#1 – a bookworm
= a person who loves reading and reads a lot
My daughter’s a real bookworm – she reads at least 10 books a month!
#2 – hit the books
= to study
I have a final exam tomorrow, so I need to hit the books tonight.
#3 – do something by the book
= follow the rules exactly
The new manager does everything by the book and expects all employees to do the same.
#4 – take/borrow a leaf/page out of someone’s book
= to imitate another person’s actions because they are successful
Jim buys his wife flowers every day. I wish my husband would take a leaf out of his book!
#5 – try/use every trick in the book
= try everything possible (including clever/dishonest ways) to accomplish something that you want to do
The journalist tried every trick in the book to get an interview with the actress.
#6 – cook the books
= to record false financial information in the accounts of an organization
The company’s accountant was fired for cooking the books.
#7 – one for the record books
= something that sets a new record, or something that is remarkable
My mother danced for 5 hours straight at the wedding – that was one for the record books!
#8 – an open book
= describing a person as “an open book” means that the person is easy to understand and doesn’t hide their thoughts or emotions
Everyone knows the details of Maria’s personal life – she’s an open book.
A similar expression is saying that you “can read (someone) like a book” – that means you know the person extremely well and can perceive their feelings and thoughts.
#9 – wrote the book on (topic)
= to have very comprehensive knowledge about a particular area
If you’re interested in an acting career, you should talk to Tom. He wrote the book on getting started in the film industry.
#10 – don’t / you can’t judge a book by its cover
= don’t form an opinion about someone/something based only on external appearances
Just because my boyfriend has a lot of tattoos doesn’t mean he’s a troublemaker. You can’t judge a book by its cover!
