few and far between

Adjective

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

1. (idiomatic) Rare and scarce; hard to find.
   • There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, and I have met several lamas, notably the Phodong Lama of Sikhim and others like him, men who were thoroughly capable, who acted up to their principles, and whom I thoroughly respected, but I am sorry to say such men were few and far between.1909, John Claude White, Sikhim and Bhutan, page 15
   • On a line like the Santa Fe, in such desert country as that on the Chicago-Los Angeles main line through Arizona and New Mexico, stations are few and far between, and at many of them one or two employees are the only permanent staff.1950 May, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 300

   Synonyms:

   thin on the ground, deficient, in short supply, wanting, lacking, uncommon, rare, dearthy, geason, infrequent

   Antonyms:

   far and wide, thick on the ground, common, widespread, abundant, ubiquitous