A blank cheque (blank check, carte blanche), in the literal sense, is a cheque that has no numerical value written in, but is already signed. A cheque (spelled check in American English) is a Negotiable instrument instructing a Financial institution to pay a specific amount of In mathematics value commonly refers to the 'output' of a function. In the figurative or metaphoric sense, it is used (especially in politics) to describe a situation in which an agreement had 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. Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions

Literal meaning

Cheque users are normally advised to specify the amount of the cheque before signing it. If created accidentally, blank cheque can be extremely dangerous for their owner, because whoever obtains the cheque could write in any amount of money, and would legally be able to cash it (to the extent that the chequeing account contains such funds, also depending on the laws in the specific country). Money is anything that is generally accepted as Payment for Goods and services and repayment of Debts. In Accountancy, an account is a label used for recording and reporting a Quantity of almost anything The 1994 film Blank Check plays on such a situation. Blank Check is a 1994 Disney live action movie Plot The story begins when bank robber Carl Quigley ( Miguel Ferrer)

One might give a blank cheque to a trusted agent for the payment of a debt where the writer of the cheque does not know the amount required, and it is not convenient or possible for the writer to enter the amount when it becomes known. In many cases, it is possible to annotate a cheque with a notional limit with a statement such as "amount not to exceed $1000". In theory, the bank should refuse to process a cheque in excess of the stated amount.

Metaphoric meaning

The metaphor of the "blank cheque" is thus often used in politics. Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects For example, in the United States, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution has been called a "blank cheque," for it gave the President, Lyndon B. Johnson, the power to "take all necessary measures" to prevent "aggression" in Southeast Asia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (officially the Southeast Asia Resolution Public Law 88-408 was addressed by Lyndon B The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by These powers were then used to escalate the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Many in the United States Congress protested, but were helpless to effect change, for the Tonkin resolution's terms were too subjective to enforce. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses

This term was also used to describe how the Kaiser of Germany (Kaiser Wilhelm II) told Austria-Hungary officials that they could deal with Serbia however they wanted after Serbian Nationalists assassinated the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Kaiser is the German title meaning " Emperor " with Kaiserin being the female equivalent " Empress " Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Franz Ferdinand ( December 18, 1863 &ndash June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of This immediately preceded World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

An example of the second metaphorical usage can be seen in a BBC News] article, in which Gordon Brown, the then Chancellor of the exchequer, offered a 'blank cheque', and would thus '"will spend what it takes" to tackle Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial '^[1]

It may also be used in service fields. Customers may tell a company to treat the project as their own, which, in essence, is a carte blanche. (To the extent the service meets normal expectations. )

In literature

One of Literature's renowned carte blanche (literally 'white card') was handed out by Cardinal Richelieu in Alexandre Dumas, père's The Three Musketeers:

or in French:

Blank cheque company

In economics, the term blank cheque company can refer to a company in development that has no specific business plan yet. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. For a fuller discussion of blank check companies, see Special purpose acquisition company. A Special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC is a Pooled investment vehicle that allows public stock market Investors to invest in Private equity type

See also

• List of political metaphors