Idiom
the moon on a stick
Meaning
All that one could desire, especially as an unreasonable demand; everything.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He wants the moon on a stick for his birthday.”
“She wants a luxury car for a tiny price, truly the moon on a stick.”
“You cannot have the moon on a stick and expect everyone to work for free.”
“You cannot expect a promotion and a double salary; you are asking for the moon on a stick.”
“The new manager expects us to double our sales without any extra budget, which is basically asking for the moon on a stick.”
“My brother thinks he can find a quiet apartment in the city center for very low rent, but he is just chasing the moon on a stick.”
“If you want a job that pays well, has no stress, and offers four months of vacation, you are looking for the moon on a stick.”
“The client demanded perfect results within an impossible timeframe, as if he expected the moon on a stick.”
Examples
simple
“He wants the moon on a stick for his birthday.”
“She wants a luxury car for a tiny price, truly the moon on a stick.”
“You cannot have the moon on a stick and expect everyone to work for free.”
contextual
“You cannot expect a promotion and a double salary; you are asking for the moon on a stick.”
“The new manager expects us to double our sales without any extra budget, which is basically asking for the moon on a stick.”
“My brother thinks he can find a quiet apartment in the city center for very low rent, but he is just chasing the moon on a stick.”
“If you want a job that pays well, has no stress, and offers four months of vacation, you are looking for the moon on a stick.”
complex
“The client demanded perfect results within an impossible timeframe, as if he expected the moon on a stick.”
Origin
The expression, recorded since the 1990s, likely references a children’s toy or a festive decoration. It describes a desire for the unobtainable, specifically a request for a celestial body mounted upon a piece of timber. The phrase remains a standard idiom for an impossible demand.
Key words
Related idioms
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