close only counts in horseshoes
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades · almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades
Meaning · English
Coming close to achieving a goal is not good enough.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “close only counts in horseshoes” mean?
Coming close to achieving a goal is not good enough.
Is “close only counts in horseshoes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.