A blank cheque or blank check in the literal sense is a

cheque A cheque (or check in American English) is a document that orders a bank, building society, or credit union, to pay a specific amount of money from a person's account to the person in whose name the cheque has been issued. The person writing ...

that has no monetary value written in, but is already signed. In the figurative sense, it is used to describe a situation in which an agreement has been made that is open-ended or vague, and therefore subject to abuse, or in which a party is willing to consider any expense in the pursuance of their goals. The term ''carte blanche'' (borrowed from French; ) is used in a similar way.

Literal meaning

Cheque writers are advised to specify the amount of the cheque before signing it. A blank cheque can be extremely expensive for the drawer who writes the cheque, because whoever obtains the cheque could write in any amount of money, and might be able to cash it (if the current account or checking account contains sufficient funds, and depending on the laws in the specific country). Under

American law The law of the United States comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the supreme law is the nation's Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the federal government of the United States, as well as v ...

, a blank cheque is an example of an "" as defined in the

Uniform Commercial Code The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), first published in 1952, is one of a number of uniform acts that have been established as law with the goal of harmonizing the laws of sales and other commercial transactions across the United States through U ...

's Article 3, Section 115 (a). Writing an amount in a blank cheque, without the authority of the signer, is an "alteration". It is legally equivalent to changing the numbers on a completed (non-blank) cheque.

Metaphorical meaning

In finance

A "blank cheque company" refers to a company in development that has no specific business plan, such as a

special-purpose acquisition company A special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC; ), also known as a blank check company or a blind-pool stock offering, is a shell corporation listed on a stock exchange with the purpose of acquiring (or merging with) a private company, thus taking ...

In politics

* On July 5, 1914,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

gave

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

a "blank cheque" in handling its punishment of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

regarding the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne. It led to the start of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. German Chancellor

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was chancellor of the German Empire, imperial chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry ...

told the Austrian ambassador in Berlin that the Austrian Emperor had the support of the German Kaiser: *In March 2003,

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...

, the British

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

, "effectively offered a blank cheque for war against Iraq", and would thus spend what it takes' to tackle Iraq's weapons of mass destruction".

In literature

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used the term ''carte blanche'' in several of his

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

stories. * " A Scandal in Bohemia":

"Then, as to money?" "You have carte blanche." "Absolutely?" "I tell you that I would give one of the provinces of my kingdom to have that photograph."

* " The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet":

"I understand that you give me carte blanche to act for you, provided only that I get back the gems, and that you place no limit on the sum I may draw." "I would give my fortune to have them back."

Dame Agatha Christie uses the term ''carte blanche'' in her first published book where she introduced Hercule Poirot to the reading public. * " The Mysterious Affair at Styles" Chapter XII The Last Link:

"Madame, I have your permission to hold a little reunion in the salon? It is necessary for everyone to attend." Mary smiled sadly. "You know, Monsieur Poirot, that you have carte blanche in every way." "You are too amiable, madame."

References