# for the book

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/for-the-book
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Notable, remarkable or surprising.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.