The Millstone Times April 2018

The Logic of Logos and Catchphrases CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR By Pam Teel

Did you ever wonder where the origin of this popular idiom “Close but no Cigar” came from? By definition, it means “to fall short of a successful outcome” or “close call.” It was first coined in the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century.

While it can’t be proven definitively, it’s likely that the phrase originated at fairgrounds around this time. Much like fairs today, booths would be set up and fair workers would host overpriced, nearly-impossible-to-win games for happy fairgoers to try. Games of strength, accuracy, and skill were played by men and women, and occasionally, someone would win just enough to keep people interested. Back then, though, the prizes weren’t typically for kids, but for mom and dad, and during that time cigars were a very common prize given out to winners. Now-a-days the prize cigar has given way to big stuffed animals and plastic guitars hanging from the rafters of the game booths. Because of this, most etymologists think it likely that the phrase originated from when someone came close to winning one of the nearly impossible games, but ultimately lost, earning “no cigar,” with game workers belting the phrase out when people lost, trying to draw crowds and encourage the person who got close to try again. As these fairs traveled around from town to town, state to state, the phrase spread rapidly. Throughout the 1930’s the phrase started appearing in newspapers more widely and by the late 1940’s was nearly everywhere in reference to anything, close presidential races, bowling matches, and even in a 1935 film version of Annie Oakley where the line read, “Close Colonel, but no cigar.” Today the phrase is still as popular as it was yesteryear. Howmany times have you found yourself saying this in your lifetime? I would wager, at least once.

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