cook the books

English

Etymology

From the mid-17th century. A metaphor for cooking, whereby ingredients are changed, altered and improved by the process. Thus financial statements can also be so modified to the benefit of the "cook".

Verb

to cook the books (third-person singular simple present cooks the books, present participle cooking the books, simple past and past participle cooked the books)

1. (idiomatic) To manipulate accounting information, especially illegally.

   Enron Corp., once a major U.S. corporation, is now famous for cooking the books.

2. (idiomatic, by extension) To falsify an account of an event.

Translations

to manipulate accounting information

• Greek: μαγειρεύω τα βιβλία (el) (magirévo ta vivlía)
• Jèrriais: tricachonner des comptes

• Russian: фальсифицировать финансовую отчётность(falsificírovatʼ finánsovujú otčjótnostʼ) impf.

to falsify an account of an event

See also

• creative accounting
• goose is cooked
• white-collar crime