Ever met someone who can rattle off entire biographies or navigate a route without second-guessing? They probably “know it like a book,” a phrase capturing deep familiarity with something or someone, suggesting the matter has been as thoroughly digested as a much-loved tome.
Synonyms:
- Know like the back of one’s hand
- Read someone like a book
- Intimately acquainted with
- Deeply familiar with
- Mastered thoroughly
Antonyms:
- Know slightly
- Barely acquainted with
- Unfamiliar with
Related Terms:
- Old hand at
- Have down pat
- Ace card
- Expert
Quotes:
“To read is to voyage through time.” – Carl Sagan
“To know someone is to have their book signed by them, personalized.” – Fictitious Proverb
Proverb:
“Better to learn late than never.”
Literature & Books:
- “Sherlock Holmes” by Arthur Conan Doyle - The master of deductive reasoning knew his clues like a book.
- “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee - Atticus Finch, knowing his morals and the intricacies of law like the back of his hand.
Songs & Poetry:
- “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson - Seems like MJ knew his feelings akin to reading his emotions’ manual.
- “I’ve Just Seen A Face” by The Beatles - Paul McCartney must have known that face like a precious book.
Movies:
- “Good Will Hunting” - Will Hunting literally knows those mathematical books and psychological truths.
- “The Notebook” - Noah and Allie? Total ‘read you like a book’ situation.
🔍 Quizzes
### Which of these synonyms fits best with "know like a book"?
- [ ] Know slightly
- [ ] Unfamiliar with
- [x] Intimately acquainted with
- [ ] Have no clue
> **Explanation:** "Intimately acquainted with" suggests deep, personal knowledge, perfect for the notion of knowing something like a thoroughly read book.
### Which is another way of saying "know like a book"?
- [ ] Know in passing
- [ ] Casually aware of
- [ ] Know part by part
- [x] Know inside out
> **Explanation:** "Know inside out" conveys the same depth of familiarity implied by knowing something like a book.
### What does "read someone like a book" mean?
- [ ] To find someone boring
- [ ] To judge someone unfairly
- [x] To understand someone's thoughts and actions very well
- [ ] To learn someone’s biography
> **Explanation:** "Read someone like a book" means to understand them through and through, akin to a frequently read favorite book.
### True or False: "Know like the back of one's hand" is a synonym for "know like a book."
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** "Know like the back of one's hand" is indeed a synonym for "know like a book," both meaning to be very familiar with something.
Dear reader, with every idiom ingested, you bolster your linguistic library. May your journey through words be as rich and rewarding as a well-loved, dog-eared book on your shelf.
Madly, deeply, and extensively familiar, Eris Ellowquill
