for the book
Notable, remarkable or surprising.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That goal was one for the books.”
“Your grandmother's hundredth birthday party is truly one for the books.”
“That massive traffic jam on the highway is one for the books.”
“The team won the championship in the final second, making it a victory for the books.”
“The storm dropped more snow in one night than we usually see in a whole winter, making it a weather event for the books.”
“After years of searching, the scientists finally discovered a new species of deep-sea fish that is definitely one for the books.”
“The unexpected political shift and the subsequent public reaction will surely be remembered as a moment for the books.”
Originally from the phrase *turn up for the book*, the expression derives from the records kept by bookmakers at horse races. A *turn up* denoted an unexpected result, specifically a horse winning against the odds, which then required an entry in the bookmaker's ledger. The idiom maintains this association with the recorded and the remarkable, originating in the specialised bookkeeping of the nineteenth-century turf.
- 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 the book on
To stop worrying about or trying to do something about; to ignore.
Last updated August 10, 2026