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Close, but no cigar is an adage that is said to a person in order
to commend them for attempting a game or similar activity.
Etymology
This
phrase developed in
19th centuryAmerica, at
carnivals. Often,
winners of games of strength received a cigar as a prize. If a player failed to win, the
carnival worker would tell him or her "Close, but no cigar". Over
time, this phrase came to represent a broader exclamation of
encouragement.
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