The phrase ‘Over the Moon’ probably owes its present usage to sporting personalities who describe a win or a magnificent victory as making them feel ‘over the moon’. The origin of this phrase dates back to sometime in the 17th/18th centuries. Fictional characters would be so happy they would have the energy to jump over the moon. The phrase became known to young children through the nursery rhyme ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, where a cow jumps over the moon.
The opposite of ‘over the moon’ is ‘as sick as a parrot’ which means ‘really disappointed’ about a result, generally after a sporting competition. The etymology of this phrase is uncertain. Some accounts say it originated in the mid-1970s, others say it originates in the late 17th century.
