Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Over the moon

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Over the moon" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEmotions & Reactions collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Emotions & Reactions

Over the moon

Over the moon
Extremely happy, delighted, or thrilled about something positive that has happened.
History & Origin

This idiom originated from the old English nursery rhyme 'Hey Diddle Diddle', first published in the 16th century, which features the famous line 'the cow jumped over the moon'. Over time, the literal image of leaping high over the moon evolved into a metaphor for experiencing an intense high of joy and excitement. By the 19th and 20th centuries, it became firmly established in British English to describe immense happiness.

Examples
Casual Conversation

When Sarah found out she passed her driving test on the first try, she was absolutely over the moon.

Workplace Email

The entire marketing team is over the moon about securing the partnership with our new global client.

News/Media

Local fans were over the moon last night after the underdog team secured a historic victory in the championship finals.

Formal Speech

As parents, we are over the moon to witness our daughter graduate with top honors after years of hard work.

Academic Writing

While qualitative data showed that participants were over the moon regarding the new policy, the quantitative metrics indicated minimal behavioral change.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. After working a twelve-hour shift without a break, James felt completely over the moon.

B. She was over the moon when she received the news that her research grant application had been approved.

C. To reach the top shelf, you will need to climb over the moon because it is too high.

D. I was so angry about the flight delay that I started to over the moon at the gate agent.