good books

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

good books pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) Favorable regard; personal approval; kindly treatment.
   • 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter 11, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:

     "[D]o you like him?'" / "Not at all, just now: his name is entirely blotted from my good books." / "What is the matter? What has he done?" / "My uncle and he disagree on politics," interposed the low voice of Caroline.

   • 1870, Charles Reade, chapter 6, in Put Yourself in His Place:

     [U]nfortunately, I was out of her good books, and had orders not to speak to her.

   • 1876, Anthony Trollope, chapter 2, in The Prime Minister:

     [H]e has a cold way of looking at me which makes me think I am not in his good books.

   • 1996 November 14, Joe Lapointe, “Rangers Go Quiet Into a Bad Night”, in New York Times, retrieved 1 January 2013:

     Neil Smith, the president and general manager, said Momesso "was not in our good books" with no goals, no assists and frequent benchings for lethargic play.

   • 2002, Mil Millington, Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About: A Novel‎^[1], →ISBN:

     "Tell them we've paid extra to apologize for the inconvenience, eh? You'll be in their good books right off."

Usage notes

• Usually found in the phrase "in [someone's] good books".

Synonyms

• good graces

Antonyms

• black books

See also

• Good Book