shoot the moon

shoot the moon

Leave without paying one’s bill; also, go for broke in card playing. The first usage dates from the first half of the 1800s and alludes to leaving in the dark of night (by moonlight). Richard Wheland had it in Robert Capa (1985), “They would occupy a hotel room for a few weeks, until they had stretched to the limit their excuses for not paying, then ‘shoot the moon’ and move on to new quarters.” The second usage alludes to the card game of hearts, in which players lose points for every heart they hold at the end of the game. But in one version, a player dealt the right cards can “shoot the moon,” that is, try to take all the hearts for a bonus. Here the phrase means to risk everything for the ultimate prize.
See also: moon, shoot
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • for a start
  • first in, best dressed
  • be first out of the box
  • first refusal
  • refusal
  • at first
  • give (someone) the first crack at (something)
  • have (the) first crack at (something)
  • foremost
  • first and foremost
References in periodicals archive
The Huawei P30 Pro is packed to the brim with new features which includes a periscope telephoto camera that can zoom up to 50x digital and 10x hybrid, letting you shoot the moon and what not.
He shares that he used a mobile phone attached to a telescope to shoot the moon on February 16, 2019.
Hosted by former M.E.N editor Paul Horrocks and spearheaded by renowned businessman Theo Paphitis, the campaign saw four shortlisted companies; Shoot The Moon, The Small Business Emporium, Jones & Co and We Are Gntlmen pitching initiatives from charity cookbooks to bespoke branded shirts to a panel of judges.
Her film credits include Oscar-winning 'Midnight Cowboy', thriller adaptation 'Short Cut to Hell', and situational drama 'Shoot the Moon'.
Kate Watson; SHOOT THE MOON; Flux (Children's: Young Adult Fiction) 14.99 ISBN: 9781635830149
Shoot the Moon. Flux/North Star Editions, February 2018.
However, photographers choosing to shoot the Moon may be less concerned by this as they tend to prefer to use telephoto lenses to magnify the size of the Moon, particularly when it is close to the horizon and can be shown in relation to a landmark or recognisable structure within the frame.
But when Tara learns her best friend, Abbie Sullivan, is in more trouble than she ever dreamed possible as the victim of abuse, the girls decide to the "shoot the moon," or run away in the night.
The tracks are "The Ukrainian Expedition" (4:44), "Aupres du Poele" (3:18), "Igen" (6:27), "When First I Came to Caledonia" (4:28), "Shoot the Moon" (4:33), "Maluron Lurette "4:29), "The Town" (4:45), "Lament for Buckles" (4:5), "Maudit Anglais" (4:49), "Coal Not Dole" (3:12), and "Duhk Duhk Goat" (7:28).
I loved Francis Ford Coppola's movies and Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay's films, like Shoot The Moon.
They discuss Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Fame, Shoot the Moon, Pink Floyd--The Wall, Birdy, Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, Come See the Paradise, The Commitments, The Road to Wellville, Evita, Angela's Ashes, and The Life of David Gale, with information on the cast and crew of each, the history of the production, and a plot summary, with commentary.
He turned down the title role in Lawrence of Arabia, but gained plaudits in a string of acclaimed movies, including Murder on the Orient Express, The Duellists, Shoot the Moon, The Dresser, Miller's Crossing, Erin Brockovich, Big Fish and Skyfall.
He took over at MGM in 1976, developing 1979's "The Champ," 1979's "Clash of the Titans" and 1982's "Shoot the Moon."
His band, set up with friends and music-lovers Will Bloomfield, Paul Neal and Mark Shack, recorded their first album Shoot the Moon in June 2012.
Indeed, exposures are so short you can shoot the Moon with any telescope that will accept a camera, even a scope without a motorized tracking system.