cook the books
/ˌkʊk ðə ˈbʊks/INFORMAL · C1
Meaning
to change financial records dishonestly
Examples
- 1The manager cooked the books for years to hide how much money was missing.
- 2Auditors discovered that someone had been cooking the books at the head office.
- 3The company looked profitable only because its finance director had cooked the books.
- 4If you cook the books, the tax office will find out sooner or later.
- 5Was the club cooking the books, or were the missing funds just a mistake?
Grammar
Only cook changes: cooks, cooking, cooked. Keep the books plural.
More idioms about honesty and secrets
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →put your cards on the tableto be honest about what you think and wantpull the wool over someone's eyesto trick someone so they do not notice the truthtake something with a pinch of saltto not fully believe what you are toldtell it like it isto describe a situation honestly, even the unpleasant partseconomical with the truthnot telling all the facts, or not being honestspill the beansto tell people information that was meant to stay private
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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