proverb Being nearly successful or accurate is not the same as being successful
or accurate; being close to achieving something does not provide any benefit. It doesn’t matter that we only lost the game by two points—we still lost!
Where did the saying horseshoes and handgrenades come from?
The literal meaning of the saying is derived from
the fact that you win points in horseshoes by landing your horseshoe within a horseshoe’s breadth of the stake
, even if it doesn’t ring the stake or touch the stake. Hence, “close” counts in horseshoes.
Who Said Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades?
“Close don’t count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
Frank Robinson
is quoted as coining that phrase during an interview with Time Magazine in July 1973, which is to say you wouldn’t expect him to put too much stock in the Orioles’ 12-7 start to this season.
How do horseshoes count close?
In that game, a side scores three points for a ringer – when the horseshoe thrown encircles the stake – but
scores a point when its horseshoe comes closer than one thrown just before by the opponent
. Thus, in the game, closeness counts; the phrase ”close counts” means ”being close, or coming close, counts.
What does almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades?
Close
only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. … As long as your grenade hits reasonably close to the target, you’ve achieved the goal. So this idiom means that “getting close” doesn’t count.
What does close enough for horseshoes mean?
proverb
Being nearly successful or accurate is not the same as being
successful or accurate; being close to achieving something does not provide any benefit.
Where do you stand when throwing horseshoes?
The points where each stake intersects the ground are separated by forty feet.
The area within the pitching box but outside the pit forms two strips on the right and left
and it is these that the players must stand within when throwing their horseshoes.
What are the rules of horseshoes?
Any shoe must be within one horseshoe-width (measured across the outside of the open end of the shoe) of the stake to be considered for points. (Official rules call for 6 inches max).
The closest shoe to the stake gets 1 point
. If you have two shoes closer than any of your opponent’s, you get 2 points.
What does close count in?
Close only counts in
horseshoes
and with hand grenades!
What is the saying almost doesn’t count?
Near success
(or near accuracy) is not adequate. Synonyms: a miss is as good as a mile; close, but no cigar; close only counts in horseshoes.
How did horseshoes come about?
The earliest forms of horseshoes can be found
as early as 400 BC
. Materials used ranged from plants, rawhide and leather strap gears referred to as “hipposandals” by the Romans. In Ancient Asia, horsemen equipped their horses with shoes made out of woven plants.
What does close enough for government work means?
The phrase “close enough for government work” is generally believed to have originated during World War II.
1
. At that time, the phrase meant
that a product met the highest standards of quality because the product would not be accepted by the U.S. military unless it met such exacting standards
.
Do you have to win by 2 points in horseshoes?
Back-yard games can be played to any number of points that is agreed upon, but are usually
to 21 points, win by 2
. In most sanctioned tournaments the handicapped divisions pitch 50 shoe games, most points win. If there is a tie, the pitchers pitch two additional innings (alternating pitch) until the tie is broken.
Can you play horseshoes on grass?
Horseshoes can be played on lawn, gravel, decomposed granite or sand
. The standard play consists of 2 stakes 40 feet apart, however you can play with just one stake and draw a line at whatever distance you wish to play.
