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Definition 2024


good_books

good books

English

Noun

good books pl (plural only)

  1. (idiomatic) Favorable regard; personal approval; kindly treatment.
    • 1849, Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, ch. 11:
      "[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, Put Yourself in His Place, ch. 6:
      [U]nfortunately, I was out of her good books, and had orders not to speak to her.
    • 1876, Anthony Trollope, The Prime Minister, ch. 2:
      [H]e has a cold way of looking at me which makes me think I am not in his good books.
    • 1996 Nov. 14, Joe Lapointe, "Rangers Go Quiet Into a Bad Night," New York Times (retrieved 1 Jan 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, ISBN 9780812966664, (Google preview):
      "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

See also