English Idiom – Over the Moon
Meaning – Extremely happy or delighted about something.
This expression is used when someone is thrilled about good news or a positive outcome — more than just “happy,” it suggests real, visible delight.
Example – “I was over the moon when I found out I got the job!”
When could you use this idiom?
- You’ve just received great news — a job offer, an exam result, an engagement.
- A friend or family member finally achieves something they’ve worked hard for.
- You want to express genuine delight, not just mild pleasure.
Did you know? The phrase is recorded as far back as 1857, in the diary of a Victorian aristocrat describing her family’s reaction to a birth announcement — long before it became a football cliché. It only became closely associated with football in the late 1970s, when the satirical magazine Private Eye began publishing English managers’ post-match quotes, pairing a win (“over the moon”) against a loss (“sick as a parrot“). Most word historians trace the phrase itself back further still, to the old nursery rhyme in which the cow jumps over the moon. (source)
Similar idioms:
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Extremely happy or delighted.
It is especially common in British English, but it is understood everywhere.
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