Three expressions with the word ‘moon’ are introduced here: ‘to be over the moon’, ‘to moon around’ and ‘to bark at the moon’.
‘To be over the moon’ is to be extremely delighted about something. With origins in the early 17th century, this phrase was once popularly used in soccer circles to describe the feeling of appreciation over winning a match.
‘To moon around’ (British English), or to moon about (American English) is to spend time doing something idly, aimlessly or in a dreamy way. This behavior is typical of those who feel sad especially due to a failed love affair. Other words with a similar meaning include ‘to loaf around’.
‘To bark at the moon’ is an expression meaning to make a futile attempt to protest against something or to make an outcry without any effect. Having been in use at least since the mid-17th century, this figurative phrase has a similar meaning to ‘to bay at the moon’. The two words “bark and Bay are verbs describing the sound a dog makes and which rarely do more than make a noise.