where did the phrase "a turn up for the books" originate from, and what does it mean.?

Answer 1

It now means something surprising. The origin is in horse racing, where the book was the record of bets laid on a race kept by—who else—a bookmaker. So when a horse performed in a way that nobody expected, so that most bets lost, it was something that benefited the book and so the bookmaker. The classic example would be a rank outsider that won with few bets on it, netting the bookmaker a nice windfall profit.

Answer 2

Turn Up For The Books

Answer 3

It now means exactly what you say, something surprising. The origin is in horse racing, where the book was the record of bets laid on a race kept by—who else—a bookmaker. So when a horse performed in a way that nobody expected, so that most bets lost, it was something that benefited the book and so the bookmaker. The classic example would be a rank outsider that won with few bets on it, netting the bookmaker a nice windfall profit.

Answer 4

It was first quoted during the 19th century when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle visited his taylor after someone had cut the bottom 2 inches off his trousers in the British Library. His Taylor was heard to exclaim. Well "THATS A TURN UP FOR THE BOOKS"