im Buche
Translation
by the book, picture-perfect, textbook
Examples
Das war ein Tor, wie es im Buche steht.
That was a textbook goal.
Er ist ein Freund, wie er im Buche steht.
He is a true friend, through and through.
Grammar Patterns
wie etw./j-d im Buche steht to be a textbook example of sth. That was a goal just like in the textbook.
Similar Words
vorbildlich (exemplary), mustergültig (model), perfekt (perfect)
Etymology
'im' is short for 'in dem' (in the). 'Buche' is the dative form of 'das Buch' (the book). The literal meaning is 'in the book'.
Memory Tips
Think of something being so perfect it could be used as the example in a textbook. It's 'in the book' of how things should be.