few and far between
Rare or seldom-seen. Warm days have been few and far between this winter. Good luck finding a nice house in that neighborhood—they're few and far between. The new policies that the company promised to implement have been few and far between, if you ask me.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
few and far between
very few; few and widely scattered. Get some gasoline now. Service stations on this highway are few and far between. Some people think that good movies are few and far between.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
few and far between
At wide intervals, scarce, as in Supporters of the amendment are few and far between. This expression originally was used very literally for physical objects such as houses appearing at widely separated intervals. Today it is also used more loosely. [Mid-1600s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
few and far between
scarce or infrequent.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
few and far beˈtween
not frequent; not happening often: Since her illness, the former Senator’s public appearances have been few and far between. ♢ Apartments for hire are few and far between in this part of town.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
few and far between
Seldom; at wide intervals. This expression is a quotation from Thomas Campbell’s poem “The Pleasures of Hope” (1799): “What though my winged hours of bliss have been, like angel-visits, few and far between?” At first it was largely applied to rare pleasures, but later it was extended to any rare occurrence.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer