blank check vs free hand

blank check

noun
  • A grant of complete authority to spend an unlimited amount of money, or to take other actions without restraint. 

  • A signed check of the type used to draw money from a bank account, containing no information as to the amount to be paid with it, so that any amount can be filled in. 

free hand

noun
  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see free, hand. 

  • free rein 

How often have the words blank check and free hand occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )