Lesson 32: English in a Minute: Once in a Blue Moon

Welcome to English in a Minute, where we teach you all about idiom in American English. Have you ever heard the American English idiom? Once in a blue moon. It doesn't mean that the moon is blue.

So let's listen to this American English conversation to find out how it is used. Where did you say your brother lived? The moon is all the way in Minnesota, so I never get to see him. I only get to see him once in a blue moon.

Once in a blue moon is a common way of saying that something does not happen often. But what is a blue moon? We typically see a full moon once a month, and seeing two full moons in the same month is rare.

The second full moon in a particular month is called a blue moon. Once in a blue moon is an informal phrase, And that's English in a Minute.