# rocking horse shit

idiom · Vulgar

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rocking-horse-shit
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something exceedingly rare or, more likely, nonexistent.

## Examples

- Finding a cheap apartment in this city is like rocking horse shit.
- Honest politicians are like rocking horse shit in this country.
- A quiet beach in the middle of summer is rocking horse shit.
- You might find a spare part for that vintage car, but honestly, they are rocking horse shit these days.
- I tried to get a ticket for the championship final, but they are rocking horse shit unless you know someone at the club.
- The boss is looking for a worker who never takes a day off, but people like that are rocking horse shit.
- You can search the whole market for a fresh pineapple in winter, but they are rocking horse shit until the season changes.
- The expert claimed that original manuscripts from that period are essentially rocking horse shit, appearing in private collections only once every few decades.

## Origin

From the expression rare as rocking horse shit, a comparison predicated on the fact that rocking horses, being constructed of wood or metal, do not produce faeces. The joke relies entirely on the biological impossibility of the event.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.