to cast beyond the moon
Preserved but no longer current.
To form wild conjectures. One of Heywood's proverbs. At one time the moon was supposed to in- fluence the weather, to affect the ingathering of fruits, to rule the time of sowing, reaping, and slaying cattle, etc.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to cast beyond the moon” mean?
To form wild conjectures. One of Heywood's proverbs. At one time the moon was supposed to in- fluence the weather, to affect the ingathering of fruits, to rule the time of sowing, reaping, and slaying cattle, etc.
Is “to cast beyond the moon” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.