这个短语的字面解释是“够接近但是没雪茄”，这是什么意思呢？请看对话：

    A: How did you do in the contest?

    B: Close, but no cigar. I got second place. The champion is a boy from the history department.

    A: Is his name Howard?

    B: Close, but no cigar. It’s Harold.

    Note: This cliché means “to fall short of a successful outcome” or “close call.” While it can’t be proven definitively, it’s likely that the phrase originated at fairgrounds in the late 19th or early 20th century in the United States. Much like fairs today, booths would be set up and fair workers would host overpriced, nearly-impossible-to-win games for happy fairgoers to try. Games of strength, accuracy, and skill were played by men and women, and, occasionally — just enough to keep people interested — an individual would win cigars as prizes. As the fairs traveled around, the phrase spread rapidly.