idioms

  shoot for the moon  American English (to set your goals very high, even if they seem difficult or unlikely to achieve) He decided to shoot for the moon by applying for the CEO position. Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.     …

  ask for the moon  American English (to ask something that is impossible to get or achieve) Try to be realistic and not ask for the moon. I cannot afford to buy you a sports car for your birthday. The president’s goal of ending poverty by next month feels like …

  fall flat on your face (to fail completely, especially in an embarrassing way) Trying to sing on stage without practice can cause you to fall flat on your face. He thought his plan was perfect, but it really made him fall flat on his face. My new idea for …

  in one fell swoop (with a single action or effort) I went out and finished my shopping in one fell swoop. She could clean the whole house in one fell swoop after her guests left. The tornado devastated the entire city in one fell swoop.   swoop (to descend …

  in the twinkle of an eye (very quickly, in a flash) The lights flickered and the room was dark in a twinkle of an eye. In the twinkling of an eye, the car was out of sight. I’ll be back in the twinkle of an eye. Also: in a …