He had to see the dark side of the moon to finish the project.
see the dark side of the moon
idiomTo do or experience something exceedingly difficult or rare.
Origin
disputed originThe "far side of the moon", the side we don't see from home, is sometimes referred to colloquially as the "dark side of the moon" where "dark" means "unseen" rather than "unlit." In the latter sense, there is no dark side, as both sides of the moon receive equal sunlight. This makes it more or less impossible to see the "dark" side of the moon if this is taken to mean "unlit", and it is impossible to see the "far" side of the moon from Earth in the sense of "unseen."
After working in the disaster zone for months, the volunteers truly saw the dark side of the moon.
Few explorers have ventured far enough into the uncharted wilderness to see the dark side of the moon and return with their sanity intact.
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ask for the moon
To claim or desire something that one cannot have.
- 02
blue moon
A long time.
- 03
bright side
A consoling aspect of a difficult situation.
- 04
dark cloud
A situation or future event that causes worry, problems or unhappiness, likened to such a cloud overhead in the sky.
- 05
dark horse
Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others.
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err on the side of
To behave in a manner which favours or which is biased toward.
- 07
err on the side of caution
To act in the least risky manner in a situation in which one is uncertain about the consequences.
- 08
for all the world to see
in plain view; clearly visible