The Battle of the Books
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The Boyle contro- versy (#.v.). That does not suit my book. Does not accord with my arrangements. The reference is to betting-books, in which the bets are formally entered.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Battle of the Books” mean?
The Boyle contro- versy (#.v.). That does not suit my book. Does not accord with my arrangements. The reference is to betting-books, in which the bets are formally entered.
Is “The Battle of the Books” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.