On this day of full moon, moon cakes and lanterns, let's take a look at some popular idioms and phrases about the moon!
Once in a blue moon
A 'blue moon' is a real astronomical phenomenon. It refers to the 'extra' full moon in a year when there are 13 full moons instead of the usual 12 full moons.
This happens once every two to three years to correct the timing in the seasons.
There are many sayings about why this extra full moon is called a blue moon, but the moon rarely looks blue except under certain atmospheric circumstances.
Owing to its rarity, the phrase 'once in a blue moon' is used to refer to a rare event.
How to USE it:
When I say "My friend only treats me to a meal once in a blue moon", it means this friend doesn't treat me to a meal very often. It happens once after a very long time.
Over the moon
This phrase has been around since the 16th century, and is said to have originated from a famous, but rather meaningless nursery rhyme 'Hey Diddle Diddle' which goes like this:
“Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such fun
And the dish ran away with the spoon!”
The fact that the dog laughed at the cow jumping over the moon may have given the meaning of happiness to the phrase 'over the moon'. You can also remember it like this: when you are very happy, you feel like you can fly and go all the way till you are 'over the moon'. Either way, the phrase is used to express that you are extremely pleased and happy.
How to USE it:
"Gary is over the moon when he saw his birthday gift." This means that the gift Gary received must be something that he likes a lot, as he is delighted to receive the gift.
Ask for the moon
The moon is beautiful, the moon is difficult to reach and (for a long time, we thought that) there is only one moon in the whole wide world. So, the moon is treated as the utmost priceless gift that anyone can ask for or give.
But the moon is not something that you can pick off the sky and give to someone, so it is impossible to gift the moon to anyone. Thus, when someone is 'asking for the moon', that person is making unreasonable demands for things, or wishing for something impossible to achieve or obtain.*
*Note: There is another similar phrase called 'promising the moon'. It is the opposite of 'asking for the moon'. When you 'promise the moon' to someone, you are making extravagant promises to someone which are difficult to deliver.
How to USE it:
Henry's boss gave him a lot of work at 5pm and told him to finish the work by the next day. Henry told his boss "It is impossible to finish this work by tonight. You are asking for the moon." This means that it is impossible to accomplish what is asked of him and it is unreasonable to ask for that.
Shoot for the moon
When we shoot, we need a target.
If the target is close and easy to reach, we will definitely be able to hit it.
If the target is further and more difficult to reach, it will motivate us to work harder to reach.
When we set the moon as our target, it is almost certain that we cannot reach it. But if we work hard enough towards that target, we will push ourselves to achieve beyond our limits. A famous quote by Norman Vincent Peale goes like this:
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars"So, to shoot for the moon means to aim incredibly high despite the high risk of failure.
How to USE it:
When Joseph Schooling, Singapore's first Olympics Gold medalist, first said that he wanted to win the Olympic Games in swimming at the age of eight, it was almost impossible. However, his parents did not stop him from setting that impossibly high goal, because it can motivate him to work harder towards the goal.
We would say that 'When Joseph decided that he wanted to become a professional swimmer, his parents encouraged him to shoot for the moon.'
Moonshine (in the water)
How to REMEMBER it:
Moonshine refers to moonlight. When you see moonlight in the water, it looks really beautiful, but in fact, it is actually just a reflection, and nothing more. Nowadays, the phrase 'moonshine in the water' is being shortened, and people usually just use the word 'moonshine' (which is also something that you can see, but cannot really touch) to refer to something that only have an appearance but no substance, nonsense or empty talk.
How to USE it:
"When the beggar says that he will buy a big house one day, people dismissed it off as moonshine."
People think what the beggar said was nonsense because according to them it is something that cannot be happening.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Happy Mid-Autumn!
About the Writer
Ms Vivien Wu is the founder of The Pedagogy Domain, a provider of small-group, home-based language workshops for young learners. As an experienced teacher, trainer and facilitator, she is dedicated to improve learners' command of language through interactive, practical and fun workshops. Read more about her here.
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