Idiom
Few and far between
Things that are few and far between are rare and do not happen or appear very often.
How people use it
It usually follows be or seem: good bakeries are few and far between in this part of town. It can describe things spread out in space (gas stations on a desert road) or in time (days off, sunny weekends, compliments). It suggests scarcity, often with a hint of regret. It comes after the noun it describes, not before it. The tone is neutral.
Examples
- Gas stations are few and far between on that desert highway, so fill up first.
- Sunny days have been few and far between this spring.
- Quiet moments are few and far between with three kids at home.
Where it comes from
Earlier poets compared rare joys to the visits of angels, which were "short and far between". The Scottish poet Thomas Campbell made the wording "few and far between" famous in his 1799 poem The Pleasures of Hope. It soon became a general phrase for anything scarce.
Check yourself
1. What does "few and far between" mean?
Answer: Rare. The idiom means something is scarce or happens seldom.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Free parking spots are few and far between downtown.. The idiom means scarce, so something that is everywhere does not fit, and it does not go before a noun.
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