rare as hen's teeth
Almost never found
Rare as hen's teeth means extremely scarce or nonexistent—hens don't have teeth, so anything this rare is virtually impossible to find.
The phrase emphasizes scarcity through absurdity: Honest politicians are rare as hen's teeth.
Sometimes shortened to scarce as hen's teeth.
In short supply
- sparseThinly scattered or distributed
- uncommonSeldom occurring or found
- infrequentHappening only occasionally
- seldomOn few occasions
few · meager · scanty · sporadic · intermittent · thin on the ground · hard to find · hard to come by
Extremely difficult thing to locate
- once in a blue moonExtremely infrequently
- white whaleConsuming, elusive pursuit
- holy grailSupremely elusive objective
- unicornMythical one-horned horse
flying pig · four-leaf clover · lightning in a bottle · pot of gold · black swan · diamond in the rough · one in a million
Beyond what's typical
- singularOne in number
- uniqueOnly one exists
- one of a kindUtterly without equal
- anomalousDeviating from expected norms
aberrant · atypical · unprecedented · unparalleled · matchless · unheard of · remarkable · notable
Mythical one-horned horse
- phoenixSelf-immolating, regenerating bird
- dragonLegendary fire-breathing reptile
- sasquatchLegendary North American ape-man
- yetiMythical Himalayan ape-man
fountain of youth · holy grail · philosopher's stone · leprechaun gold · mermaid · chupacabra · thunderbird · bunyip
Highly esteemed, greatly valued
- pricelessToo valuable to quantify
- invaluableBeyond monetary worth
- prizedGreatly valued or esteemed
- treasuredRegarded with deep affection
coveted · sought-after · collectible · irreplaceable · premium · exclusive · elite · select
scarce
In short supply
- sparseThinly scattered or distributed
- uncommonSeldom occurring or found
- infrequentHappening only occasionally
seldom · few · meager · scanty · sporadic · intermittent · thin on the ground · hard to find · hard to come by · in short supply
needle in a haystack
Extremely difficult thing to locate
- once in a blue moonExtremely infrequently
- white whaleConsuming, elusive pursuit
- holy grailSupremely elusive objective
unicorn · flying pig · four-leaf clover · lightning in a bottle · pot of gold · black swan · diamond in the rough · one in a million
extraordinary
Beyond what's typical
- singularOne in number
- uniqueOnly one exists
- one of a kindUtterly without equal
anomalous · aberrant · atypical · unprecedented · unparalleled · matchless · unheard of · remarkable · notable · standout
unicorn
Mythical one-horned horse
- phoenixSelf-immolating, regenerating bird
- dragonLegendary fire-breathing reptile
- sasquatchLegendary North American ape-man
yeti · fountain of youth · holy grail · philosopher's stone · leprechaun gold · mermaid · chupacabra · thunderbird · bunyip
precious
Highly esteemed, greatly valued
- pricelessToo valuable to quantify
- invaluableBeyond monetary worth
- prizedGreatly valued or esteemed
treasured · coveted · sought-after · collectible · irreplaceable · premium · exclusive · elite · select · choice
rare as hen's teetha dime a dozen
Abundant and unremarkable
ubiquitous · commonplace · common as dirt · abundant · everywhere
rare, rarer, rarest, rarely, rareness, rarity, rarefied, rarefy, hens