close, but no cigar

English

Etymology

From the practice of giving cigars as prizes at carnivals in the US in the 19th century; this phrase would be said to those who failed to win a prize.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Phrase

close, but no cigar

1. (idiomatic) That's almost correct, but not quite [from 1929]

   Synonyms: a miss is as good as a mile, almost doesn't count

   It was close but no cigar for Johnny as he came second once again.

   • 1929 July 2, "J. C. R.", “'28's First”, in Princeton Alumni Weekly‎^[2], volume xxix, number 36, page 1166:

     The long distance trophy, an appropriately inscribed silver cigarette case, was awarded to Em Gooch who had made the trip from Lincoln, Neb. for the occasion. Several other members came close, but no cigar, […]

Translations

that's almost correct, but not quite

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 功虧一簣／功亏一篑 (zh) (gōngkuīyīkuì), 功亏一篑 (zh) (gōngkuīyīkuì, literally “one basket (of dirt) short of success”), 失之毫釐，差之千里 (zh), 踏错一步，满盘皆输

• Danish: så tæt på og dog så langt fra, lige ved og næsten slår ingen mand af hesten
• Dutch: het is net niks, bijna telt niet
• Finnish: melkein on metri maalista (literally “"almost" is still a meter from the goal”)
• French: presque réussi, mais raté (literally “almost succeeded, but failed”)
• German: knapp daneben ist auch vorbei (literally “almost a hit is still a miss”)
• Irish: ní fearr Éire ná orlach (literally “Ireland is no better than an inch”)
• Italian: ci sei andato vicino ma non abbastanza (literally “you got close but not enough”)
• Japanese: 惜しい (ja) (oshii)
• Latvian: gandrīz neskaitās
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Malay:

  Jawi: دکت تق ترچاڤاي, جاءوه تق برانتارا

  Rumi: dekat tak tercapai, jauh tak berantara

• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} nesten skyter ingen mann av hesten, nesten holder ikke
• Polish: prawie robi wielką różnicę (literally “"almost" makes a big difference”)
• Portuguese: passou perto, só que não (literally “got close, but no”) (Brazil), bateu na trave (literally “hit the goalpost”) (Brazil)
• Russian: чуть-чу́ть не счита́ется (čutʹ-čútʹ ne sčitájetsja, literally “"a little" doesn't count”), про́мах есть про́мах (prómax jestʹ prómax, literally “a miss is a miss”)
• Slovene: skoraj še ni zajca ujel
• Spanish: de casi no se muere nadie (literally “nobody ever dies from an almost”), los casis no cuentan (literally “the almosts don't count”)
• Swedish: nära skjuter ingen hare (sv) (literally “close shoots no hare”)
• Turkish: neredeyse doğru ama tam olarak değil