                   Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
   If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!