If something bechance on a rare function , you might have heard someone identify is as a " once in a blue moonshine " situation . The phrase line occurrences that do n’t derive around often , make them extraordinary .
‘Once in a Blue Moon’ Meaning
" Once in a blue moon " means something happens only rarely , as if it ’s so uncommon you might not see it again for a long fourth dimension . This phrase can key activities , events or habits that do n’t happen often .
For example , if someone says , " He ’d protect his family once in a bluish moon , " they ’re sound out he rarely takes on that role . Or if someone only toy a game now and then , you could say they play it once in a puritanical moon .
Origins of the Phrase
The origin of " once in a blue-blooded lunation " connect to the lunar cycles/second and a special variety of full moon . Typically , each calendar month has one full moon , but every so often — about once every two or three years — a second full Sun Myung Moon appears within a single month .
This 2d full moon is a “ blue moon . ” However , it ’s important to note the moon does n’t really turn the color blue .
There are some theories that English verbalizer might have used the term " blue lunation " to describe something so unusual it seemed almost supernatural or wayward to nature .
Is a Blue Moon the Rarest Moon?
A racy lunation is not the rarefied moon . A blue moon makes an appearance every two or three years , but a tiptop blue moon is even rarer . A super blue moonshine is a cross between a blue moon , which happens when there are two full moons in a month , and a supermoon , when the moon appears bigger than it usually does .
According to NASA , " The combination of these two special full moonshine , making for a ' super blue synodic month , ' hap about every 10 year , on average — though the clip between any two occurrent can vary from two months to two 10 or more . "
Examples of ‘Once in a Blue Moon’ in Everyday Conversation
You ’ll hear " once in a spicy moonlight " in all kind of situations where people want to emphasise just how rarefied something is . Here are some examples .
We make this article in conjunction with AI technology , then made sure it was fact - assure and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor .
