many moons ago
A (very) long time ago.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I visited that city many moons ago.”
“We were best friends many moons ago, but we lost touch after moving to different countries.”
“The old lighthouse, built many moons ago, still stands as a silent witness to the changing tides of the coast.”
The phrase alludes to the premodern reliance on lunar calendars, in which a moon served as the primary measure of a month. It preserves a time when the passage of months was tracked by the cycle of the satellite rather than the artificial divisions of a solar calendar.
- 01
ask for the moon
To claim or desire something that one cannot have.
- 02
blue moon
A long time.
- 03
four score and seven years ago
Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago.
- 04
hang the moon
To place the moon in the sky: used as an example of a superlative act attributed to someone viewed with uncritical or excessive awe, reverence, or infatuation.
- 05
have one's fingers in many pies
To be involved in many, or too many, different things.
- 06
howl at the moon
To spend considerable time and effort fruitlessly in a hopeless endeavor.
- 07
many a time and oft
Frequently.
- 08
many happy returns
A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!
Last updated August 10, 2026