Monday 7/19

Check or Cheque

What’s the difference between check and cheque?  (Other than the obvious spelling difference.)  I only wish it were as exciting as it looks.  The word “Check” has about 50 meanings.  The word “Cheque” has only one definition: see check. 

Okay………

Then why even have two spellings?  Turns out, “Cheque” is the British spelling and “Check” is everything but.  Well you know what that tells me?  “Cheque” is just a fancier way to spell it.  You can make pretty much any mundane definition of the word “Check” and make it a “Cheque.”  Here’s an example:

Check:                                                             Cheque:

                    

As far as I can tell, any check with a European castle printed on it deserves the rank of “Cheque.”  (Especially the Neuschwanstein Castle pictured above)  (Even though it’s not British)  Castles always beat standard banking security markings in a fancy-fest. 

Here’s another example you may or may not be aware of:

A game of chess with hollow, made-in-china, plastic pieces ends with “Checkmate.”

A game of chess with hand-carved, endangered, African-elephant-tusk-ivory pieces ends with “Chequemate.”

So, do you want to add some fance to your life?  Start saying “cheque” instead of “check.”  Even though they sound exactly the same and no one will be able to discern the difference, at least you’ll know in your own mind just how fancy you are!

By: S. Cole Garrett