Etymology Journal · S
Scarce as hen's teeth
Meaning
- Used to describe something that is extremely rare or virtually impossible to find. Since hens have no teeth, this is a classic humorous way to emphasize total absence.
Folksy, hyperbolic
Used in a sentence
- Good mechanics in this town are about as scarce as hen's teeth.
- Finding a parking spot near the stadium is scarce as hen's teeth.
- Honest politicians are supposedly as scarce as hen's teeth.
The backstory
This is a classic American folk idiom that relies on the obvious biological fact that birds lack teeth. It has been used in rural literature for over a hundred years.
Heard in
The South, Midwest
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