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And now, Words and their stories, by VOA Learning English.
In this program, we take an English word or expression and explore it some more. Today we talk about a lunar phenomenon – a lunar event. It’s called the blue moon.
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon…
Experts from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) explain this lunar event. They say that a blue moon is the “extra” moon in a season with four full moons.
NASA’s website says that “since the 1940s, the term ‘blue moon’ has also been used for the second full moon in a calendar month.” Usually this happens only every two and a half years.
NASA experts explain that a blue moon is not actually blue. In fact, it looks just like a normal monthly full moon.
What makes a blue moon different is that it does not appear in the sky that often. And this is how we use it as an expression in English.
A “blue moon” is a long or apparently long period of time.
If I say that something happens “once in a blue moon”, it is rare, infrequent, rare. It happens very rarely. All of these words describe something that happens once on a blue moon.
For example, I usually keep busy. So when I’m not working, I like to sing songs, write stories, or read books. But sometimes I just like doing nothing. So once in a blue moon, you will find me on the couch, watching movies and eating popcorn.
Here’s another example.
Let’s say you have a friend you don’t see much of anymore. You can say that you see it once on a blue moon. It feels like a eternity since you spoke. It’s like i have fell off the face of the earth! You can also say that it has been an eternity since you saw it.
Forever is a lot of time. So, forever and a day it’s even longer! And it’s been an eternity and a day since you saw your friend. You miss him! You should call.
And finally, here is our latest example. If you’ve been busy, you may not have had time to practice your English. But remember, if you only practice once in the blue moon, your English may not improve very quickly.
So join us again next week for another Words and their stories! Until next time… I’m Anna Matteo.
Kentucky blue moon, keep on shining
Shine on the one who left and left me blue
Kentucky blue moon, keep on shining
shines where he left and left me blue …
Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. The song at the beginning of the show is Billie Holliday singing “Blue Moon”. The song at the end is Patsy Cline singing “Blue Moon”.
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Words in this story
lunar – adj. of or related to the moon
phenomenon – n. something (such as an interesting fact or event) that can be observed and studied and that is usually unusual or difficult to fully understand or explain
infrequent – adj. doesn’t happen often : Not frequent
rare – adj. very rare
rarely – adj. not often : rarely
eternity – n. time that seems to have no end
