Pay in cash vs. pay by check

[Haihao]

Hi,

I'm getting curious about these two everyday expressions:

Pay in cach and pay by check.

I feel that it's yet tolerable to say 'pay by cash' but not to say 'pay in check'.

Could you please tell me why 'in cach' but 'by check'? Or they are just idiometic?

Thank you!

Haihao

[Mister Micawber]

.
I'd say (for want of a brainstorm) that the usage is idiomatic: 'pay in cash'; 'pay by check'; 'pay by credit card'. ''Pay with a check/with my credit card/with cash'.

A googling, out of curiosity:

176,000 English pages for "pay with cash".
612,000 English pages for "pay in cash"
275,000 English pages for "pay by cash"

1,220,000 English pages for "pay by check"
1,430 English pages for "pay in check"

Whatever else holds true, evidently the check is the more popular instrument!
.
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Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Haihao]

'evidently the check is the more popular instrument!' comforts me satisfactorily, Mr. Micawber.

[Jamie (K)]

[Mister Micawber]

.
There is no shame in fallibility, Jamie. Let us know how your research on website origins goes.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Conchita]

Just to add my two pence worth: 'pay cash', i.e. without preposition, is a very common way of saying it.

[Haihao]

Whereas pay check is something way off what was talked about here and always very welcome by me.

[Alan]

Hi,

And now a euro's worth (Oh how I wish we in the UK used the euro!); That'll be a cash payment.

A
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English as a Second Language
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[Michauek]

I've always used "pay in cash" and "pay by check" i don't know why , it seems natural to me...
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absens carens
Michal. I'm an english student

[Conchita]