By the book

By the book means to follow the laws or rules exactly as they are written. It's imperative to go by the book or follow the rules carefully.
Lady justice demands we do things the right way.

YouTube / iTunes / Spotify / Radio Public / Pocket Casts / Google Podcasts / Breaker / Overcast

Listen to ArtisanEnglish.jp posts & lesson intros here.



English Phrase: By the book

Yes, this is yet another phrase related to books.


By the book means following the laws or rules exactly as they are written in the law record books.


Some people are very strict about correctly following the rules.

With this type of person, there is no leeway or wiggle room.

Now, this may sound a bit severe or harsh, but in some cases, it is imperative to follow the book or follow the rules carefully.

Think about immigration officers, police officers, doctors or bridge construction companies for a second.

Some horrible things could happen if they try to bend the rules, even just a little bit.

People could die, for instance.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to follow the rules or laws very carefully; in these cases, you must go by the book.


This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 13 – 14).  

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 68.  

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100. 



Posted

in

by