Close, but no banana

[lankeela]

Or even cigar! Where does this come from?

[VS Prasad]

Here we see some attempts at trisection which are close, but not exact.

http://www.jimloy.com/geometry/trisect.htm#ban ana

Close but no cigar:

"....comes close, but I think misses the mark...."

http://www.xtra-rant.com/2007/02/01/2195/

"sorry, but 9 or 10 is not the correct answer"

http://dart.fine-art.com/aqd-asp-im_56200-buy- m.htm

A banana or a cigar will be given for the correct answer.
If the given answer is close but not correct, the above
wording is used.

[jno]

from US fairground talk. I think either a shooting gallery or one of those things where you hit a platform with a mallet and a ring shoots up a pole to hit a bell. You get a cigar if you hit the target but not if you only come close.

[andrea81]

This comes from a Las Vagas gaming machine years ago. I was a bit like a slot machine. You gen a straight row and you get a cigar. The moto if you did not was 'Close but no cigar'!

This comes from a book called 'White elephants and Red Herrings' - not sure of author.

[lankeela]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Can't stop using it now though!