"Close But No Cigar" A Brief Look at the Origin of the Phrase
On an interesting and more germane note of digression, at around this time, the early 1900s, New York City was the busiest port in America but also--boasted the highest number of cigar factories in the country. That is including Florida and this lasted right up to 1920. At the turn of that century, many of these cigar manufactures were hand-rolling their goods in their homes. Well, their apartments. This to the tune of some 1,962 families and 7,924 individuals.
"Near Miss" is the title of the crossword I'm solving. (Universal, Rafael Musa, 6/9/21.) I get to 61A and read the clue "Almost," or a theme hint. The fill? CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR. I put the puzzle down and leap into action! After a quick bite. I wonder as to the origin of that phrase as I schmear cream cheese on an everything bagel. Furthermore, would it make an interesting blog post?
I put my empty plate in the sink and fire up my Chromebook; click on New Post...
Ah, the days when cigars were well-enough loved to be seen universally as rewards. Or more-so in this context, a prize. In the 1920s many festivals handed out cigars to those who somehow beat their rigged games--or at least promised to do so if they somehow could. Damned carnies. LOVE THEM. No wonder I always hear a certain amount of chiding in the phrase, tho. But that was just stateside here in the US.
Back in 1902, we see maybe the roots of it all in a book called The Night Side of London by Robert Machray. “Should you score twenty you will win a cigar. But you do no more than score nine." See? Cigar, prize, falling short. It's all there clearly explained; except for the route it took across the Atlantic. However, there's no doubt it traveled with the cigars themselves in the near-week-long hop across the pond, in which I'm sure much time was spent smoking.
A deviation of sorts: "Gentlemen, you may smoke," - King Edward VII, just after he was crowned UK king in 1901, ushering in the Edwardian Era in which our phrase is rooted. This in reversal of his mum's bans on public smoking during the Victorian Era. Celebratory, indeed. Smoking in the UK, London particularly, was suddenly everywhere again.
That is until a state statute came to be, banning the whole shebang lock, stock, & barrel. Trade unions were responsible for this action, as they notoriously are against suppressed wages. Unfortunately, wage suppression was apparently deemed completely constitutional less than half a year later and the industry flooded back to Manhattan from its forced hiatus-exile to Brooklyn & Long Island.
Before I let ya go, I'd be remiss in not touching on the carnie aspect of this. Thus far we've traveled to New York Harbor from Jolly Old pip-pip cheerio tracing a phrase, stopped in on Union beefs, but thus far nada-nil regarding carnies--those w/ the mouths that spoke & spread the ::: very ::: words at hand. Let's keep it super pinpoint tight after 1902's book and the leap to 1920s commonness. How about 1903? Too close to the former? Not so, I say. "Close but no cigar," made it off the boat in a flourish.
1903 is when Luna Park opened in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. About nine miles from where the boats docked--that's close, cigar or otherwise. Luna Park was bordered by Surf Ave. to the south, West 8th St. to the east, Neptune Ave. to the north, & West 12th St. to the west. The amusement park contained a plethora of attractions and amazing settings; all under electric lights. Its main attraction was A Trip to the Moon, based on the book From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne.
Luna Park was burnt to the ground by a dragon in 1944. Nevertheless, there was also Steeplechase Park and Dreamland, not to mention a myriad of smaller independent parks offering rides, games, and dangling cigars as a reward for the latter. Now quickly factor in the Big Apple media machine of newspapers, radio, soon TV... "Close but no cigar," rode all of this to fame--again in a real way outliving the fame of even cigars themselves, at least in terms of mass congratulatory appeal.
A melancholy reminiscing? CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR
@kaplowitzmedia
::: very :::