The search for meaning

If you're going to pepper your news with cliches, at least make sure they're used in the right context. I've noticed a few mistakes like this recently so I thought I'd start documenting them.

First up, a story that mentions high-definition DVD players being scarce a while back.

Less than a year ago, Blu-ray and HD DVD players were scarcer than hen's teeth, and now they're coming thick and fast.

Hen's teeth don't exist, so when you use this phrase you're talking about something that doesn't exist. Unlike high-def DVD players, which might not have been filling up shelves on Tottenham Court Road but did exist "less than a year ago".