When cloth is checked, it has a regular pattern of squares in different colours, lined up in rows like a simple chessboard. Shops talk about a checked shirt, a checked jacket, a checked tablecloth all the time. The squares can be big or small; picnic cloths often have small, even ones.

When cloth is checked布料是 checked 的時候，it has上面有 in different colours不同顏色的 a regular pattern of squares規則方格圖案，lined up in rows成排對齊，like a simple chessboard像個簡單的棋盤。Shops店家 all the time整天 talk about在說 a checked shirt格紋襯衫、a checked jacket格紋外套、a checked tablecloth格紋桌巾。The squares can be方格可以 big or small大或小；picnic cloths野餐布 often have常常是 small, even ones小而工整的格子。

American English also says checkered for the same look. British English likes checked for clothes, and chequered for things like the black-and-white racing flag.

American English also says美式英語也說 checkered，for the same look指同一種樣子。British English likes英式英語喜歡 checked for clothes用 checked 說衣服，and chequered而 chequered，for things like用來說像 the black-and-white racing flag黑白賽車旗那類東西。

Though actually, a checkered past is not about cloth at all — it means a life with good bits and bad bits mixed together, like those two-colour squares. This spelling is also the past of the verb check (I checked my bag), so you tell them apart by what comes next: a checked shirt versus I checked the list.

Though actually不過其實，a checkered past is not about cloth at all完全和布料無關——it means它指 a life一段人生，with good bits and bad bits好的片段和壞的片段 mixed together混在一起，like those two-colour squares就像那些雙色的方格。This spelling這個拼法 is also the past of也是 the verb check動詞 check 的過去式（I checked my bag我檢查了我的包），so所以 you tell them apart要分辨它們，by what comes next就看後面接什麼：a checked shirt versus對上 I checked the list。