bounced check, rubber check, a baptism of/by fire

 bounced check, rubber check, a baptism of/by fire

For a Bounced Check in Dubai, the Penalty Can Be Years Behind Bars




By ROBERT F. WORTHThe criminalization of debt has put a formidable weapon in the hands of landlords, banks and other creditors, who can send someone to jail with a single document showing a check has been returned.

Talk about a baptism of fire: my first experience with a televised panel debate put me up against Tony Benn, a leftist former cabinet minister famous – in part – as perhaps the most formidable debater in the country.

“You're going to get killed,” said my wife, ever supportive. And rhetorically, perhaps I was – he masterfully trotted out his favourite sound bites, regardless of whether they pertained to the question or not.

作者：英國《金融時報》專欄作家提姆•哈福德(Tim Harford)

2007年12月3日 星期一

說說我遇到的一場炮火的洗禮：我第一次參加電視直播的小組辯論時，與我對陣的是左派人士、前內閣大臣托尼•本(Tony Benn)。從某種程度而言，他可能是英國最可怕的辯手。

一直支持我的妻子說：“你要輸了。”從修辭學上來說，我可能是要輸了——他傲慢地拿出了他最喜歡的幾段原聲講話片斷來炫耀，不管它們是否與辯論問題相關。

 baptism of fire　砲火の洗礼 ((戦地で浴びる砲火の初経験)); 不愉快な経験.

a baptism of/by fire
a very difficult first experience of something:
I was given a million-dollar project to manage in my first month - it was a real baptism of fire.
rubber check

A check drawn on an account without the funds to pay it, as in He's been handing out rubber checks right and left, but the police have caught up with him. The rubber alludes to the fact that, like rubber, the check "bounces," in this case back from the bank. [Slang; c. 1920]

n. Slang.
A check returned by a bank because of insufficient funds in the account on which it is drawn.