Your English: Idioms: the moon and the stars

Opponents of a particular idea may be described as ‘living on a different planet’, meaning that they are either out of touch with reality or have ideas that are neither reasonable nor practical. Perhaps such people are asking for the moon (wanting something that is impossible to get or achieve) in wanting their own ideas implemented or living in cloud-cuckoo land (believing naively in their own ideas).

Of course, the sky is the limit for some people (meaning that there is no limit to what they can do or achieve), although others may simply have stars in their eyes (be hopeful and enthusiastic about what may happen to them in the future, even though this is not a practical or sensible way to behave).

If they do succeed in achieving their aims they will probably be over the moon about it (extremely happy). Their fate may be written in the stars, in other words certain to happen, as in ‘It was written in the stars that we would never see each other again’.

One thing that is certain is that sooner or later they will depart for that great … in the sky, an adaptable euphemism as the chosen noun can reflect a particular idiosyncratic aspect of the life of the person you are talking about, as in ‘I’m afraid Patrick has gone to that great pub in the sky’. He’s dead, of course, but he obviously enjoyed a drink or two while he was alive.