Meaning & use
one for the books
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Meaning
phraseidiominformal
An event or result so remarkable, surprising or unusual that it deserves to be remembered or recorded.
Grammar: Used as a comment, often after it is: That was one for the books.
Patterns
- be one for the books
Winning the game with a last-second shot from half court was one for the books.
Snow in the desert in July is definitely one for the books.
Our flight arriving early, with all the bags, was one for the books.
Common combinations
- that's one for the books
- Three goals in ten minutes? That's one for the books.
- this one's one for the books
- This one's one for the books, folks; nobody has scored that high before.
- definitely one for the books
- Her speech was definitely one for the books.
- one for the record books
- The comeback was one for the record books.
Synonyms and how they differ
- memorable
- Memorable is a regular adjective, while one for the books is a lively comment about a specific event.
- a first
- A first simply says something has not happened before, but one for the books also expresses awe or surprise.
- something else
- Something else is vaguer and can mean impressive in any way, whereas one for the books stresses that it is worth recording.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: one for the books or by the book?
one for the books vs by the book
By the book means following rules exactly, which is unrelated to a remarkable event.
Practice
A team that had lost 40 games in a row suddenly wins the championship. Which comment fits best?
Choose one answer.
One for the books describes a remarkable event worth recording. By the book means following the rules, and a close call means a narrow escape.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “one for the books”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.