The Collaborative International Dictionary
blue moon \blue moon"\ The second full moon occurring in the same month; -- derived from the expression once in a blue moon; as, we had a blue moon on January 31, 1999, and another in March.
once in a blue moon very rarely; -- from the observation that the moon rarely has a bluish tint.
Note: In 1980, the phrase blue moon was applied to the second full moon of any month, because this phenomenon is unusual. This new meaning for the old phrase blue moon has become widely accepted.
Wiktionary
adv. (context idiomatic English) Very rarely; very infrequently.
Wikipedia
Once In A Blue Moon is a series of graphic novels published by Oni Press, written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir. The first volume was published in 2004, and featured art by Jennifer Quick. The series is looking for a new artist and has thus yet to publish a second volume, but many volumes are planned.
Once in a Blue Moon may refer to:
Once in a Blue Moon is the second album by German rock band Fool's Garden, released in 1993. It is the second and last album where singer Peter Freudenthaler and guitarist Volker Hinkel share lead vocals equally.
Once in a Blue Moon is the debut solo album by Frankie Miller, utilising Brinsley Schwarz as his backing band, showcases Miller's skills as a singer and songwriter. The song "I Can’t Change It" was covered by Ray Charles on his album Brother Ray Is At It Again. "After All (I Live My Life)" appears as the closing song in the 2011 Johnny Depp film, The Rum Diary.
Once in a Blue Moon (2003) is the second collection of short stories by Magnus Mills. As in his novels, each is told by an unnamed narrator :
- "Once in a Blue Moon" in which the narrator acts as negotiator in an armed siege between the police and his mother.
- "The Good Cop" in which he is interrogated by one or possibly two identical policemen.
- "They Drive by Night" in which he is picked up as a hitch-hiker by a large lorry in which he sits in the noisy cab between the driver and his mate and attempts to make sense of the conversation.
- "Screwtop Thompson" in which he is a child and receives as a present "Screwtop Thompson" a toy whose head unscrews and which came in several guises. The narrator chose a policeman but received a schoolmaster....without a head.
The stories also appear in the later collection, Screwtop Thompson, published in 2010 by Bloomsbury Press.
"Once in a Blue Moon" is a song written by Robert Byrne and Tom Brasfield, and recorded by American country music artist Earl Thomas Conley. It was released in January 1986 as the second and final single from his Greatest Hits album. The song was Earl Thomas Conley's eleventh number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent fourteen weeks on the country chart.
Once in a Blue Moon is a CD released by the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra in 2000, it was critically acclaimed by All About Jazz; the recording also features alto saxophonist Gary Foster. The UT AIME jazz group also has one track on this recording (ten piece group).
Once in a Blue Moon is an album by the Phil Beer Band released in 2001. It is their latest recorded album using this band name.
The album was a limited edition and is highly rare.
Usage examples of "once in a blue moon".
In fact, she liked coons and skunks and snakes and muskrats better than she did most folks, although she didn't mind when once in a blue moon some city slicker from Maggody came to the cabin for a mason jar of hooch and a little romp.
The moon doesn't actually turn blue most of the time, but it is where the old saying comes from-once in a blue moon.
The moon doesn't actually turn blue most of the time, but it is where the old saying comes from -- once in a blue moon.
Don't do another damn thing around here I can see, so you can haul the food in once in a blue moon.