Blue moon

English translation: una volta ogni morte di papa

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	Blue moon
Selected answer:	una volta ogni morte di papa
Entered by:	humbird

04:07 Aug 1, 2004

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Linguistics / Common

English term or phrase: Blue moon

Those who are in North and Western Hemisphere, I believe all of you (weather pemit) are having full moon tonight. Guess what! This is "Blue Moon" as "Once in a blue moon". So I know you already know what it means, thereby it is NOT my question to ask what it means.
What I would like to ask is whether there is a similar expression regarding something that happens very rarely (SECOND FULL MOON IN A GIVEN MONTH is what blue moon is all about, and it happens very, very seldom). I want to know such expressions in Spanish, French, Russian, Dutch, Italian, Polish, ....... whatever, wherever. In each respective language how do you say it (and if it is related to the moon all the better, but not necessarily).
Please tell me their derivations and background stories as much as you can in ENGLISH.

humbird

Italian: una volta ogni morte di papa

Explanation:
nothing to do with moons, but literally: "once every time a pope dies"
which does not happen very oftendefinitely more rare than a blue moon (which happens approx. once every 2,5 years).

French: tous les 36 du mois (literally, every 36th day of the month, that's rare indeed)

German: Alle Jubeljahre (every jubilee year)

For the history/meaning behind the English expression, see http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSBlueMoon.html

Selected response from:

Roberta Anderson
Italy
Local time: 17:03

Grading comment

Thank you Roberta, this is a kind of answer I was looking. Other answers I am equally grateful for you inputs. Unfortunately answers were given in their respective language even I said "in English please", I don't know whose fault it would be. Nonetheless it must be far more interesting if they were in a language I can understand. Any event, Arigato (means "Thank you" in Japanese) to you all.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +3

Italian: una volta ogni morte di papa

Roberta Anderson

Lua azul - Pt-Br

airmailrpl

luna azul

Maria Luisa Duarte

Español: cada muerte de obispo

David Russi

Español: de Pascuas a Ramos / de higos a peras/brevas

Ana Juliá

Hebrew: once a year

Rutie Eckdish

Alle Jubeljahre

Roland Grefer

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

3 mins confidence:

blue moon Lua azul - Pt-Br

Explanation:
lua azul -
Lua Azul. ... Segundo antigo folclore, algumas pessoas dizem que a segunda Lua cheia de um mês é chamada "Blue Moon'' ('' Lua azul''). ...
geocities.yahoo.com.br/rgregio2001/lua_azul.htm

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 12:03
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 32

12 mins confidence:

blue moon luna azul

Explanation:
Este próximo sábado, 31 de julio, hay luna llena. Será la segunda en lo que va de mes, después de la que tuvimos el viernes día 2 de julio. El intervalo medio entre dos lunas llenas es de 29,5 días, de tal forma que la presencia de dos en un mismo mes del calendario es un hecho bastante infrecuente. Tanto que esa segunda luna llena del mes hasta tiene nombre propio: se conoce como blue moon, o luna azul.

Reference: http://ciencia.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/07jul_bluemoon.htm

Maria Luisa Duarte
Spain
Local time: 17:03
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

expression regarding something that happens very rarely

Italian: una volta ogni morte di papa

Roberta Anderson
Italy
Local time: 17:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

3 hrs confidence:

blue moon Español: cada muerte de obispo

Explanation:
Español: cada muerte de obispo

Reference: http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=muer...
Reference: http://www.arcom.net/belca/del_dicho/c.htm

David Russi
United States
Local time: 09:03
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 21

4 hrs confidence:

once in a blue moon Español: de Pascuas a Ramos / de higos a peras/brevas

Explanation:
cada muerte de obispo (Río de la Plata)

Diccionario Oxford

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Note added at 4 hrs 50 mins (2004-08-01 08:58:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

DRAE
de higos a brevas.
1. loc. adv. coloq. Muy de tarde en tarde.
de Pascuas a Ramos.
1. loc. adv. coloq. de tarde en tarde.

Ana Juliá
Spain
Local time: 17:03
Native speaker of: Spanish

11 hrs confidence:

blue moon Hebrew: once a year

Explanation:
Great question! The Hebrew term that comes to my mind to indicate something that happens rarely is translated "once a year". Not very imaginative, considering the whole calendar is a lunar based calendar...ôòí áùðä (Use "Hebrew" in Encoding, if you wish to see the Hebrew letters)

Rutie Eckdish
United States
Local time: 11:03
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Hebrew

1 day 17 hrs confidence:

blue moon Alle Jubeljahre

Explanation:
This indicates that something happens quite rarely.

The term is a verbatim translation of the Latin "annus iubilaeus", referring to a section of the Old Testament (3. book of Moses, 25.8 and following), which indicates that the children of Israel every 50 years had to observe a holy year, a so called "hail(ing) year", with forgiving of debts, release of slaves, and return of land sold. Such a year was started by blowing a ram's horn (it's Hebrew name "yôvel" is still contained at the root of "Jubeljahr"). In medival times the term was adopted by the catholic church to refer to a special year of indulgence, initially recurring every 100 years, later then every 50 years, and from 1500 on every 25 years. As various sources point out, the catholic church's opening of a "Jubeljahr" by way of opening and passing through the holy gates is of pagan origin, dating back to ancient Rome. The Roman emperors opened the Janus gate on the Forum Romanum in times of war and closed them in times of peace. Janus in Roman mythology is the god of doors and gates, as well as the god of the beginning, typically depicted with two faces in opposing directions, meant to hint at conflict and contradiction.

[This explanation is based in part on F.A. Brockhaus]

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Note added at 1 day 23 hrs 32 mins (2004-08-03 03:39:56 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

My pleasure; while I appreciated Roberta\'s brief coverage of the German phrase, I felt it deserved a bit more detail.

As far as the _Dogon_ tribe is concerned, please bear in mind that Africa, based on research conducted over the last few decades, in all likelihood has been the cradle of civilization. Ever so often item bearing witness to ancient civilization(s) are found in various parts of Africa, but increasingly in the Sahara desert. As a result, it would be conceivable that the tribe\'s tradition might have been verbally communicated from generation to generation. As far as the catholic church\'s adoption of the 50 year \"celebration\" is concerned, this merely is based on the Hebrew tradition, which in all likelihood has its roots in some modified African ritual. If you go a big further back in history you\'ll for instance encouter Mesopotamia and other high civilizations.

Reference: http://www.jubeljahr2000.de/
Reference: http://www.sacredarchitecture.org/pubs/saj/books/rejoice.php

Roland Grefer
Local time: 11:03
Native speaker of:

German,

English

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English translation: una volta ogni morte di papa

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