ask for the moon

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ask for the moon (third-person singular simple present asks for the moon, present participle asking for the moon, simple past and past participle asked for the moon)

1. (idiomatic) To claim or desire something that one cannot have.
   • 1987 February 1, T. R. Witomski, “Zeitgeist or Poltergeist? Why Gay Books Are So Bad”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 28, page 8:

     Major publishers think they are taking enough risk by simply publishing gay material. To want them to publish challenging, original gay books is asking them for the moon when they think they're already giving us the stars.

• moon on a stick
• promise the moon
• reach for the moon

• ask the impossible