Speaking of catch-phrases

[A. Maberry]

The form I am familiar with is "Close don't/doesn't count, 'cept/except in
horseshoes and hand-grenades". I don't think I've heard the form "'Almost'
doesn't count..."

Allen
maberry at u.washington.edu


On Tue, 14 Dec 1999, Laurence Horn wrote:

> I've heard the first and third (typically conjoined):  '...except in
> horseshoes and hand-grenades', which alliterates nicely.  I haven't heard
> the shotguns, and I imagine nuclear bombs, etc., would work as exceptions
> as well.  The question remains, though, especially since (or at least so I
> suspect) the "'Almost' doesn't count" part preceded the discovery of the
> exceptions.
>
> larry
>