good books pl (plural only)
- (idiomatic) Favorable regard; personal approval; kindly treatment.
1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter 11, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume (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."
- Usually found in the phrase "in [someone's] good books".
