a turn-up for the books
a turn-up for the book(s)
A remarkable, unusual, and unexpected event, occurrence, or piece of news. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Mr. Literature Snob reading a trashy romance novel? Now that's a turn-up for the books! A: "After the concert, I ran into the singer at a pub down the road from the venue. It turns out his mother went to the same school as mine!" B: "Wow, there's a turn-up for the book!"
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
a turn-up for the books
BRITISH, INFORMALIf you say that something is a turn-up for the books, you mean that it is very surprising, and usually pleasing. Pullman's victory is not quite the turn-up for the books that it appears to be. He left an estate valued at £1,215,433 net. Really quite a turn-up for the books. Note: You can also just say that something is a turn-up. Suddenly, I found myself unable to hurt animals. This came as something of a turn-up. I had loved shooting since the age of 12. Note: The reference here is to a horse that unexpectedly wins a race. The `books' are the bookmakers' records of the bets taken on the race.
See also: book
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
- a turn-up for the book
- a turn-up for the book(s)
- there's one for (record) the book(s)
- there's a turn-up for the book(s)
- that's a turn-up for the book(s)
- that's one for the (record) book(s)
- one for the (record) book(s)
- one for the book
- beat Banaghan
- beat Banagher