Fig.: said of a narrowly missed success

Our hometown athlete was very close to winning, but, once again, he came in second. It was close but not quite

Il nostro atleta di casa stava per vincere, ma ancora una volta è arrivato secondo. E pensare che ce l'aveva quasi fatta!

Actually my name is Lara and not Laura. Close but not cigar

Veramente mi chiamo Lara e non Laura, però ci sei andato vicino

My friend Max, a very smart IT expert, had made the shortlist of three finalists for the position of CIO, but he didn't get the job. He was really close, but no cigar

Il mio amico Max, un esperto informatico molto in gamba, era entrato nella rosa dei tre candidati finalisti per il posto di Capo dei Sistemi Informativi, ma non lo ha ottenuto. Ci è andato vicino, ma niente da fare

This American slang expression, which became popular in the early 1900s, refers to carnival games of skill, particularly shooting games, that had become popular in the USA at the end of the ‘800. They were addressed to adults, therefore gave out cigars as a prize. A contestant who did not quite hit the target, was close but did not get a cigar.