“Close, but no cigar” is an idiom we use in everyday conversation. But what do “cigars” have to do with it?
According to the Oxford dictionary, “close, but no cigar” means nearly achieving a goal or being almost correct, but ultimately failing. It can mean failing just short of success. It is commonly used when someone misses a target, makes an almost correct guess, or fails to complete a task after a good effort.
“Close, but no cigar” likely originated in carnival games in London in the Victorian era where cigars were popular prizes. When players fell just short of winning, the carnival barker would offer the consolation “close, but no cigar.”
According to author, Alexander Atkin, the concept of a traveling circus or carnival originated in England in the 1700s. The circus performers included acrobats, clowns, and jugglers. Circus owners expanded their entertainment and added games of skill and chance that were held in side stalls. These included games like ring tossing, darts, and shooting galleries, which seemed simple enough to play, but did not yield their prizes easily. Circus owners could make more money from games where players overestimated their chances of winning. Those who experienced a near miss, or almost winning, would continue to play believing that a win is inevitable, a phenomenon known in modern psychology as the “near miss effect.”
Atkins says studies show that gamblers who experience a near miss in a game interpret it as a sign that a win is “just around the corner.” Brain scans of gamblers show that a near miss activates the same reward systems in the brain as an actual win. The near miss effect can be increased when the time placing a bet and starting a new game is decreased. It seems the more you lose, the more you believe you are just about to win.
During Victorian times, smoking a cigar was a way of celebrating an achievement, like winning a tournament or reaching an important personal milestone. Compared to the cost of other circus prizes, like liquor, hats, or porcelain dolls, cigars were relatively inexpensive.
There’s no proof, but it’s likely that Victorian London circus workers used the phrase “close but no cigar.”
An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition of its individual words.
William Shakespeare coined hundreds of idioms still used in daily conversation, including “break the ice,” “heart of gold,” “wild goose chase,” and “green-eyed monster”.
His play, Hamlet, coined the phrase “cruel to be kind”. Macbeth gives us “one fell swoop”. The Tempest coined the idiom “in a pickle”.
Although we have used some idioms for centuries, we continue to coin new phrases that express an idea. For example, “fly under the radar” means to not attract attention or to be discreet. After the global pandemic, we often heard the idiom “the new normal” which means a state of things that is accepted as usual. Another modern idiom is “in the driver’s seat” which means being in charge of the situation.
What new idioms have you heard, and what old idioms do you wonder about?
