in someone's good graces

Also, in someone's good books; in the good graces of. In someone's favor or good opinion, as in Ruth is back in her mother's good graces, or Bill is anxious to get in the boss's good books, or She was always in the good graces of whoever happened to be in charge. The use of good grace dates from the 1400s, grace alluding to the condition of being favored; good books dates from the early 1800s. One antonym is out of someone's good graces, as in Walking out on his speech got him out of the professor's good graces. Another is in someone's bad graces.