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How did sportswriters help popularize the expression one for the book?

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Walpole, Horace — Slang Horace Walpole, detail of an oil painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1757; in the City of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, England.

The expression "one for the book" (or "one for the books") refers to an act or occurrence that is notable or worth recording. While the phrase is often used figuratively to describe any remarkable event, its origins are rooted in sports journalism.12

Sportswriters helped popularize the expression by using it to describe exceptional athletic performances that deserved to be entered into a record book—a collection of the best or most significant achievements in a specific sport. By framing a standout game or play as "one for the record books," writers signaled to readers that the event was historically significant or statistically extraordinary. Over time, this sports-specific terminology transitioned into general usage, where it is now commonly employed to characterize any memorable or noteworthy experience.21