close the book on
To stop worrying about or trying to do something about; to ignore.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It is time to close the book on this old argument.”
“After years of searching for the lost documents, the team decided to close the book on the investigation.”
“Having finally accepted the failure of his ambitious project, he chose to close the book on his past mistakes and move forward.”
The idiom arises by analogy to the closing of an accounting journal. Once the entries in a ledger are balanced and the book is shut, the record for that period is considered final and the transaction concluded.
- 01
bad books
Disfavor.
- 02
balance the books
To add up all the debits and credits.
- 03
blot one's copy book
To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.
- 04
book burning
Any mass destruction, removal, or recalling of books, motion pictures, broadcasts, or electronic works as a form of censorship, especially motivated by religious or political objections to the material.
- 05
book dumping
The practice of donating old used books that burden rather than assist communities.
- 06
book in
To check in (to a hotel).
- 07
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 08
close enough for government work
Adequate; acceptable as government work, imperfect but not worth the time nor effort of improving.
Last updated August 10, 2026