Close, but no cigar?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="close">close</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="lyrics">lyrics</span>: <span word="You">You</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="close">close</span>; <span word="Close">Close</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span>; <span word="You">You</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="far">far</span>….</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Never">Never</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="song">song</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="mind">mind</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="context">context</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="clear">clear</span>. “<span word="You">You</span>” <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="won">won</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="one">one</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="target">target</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="goal">goal</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="margin">margin</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mark">mark</span> <span word="of">of</span> 10.3 <span word="seconds">seconds</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="qualify">qualify</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Olympic">Olympic</span> 100 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="dash">dash</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="of">of</span> 10.35 <span word="seconds">seconds</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="fail">fail</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="qualify">qualify</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="big">big</span>-<span word="time">time</span> <span word="event">event</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="far">far</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="still">still</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="victory">victory</span> <span word="prize">prize</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Close">Close</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="believed">believed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="originated">originated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="fairs">fairs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="festivals">festivals</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="toys">toys</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="toy">toy</span> <span word="bears">bears</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pistols">pistols</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="gifts">gifts</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="prizes">prizes</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="win">win</span> <span word="games">games</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="carnival">carnival</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="park">park</span> <span word="today">today</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="apparently">apparently</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="cigars">cigars</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="prizes">prizes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="sprang">sprang</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>, “<span word="close">close</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span>”.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="easily">easily</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="aptly">aptly</span> <span word="usable">usable</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="target">target</span> <span word="shooting">shooting</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="target">target</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reward">reward</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="shot">shot</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="narrowly">narrowly</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mark">mark</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="manager">manager</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="that">that</span>: “<span word="Sorry">Sorry</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="close">close</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span>.”</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="over">over</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="symbol">symbol</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="victory">victory</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="circles">circles</span>. <span word="Red">Red</span> <span word="Auerbach">Auerbach</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="late">late</span> <span word="Boston">Boston</span> <span word="Celtics">Celtics</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span> <span word="coach">coach</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="famously">famously</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="victory">victory</span>. <span word="Auerbach">Auerbach</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="often">often</span> (<span word="because">because</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="teams">teams</span> <span word="won">won</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> – <span word="garnering">garnering</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="consecutive">consecutive</span> <span word="NBA">NBA</span> <span word="titles">titles</span> <span word="from">from</span> 1959-66) <span word="that">that</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="cigar">cigar</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Victory">Victory</span> <span word="Cigar">Cigar</span>.</p>
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