blank cheque

1. Literally, a cheque presented to someone with the amount left blank, so that it can be written out for the desired total. Mom, can you give me a blank cheque so I can fill it out when I buy my school supplies? I have no idea how much this will end up costing you, so here's a blank cheque. A: "You can't just send them a blank cheque! What if they write down an obscene amount for your donation?" B: "So be it. I've got the money, and it's going to a good cause."

2. By extension, the freedom or permission to spend as much money or use as much resources as needed in pursuit of a desire or goal. The company was having a difficult time retaining good employees, so the manager was given a blank cheque to increase salaries and restructure his department. After the fifth murder, the city's police officers were given a blank cheque to use whatever resources they needed in order to find the serial killer before he struck again. Can you believe the boss gave me a blank cheque on this project? Finally, I can present a campaign with my own vision without cutting corners on cost!

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a blank cheque

COMMON

1. If you give someone a blank cheque to do something, you give them complete authority to do what they think is best in a difficult situation. Note: `Cheque' is spelled `check' in American English. De Klerk had, in a sense, been given a blank cheque to negotiate the new South Africa. The president was effectively given a blank check to commit the nation to war. Note: This expression is used mainly in talking about politics.

2. If you describe an amount of money as a blank cheque, you mean it is unlimited. Note: `Cheque' is spelled `check' in American English. We are not prepared to write a blank cheque for companies that have run into trouble through poor management. Note: This expression is sometimes used literally to mean that someone gives another person a cheque without an amount of money written on it.

See also: blank, cheque

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

a blank cheque

unlimited scope, especially to spend money.

A blank cheque is literally one in which the amount of money to be paid has not been filled in by the payer.

See also: blank, cheque

a blank ˈcheque

(British English) (American English a blank ˈcheck) permission to act as you like (especially to spend money) in a particular task or situation: Just because I asked you to speak on my behalf, that didn’t mean you had a blank cheque to promise anything you liked. ♢ She was given a blank cheque and told to hire the best singers she could.

See also: blank, cheque

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