Phrase guide

cook the books

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To manipulate accounting information, especially illegally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Enron Corp., once a major U.S. corporation, is now famous for cooking the books.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To falsify an account of an event.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the mid-17th century. A metaphor based on cooking, whereby ingredients are changed, altered and improved. Thus financial statements can also be so modified to the benefit of the "cook".

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 做假帳 /做假帐 (zuò jiǎzhàng) — manipulate accounting information
  • Cornish: fugya an akontys — manipulate accounting information
  • Finnish: harjoittaa luovaa kirjanpitoa — manipulate accounting information
  • Greek: μαγειρεύω τα βιβλία (mageirévo ta vivlía) — manipulate accounting information
  • Japanese: 改竄する (kaizan suru) — manipulate accounting information
  • Norman: tricachonner des comptes — manipulate accounting information
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forfalske regnskapet — manipulate accounting information
  • Portuguese: manipular a contabilidade — manipulate accounting information
  • Portuguese: fraudar a contabilidade — manipulate accounting information
  • Russian: фальсифици́ровать фина́нсовую отчётность (falʹsificírovatʹ finánsovuju otčótnostʹ) — manipulate accounting information
  • Russian: сфальсифици́ровать фина́нсовую отчётность (sfalʹsificírovatʹ finánsovuju otčótnostʹ) — manipulate accounting information
  • Chinese Mandarin: 弄虛作假 /弄虚作假 (nòngxūzuòjiǎ) — falsify an account of an event
  • Finnish: kaunistella — falsify an account of an event
  • Finnish: vääristellä — falsify an account of an event
  • Finnish: väärentää — falsify an account of an event
  • Portuguese: falsificar — falsify an account of an event
  • Portuguese: adulterar — falsify an account of an event
  • Portuguese: manipular — falsify an account of an event