Close, but no cigar

1. Even a near miss is still a miss. The saying probably originated with carnival contests in which a cigar was the prize for hitting a target.

Idioms and Phrases

A narrowly missed success, as in That ball was definitely out—close but no cigar . This interjection alludes to awarding a cigar to the winner of some competition, such as hitting a target. [ Slang ; early 1900s]

Related Words

• approximately
• practically
• roughly
• virtually