Horeshoes & Handgrenades ("almost" doesn't count,except for...)

[Donald M. Lance]

Fred Shapiro wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Dec 1999 Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>
> > HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES
> >
> > 1973, DOVE, gospel songs by Bill Landers including "Hand grenades and
> > horseshoes."  Published at Waco, Texas.
> >
> > 1975, CLOSE DOESN'T COUNT, a novel by John Craig.
>
> This is excellent early evidence.  Another early citation of interest is
> an article by John A. Ferejohn and Morris P. Fiorina in the American
> Political Science Review, September 1975, entitled "Closeness Counts Only
> in Horseshoes and Dancing."

I'm sure it's older than 1975.  It was in use at least as early as the 1950s.  Probably
much earlier.  Adding hand grenades or whatever would just be variations on old themes.
DMLance