# the moon on a stick

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/the-moon-on-a-stick
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

All that one could desire, especially as an unreasonable demand; everything.

## 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.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.