He only comes to visit his grandparents once in a blue moon.
AEvery full moon
BWhen he feels sad
CVery frequently
DVery rarely
Answer:
D. Very rarely
Read Explanation:
Understanding the Idiom: 'Once in a Blue Moon'
- The idiom 'once in a blue moon' means very rarely or on extremely infrequent occasions. It signifies an event that happens almost never or is highly unusual.
Origin and Background
- The term 'blue moon' in its idiomatic sense doesn't refer to the literal color of the moon but rather to its rare occurrence.
- Historically, a 'blue moon' was defined as the third full moon in a season that has four full moons (instead of the usual three). This type of blue moon occurs approximately every 2.7 years.
- A more modern and widely accepted definition, popularized by the Maine Farmer's Almanac and later by Sky & Telescope magazine, defines a 'blue moon' as the second full moon within a single calendar month. This also happens approximately every 2.5 to 3 years.
- The rarity of this astronomical event led to the adoption of the phrase to describe anything that happens very seldom.
Usage in Context
- The phrase is commonly used to emphasize the infrequency of an action or event. For example, 'He only cleans his room once in a blue moon' implies he rarely cleans it.
- It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though it's more common in everyday speech.
Synonyms and Related Idioms
- Hardly ever
- Seldom
- Rarely
- Almost never
- From time to time (can be similar, but 'once in a blue moon' implies even less frequent)
- Compare with: 'When pigs fly' (implies never) or 'A snowball's chance in hell' (implies no chance at all). 'Once in a blue moon' is about rarity, not impossibility.
Competitive Exam Relevance
- This idiom is frequently tested in competitive exams under sections like Idioms and Phrases, Vocabulary, or Sentence Improvement.
- Candidates should be able to identify its correct meaning and differentiate it from other idioms that imply impossibility or regular occurrence.