ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hen's tooth

idiom
Meaning

Anything not naturally occurring.


Origin

disputed origin

Example of a jocularly non-existent phenomenon, as many birds lack any teeth (having developed a bill instead). Compare horsefeathers and when pigs fly.

Examples
SIMPLE

Finding a cheap apartment in this city is as rare as a hen's tooth.

CONTEXTUAL

Good mechanics are like a hen's tooth in this remote town, so we wait weeks for repairs.

COMPLEX

In a market flooded with mass-produced goods, an authentic handmade watch has become as rare as a hen's tooth.

Anchors to
Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

    compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.

  2. 02

    clean as a hound's tooth

    Very clean.

  3. 03

    long in the tooth

    Old; aged.

  4. 04

    salty tooth

    A liking for foods that are salty.

  5. 05

    sour tooth

    A liking for foods that are sour.

  6. 06

    spicy tooth

    A liking for foods that are spicy.

  7. 07

    sweet tooth

    A liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets.

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