as scarce as hen's teeth
. Here is a rare book in the sense of the quality of it's original, sparkling prose. The title refers to the in-flight oil transfer by PG Taylor over the Tasman Sea in 1935 - THE MAN WHO SAVED SMITHY; by Rick Searle. (The book is not only an exceptionally good read, but an excellent adjunct to the eight books of PG (Sir Gordon) Taylor published.. CLICHE by Eric Partridge is another useful text, if you abhor the hackneyed phrase.)