What does the expression "Close but no cigar" mean?

Question

I'm pretty sure i know what it means,i asked my workmate this and he did'nt know but then he came up with a meaning and i think he's right! So i would like to know what u think it means and hopefully one of u will say the same thing!!!!!!!

Answer 1

It means you came close but didn't win.

Answer 2

Where does the expression "close but no cigar" come from?

Vince Lombardi may have been overstating things a bit when he said "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." After all, not everyone wins, but life inevitably goes on. "Close, but no cigar" is a cliché, but it helps comfort those of us who don't always emerge victorious. Anyone who's ever lost at a card game or been aced out of a primo parking spot knows losing isn't fun. This is true now, and it was true when the phrase first came to prominence. According to Bartleby, the phrase likely originated at carnivals when cigars were given away as prizes. We can imagine fiendish carnival workers using the feel-good phrase as a way to get suckers like us with poor aim to try our luck again.

The Phrase Finder offers a slightly different story. The site states that the saying came from the custom of early slot machines awarding cigars to winners. A third theory comes from Take Our Word for It, which says nobody knows exactly how the phrase came about, but that it likely came to prominence at carnivals, specifically the game where players use a sledgehammer to ring a bell. Macho victors were given cigars, while the wimps were told they came close, but they would not be receiving any carcinogenic tobacco for their efforts.

No Cigar, is also the name of a Rockband from Oldenburg/Germany

Answer 3

It means an event was almost a huge success, but not quite. It's a tradition for someone to light a cigar as a celebration.

Answer 4

Ask Yahoo! answered this question some time ago...

"According to Bartleby, the phrase likely originated at carnivals when cigars were given away as prizes. We can imagine fiendish carnival workers using the feel-good phrase as a way to get suckers like us with poor aim to try our luck again."

Ask Yahoo! offers several other theories, including one how cigars may have been given to carnivalgoers who successfully rang the bell with a sledgehammer. "Macho victors were given cigars, while the wimps were told they came close, but they would not be receiving any carcinogenic tobacco for their efforts."

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

That there isn't much separating second from first. Example: I love the colors blue and charcoal gray but if I had to choose a favorite, blue would be my first choice and charcoal gray would be a close second.

Answer 6

Yes, it means you came close to winning for example, but not quite close enough.

The phrase, and its variant 'nice try, but no cigar', are of US origin and date from the mid-20th century. Fairground stalls gave out cigars as prizes, and this is the most likely source, although there's no definitive evidence to prove that

Answer 7

it is in term to an old carnival game the hammerstrike where you hit a lever that sends a weight to the top to ring a bell the early version was for men only about 15 and older they would win a cigar if they rang the bell

Answer 8

I'd be glad not to get a cigar. I can't stand the stinky things. lol

Answer 9

It means you came close to winning, or getting an answer, but you couldnt quite get it.

Answer 10

purty damn close to being signed/sealed/delivered but no celebrationary cigar yet as a last minute screw up could occur