closed book, a


A secret, mystery, or puzzle, as in I can't figure her out; she's a closed book to me. This term alludes to information one can't obtain or comprehend (because the book is closed). [Early 1900s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.