Its an old saying, but now has new meaning:
During the middle 1800's and early 1900's, traveling carnival shows were very popular in
small-town America. Of course, most of America was small-town then and most men were
hard-working types who couldn't afford cigars. Only the "big shots" in town; politicians, judges,
bankers, etc. smoked them. Cigars were a status symbol. When the carnivals, fairs, or medicine
shows came to town the "carnies" who ran the games and contests often gave away cigars as
prizes. These contests featured tests of strength which cost the unsuspecting hick about a nickel
to try. Keep in mind that a cigar cost only about a nickel back then.
One of the most famous games was with a sledge hammer. After you paid your money you tried
to impress your girl by delivering a blow with a huge hammer to a lever which raised a metal
block up a vertical slide. If you hit the lever hard enough and raised the metal block high enough,
you rang a bell. If you failed to ring the bell, (which was most often the case)...the "carnie"
would tell you, "CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR"; as in "nice try wimp, but no prize for you". The
sucker would try again and again but the game was rigged so the poor hick would spend enough
for a box of cheap cigars before the carnie let him win. There were several variations on this
game but that's where the old saying comes from. "CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR"....hmmm. The
things we do prove our manhood!
HH
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR ! ! ! ! !
(dear Monica was heard whispering to the Prez) |
