I believe Parmalat collapsed and one of their executives committed suicide recently...
duh, nevermind, afterall 'cooking the books' was the subject of this thread, wasn't it? I'm slow today...


>I think Parmalat are Italian. I don't know Italian for cook the books.
>>And don't forget the French version of "le book cookque" -- Parmalat.
>>
>>>We have plenty of cooked books here to Tom. For instance a local manufacturer (my brother in law worked there for years) has just announced a huge shortfall in the company pension fund and benefits to employees will be reduced by up to 80%. Why is it I just know that the "executives" won't be suffering from that one.
>>>
>>>>Hello Nick;
>>>>
>>>>I am not sure who first coined the phrases, “Burning the midnight oil” and “Cooking the books”. You are right about false accounting being a part of business in the United States. When you get caught then you are, “Cooking the books”! :)
>>>>
>>>>Tom
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Don't know about the Americans. I don't know if they have a phrase for false accounting I think they just call it business :-)(Americans please note thats a joke)
>>>>>>Thanks for replying Nicholas!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Do you know if these expresions are used by the british only or by the americans as well?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Fernando
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Right on both interpretations Fernando. Cooking the books is usually any sort of compnay fraud involving false accounting. Enron could be said to have cooked the books in a big way.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Don't know about the band though
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Last night I was watching a TV series (Inspector Morse - UK - excellent!) and at some point in a dialog came the expression: "he was burning midnight oil", that was translated (in the subtitles) to something like "working late at night".
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Later on came the expression: "cooking the books" that althougt wasn't translated I understood as manipulating the ledger of the company to false numbers.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Is that correct?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>BTW there was (is) a band called "Midnight Oil", does their name have something to do with the first above?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Regards,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Fernando