A needle in a haystack

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Meaning

Something nigh impossible to find, buried deep.

Origin

From 16th-century England, tied to farming; needles in hay were lost, slang by 1530s in a More text for rare. A 1590s play uses it for a hunt.

Usage Examples

  • Finding her here's a needle in a haystack.
  • A needle in a haystack; lost cause.
  • Haystack needle; good luck!

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