Origin of this phrase: A. [Funny answer] The saying is actually "cloves but no cigar" and was first uttered at Woodstock to an elderly man who had escaped from a nearby nursing home and wandered onto the farm looking for a stogie. A. [Real answer] Cigars were once popular fairground prizes. If you weren't strong enough to hammer the ball up to the bell, you came "close, but no cigar." In fact, games of skill and chance are behind many such phrases. "Playing the field" comes from horse racing. "He's on a roll" entered the popular lexicon from the noble game of "crap shooting," or dice.
"Cloves", eh?Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I gather that would be a spicey consolation prize. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Any number of phrases that contain the word "odds" - such as long odds, going with the odds, etc.
In America we commonly use the word "odds" in place of "probability." But we also use a number of terms that preserve the gambling origin, such as "Clinton is the odds-on favorite in the election," or "I'll give odds that diesel cars make a comeback now that petroleum is so expensive."
here are some, but alas i have no origins. maybe someone can help? from craps: "boxcars" for sixes. "snake eyes" for ones. from poker: "ladies" for queens. "full boat" for a pair and triples in the same hand. "man with the axe" (i have no clue what this pertains to) "kitty" for the pot.
Some other word and phrases that come to mind are crapped out, folded, kitty, dealer's choice, on a roll, jackpot/hit the jackpot, hedge your bets, at sixes and sevens, blue chip (as in blue chip stock), piker, to stake (in the sense to lend money to), the die is cast, pass the buck, put your 2 cents in, shoe in, & keep it close to (one's) chest. "Man with the axe" refers to the king of diamonds who on traditional decks was depicted holding an axe.
'dark horse'? 'up the ante' 'put it all on the line' 'quit while you're ahead' 'poker face' 'keeps his cards close to his chest' 'ace in the hole' 'something up his sleeve' 'call your bluff'
The two dots resemble two eyes. The choice of an animal with a sinister reputation is because two is generally a really bad number to roll. The "official" name for that hand is "full house," presumably referring to the fact that the hand is "full" of five useful cards. "Full boat" is a just slangy replacement. Presumably you've heard of the new office game "bullshit bingo," or "buzzword bingo" in polite circles. You have a bingo card but instead of numbers each square contains an overused and now-meaningless word or phrase such as "synergy" or "it's all good." Every time you hear one of them in a meeting you mark it off on your card. Since playing the game mercifully distracts you from the blather, you tend to get really involved in it, so when you get five in a row you find yourself jumping up with the word "bingo" forming on your lips and you're lucky if you sit down before actually yelling it out. The more unfortunate employees have been known to scream "Bullshit!"
