Who can tell me the origin/history of the phrase, "Close, but no weo."?

Question

I have a buddy who is in her fifties who swears that people used to say it all the time. I've searched for it all over the internet with no luck. This is my last resort.

Kotonii - I'm well aware of the cigar phrase. I'm referring to the weo phrase. I have another friend who has heard it, and I'm interested in IT'S origin/history.

Answer 1

the saying is "Close, but no cigar" It means to be close but not quite get there

" is his name bill?"
"Close, but no cigar, its Gill"

lame example but it was the one i was taught.

Answer 2

It was an advertising campaign of Safeway (the grocery chain), sometime in the late 1970's. They compared the prices of their competitor (Giant) to their own, and always, theirs was lower, and they sang out "Close, but no WEO" W.E.O. stood for "Where Economy Originates". It was very annoying and a terrible ad campaign.

Answer 3

I too remember it as an advertising slogan and TV and radio commercial in New Orleans for a local independent chain called National-Canal Villere. I could be mistaken as we did have some A&P grocery stores back then, but we definitely didnt have Safeways. As I recall the grocery shopper would exclaim "Weo" at all the low prices and great selection while the shopper at a competing grocery chain would moan "no weo". Perhaps the ad was used in various markets as part of a grocer co-op or independent food alliance. I do believe the slogan was ubiquitous in the mid 1970s.

Answer 4

The way I remember it, it was an A&P advertising gimmik. Probably stood for the same thing.