Advertisement. Airbus, which is under increasing pressure to prove the viability of its A380 production rates, yesterday conceded that it still needs to fill a âsingle-digit numberâ of production slots for the type in 2015.dvertisement. Airbus, which is under increasing pressure to prove the viability of its A380 production rates, yesterday conceded that it still needs to fill a âsingle-digit numberâ of production slots for the type in 2015.
Where did the phrase 'once in a blue moon' come from? A folklorist traces the convoluted evolution of the phrase, while discussing why it adopted the many meanings it has throughout history.
Blue moon. Blue moon of the December 2009 lunar eclipse. A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: either the third of four full moons in a season, or a second full moon in a month of the common calendar. The phrase has nothing to do with the actual color of the moon, although a literal blue moon may occur in certain atmospheric conditions: e.g., if volcanic eruptions or fires leave particles in the atmosphere of just the right size to preferentially scatter red light.