scarcer

scarcer than hens' teeth

Incredibly scarce or rare; extremely difficult or impossible to find. Support for the president is scarcer than hens' teeth in this part of the country.
See also: scarcer, teeth
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*scarce as hen's teeth

 and scarcer than hen's teeth
Cliché scarce; seldom found. (*Also: as ~.) I do declare, decent people are as scarce as hen's teeth in these chaotic times. Handmade lace is scarcer than hen's teeth; most lace is made by machine.
See also: scarce, teeth
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

scarce as hen's teeth

Also, scarcer than hen's teeth. Exceptionally rare, as in On a rainy night, taxis are as scarce as hen's teeth. Since hens have no teeth, this term in effect says that something is so scarce as to be nonexistent. [Mid-1800s]
See also: scarce, teeth
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

scarce as hen's teeth

Singularly rare. Also put as scarcer than hen’s teeth, this allusion to nonexistent dentition is an Americanism of the nineteenth century. It appeared in James Gilmore’s My Southern Friends (1863): “Horses are scarcer than hen’s teeth around here.”
See also: scarce, teeth
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

scarce as hen's teeth

Nonexistent. Hens have no teeth, so what could possibly be scarcer? (Stones in their gizzards act as teeth to grind their food).
See also: scarce, teeth
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • scarcer than hens' teeth
  • be as scarce as hen's teeth
  • rarer than hens' teeth
  • scarce
  • (as) rare as hens' teeth
  • rare
  • rare as hen's teeth
  • rare/scarce as hen's teeth
  • (as) scarce as hens' teeth
  • scarce as hen's teeth
References in periodicals archive
The woman's saccades were shorter and scarcer under hypnosis, the team reports online October 24 in PLoS ONE.
And, fair enough, this is a problem, though hardly a surprising one in an area where jobs are scarce and getting scarcer.
She noted that Morocco is adopting a renewed water and environment strategy, knowing that water resources are becoming scarcer as a result of climate change.
WITH global temperatures rising and water set to become even scarcer than it is now, effective cooling is a priority for manufacturing plants throughout the Middle East.
Goods then rise in price, not because goods are scarcer than before, but because dollars are more abundant." My statement in the book review was more concise and simple, but I could see how Mr.
While economic growth is expected to recover, finance is likely to be scarcer with increasing risk aversion as well as a tightening of financial regulations in high-income nations.
While freshwater and wastewater management are typically local issues, increasing global attention has been paid to collaboration, innovation, and management of water as it becomes a scarcer resource for societal uses.
As the world's farming lands and savannahs dry up and water becomes scarcer thanks to climate change and mismanagement, the future of the world as we know it and its resources are becoming less certain, scarcer and more unpredictable--more like deserts in fact.
We show that financial literacy is lacking among older individuals and for the first time explore additional questions on financial sophistication which proves even scarcer. For this sample of older respondents over the age of 55, we find that people lack even a rudimentary understanding of stock and bond prices, risk diversification, portfolio choice, and investment fees.
Neonatal intensive care and specialist paediatric services also became scarcer in the public sector, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Beds become scarce and funding for food becomes even scarcer. These are dangerous times for people to cut corners when it comes to giving.
The market supported around a third of all lending and the lower volumes now available have made mortgages scarcer and more expensive, adding to the slump in property prices over the past 18 months.
As oil becomes scarcer and prices rise, high accuracy of transfer measurement is extremely important.
As good quality water becomes scarcer and more expensive, the process industries, power plants and, increasingly, ships and offshore platforms need to make more use of inexpensive secondary cooling water.
-- In the age of two-income households, time for housecleaning is scarcer than ever, and Americans are looking for cleaning products that are quick and easy to use.