few and far between

Attested at least since the 17th century. Was originally reserved for physical objects, such as houses, appearing with wide gaps between, but today it is also applied to more abstract things. Being rare also implies that the average gaps between the objects are wide.

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

few and far between (comparative fewer and farther between or fewer and further between, superlative fewest and farthest between or fewest and furthest between)

1. (idiomatic) Rare and scarce; hard to find.
   • 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, in BBC‎:

     The gear change never happened and although chances were few and far between in the second half it looked like below-par Arsenal would escape the DW Stadium with three points - especially when N'Zogbia was sent off with 12 minutes to play.