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Glite Dictionary
to ask for the moon on a stick

to ask for the moon on a stick

9.9
To want something that is impossible or not realistic
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : pedir lo imposible
  • Don't ask for the moon on a stick!

Examples

  • She felt as if she were asking for the moon on a stick by wanting both a high salary and flexible hours.

  • When you expect everything to be perfect, you're basically asking for the moon on a stick.

  • It's not like I'm asking for the moon on a stick; I just want a decent cup of coffee.

  • She always asks for the moon on a stick during negotiations.

  • He wanted a luxury vacation but was really asking for the moon on a stick.

  • When she asked for the moon on a stick, her boss thought she was expecting too much after only a month.

  • If you think you can finish this project in one day, you're asking for the moon on a stick.

Synonyms

to ask for the moon
vsto ask for the moon on a stick
  • Informal
1 7.6

To demand something that is impossible or too much

is a more exaggerated request asking something extremely unrealistic

How Reasonable

to ask
∞ 1.0
to demand
943 2.7
to ask for the moon on a stick
  • Informal
9.9

Surface Forms

ask for the moon on a stick infinitive
asked for the moon on a stick past
asked for the moon on a stick past participle
asking for the moon on a stick present participle
asks for the moon on a stick third person singular

Morphology

ask + for + the + Moon + on + a + stick

The literal meanings of the constituents ('ask', 'for', 'moon', 'stick') do not transparently yield the sense 'request something impossible' because the image 'the moon on a stick' is a fanciful, idiomatic metaphor rather than a predictable compositional combination. While some languages have comparable metaphors for asking the impossible, the specific phrasing is idiomatic and not reliably inferable by a B1 learner who has not seen it before.

Etymology

Ask for the moon on a stick paints a clear picture: someone asks for the moon to be put on a stick, which cannot happen. So it means 'to ask for something impossible or very unrealistic'.