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Certainty & Possibility - Unlikely Situations

Master English idioms regarding unlikely situations, like "cast beyond the moon" and "too good to be true".

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English idioms related to Certainty & Possibility
to [be] a big if

to be a condition or requirement that is uncertain or potentially challenging to fulfill

Ex: The treatment could work, but finding a matching donor is a big if.
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cock-and-bull story

a story that seems impossible, particularly one that is used as an excuse

Ex: I asked why the report was n't finished , and he launched into a long cock-and-bull story.
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forget that noise

used to express anger and the fact that someone does not care about someone or something

Ex: Forget that noise; I'm done chasing people who don't care.
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I will eat my hat

used to say that one does not think that something will ever happen or has any chance of being true

Ex: If they lower the rent out of kindness, I'll eat my hat.
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to [cast] beyond the moon

to think about unlikely and unrealistic possibilities

Ex: I like your optimism, but at this point you're casting beyond the moon.
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too good to be true

used to refer to something that exceeds one's expectations in such ways that makes it hard to believe

Ex: Free flights and a five-star hotel?That sounds too good to be true.
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long shot
long shot
[noun]

an attempt made without having any high hopes of achieving success

Ex: It 's a long shot, but maybe the lost wallet is still at the café .
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(at|) the end of the rainbow

used to refer to something that is extremely desirable yet nearly impossible to obtain

Ex: For a small startup, beating the industry giant can feel like the end of the rainbow.
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jam tomorrow

a promise of something good or desirable that will never be fulfilled

Ex: The CEO 's plan sounded like jam tomorrow: big rewards someday , but nothing concrete today .
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to [swing] for the fences

to aim for goals that are unrealistic or extremely difficult to achieve

Ex: There's nothing wrong with swinging for the fence, but you still need a realistic backup plan.
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pigs (can|might) fly
pigs can fly
[sentence]

used to express one's disbelief about something happening or being true

Ex: If he ever turns down free publicity, pigs might fly.
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pipe dream

an impractical or impossible idea, plan, or wish

Ex: A perfectly fair system may be a pipe dream, but we can still make this one better .
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ghost of a chance

the slightest chance of succeeding or happening

Ex: You don't have a ghost of a chance unless you start taking the exam seriously.
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to [promise] {sb} the (moon|earth|world)

to make promises that are impossible to be fulfilled or be kept

Ex: The brochure promises the world, but the hotel barely has hot water.
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to {not} [look] back

to have no desire or intention to return to past circumstances

Ex: She left the old business model behind and didn't look back.
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