by the book en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic) In a manner which strictly adheres to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.
As far as he is concerned, he umpired by the book.
2006 August 27, Simon Robinson, “It's Not Just Cricket”, in Time:
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(broadly, idiomatic) In a manner which appears too studied, ritualized, and therefore artificial.
Romeo: Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again. They kiss again. Juliet: You kiss by th' book.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| by-the-book | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
literalism · proceduralism · shipshape and Bristol fashion · according to Hoyle · legalism · to the letter · by the numbers
Translations (14)
es a toda ley (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · ru строго по инструкции (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · it come da manuale (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · fr à la lettre (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · mk прописно (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · pl zgodnie z przepisami (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · fr au pied de la lettre (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · mnw နကဵုလိက်ဂှ် (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · de vorschriftsmäßig (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · fr littéralement (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · ru по всем правилам (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · fr dans les clous (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · de nach Vorschrift (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules) · fi sääntöjen mukaan (in a manner which adheres strictly to rules)