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cook the books

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cook the books

to keep false financial records for an organization We're not going to cook the books or lie about the health of our business.

See also: book, cook

cook the books

  (informal)

to record false information in the accounts of an organization, especially in order to steal money (usually in continuous tenses) One of the directors had been cooking the books and the firm had been losing money for years.

See also: book, cook

cook the books

Falsify a company's financial records, as in An independent audit showed that they've been cooking the books for years. This slangy phrase was first recorded in 1636.

See also: book, cook