Close counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, drive-ins

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

CLOSE IN HORSESHOES

   The NEW YORK TIMES full text didn't help much. It doesn't have Billy
Rose's 1950s column "Pitching Horseshoes," which probably used the term.
William Safire covered this in "When does 'close' count?" on 29 December
1985, pg. SM6.  He gave no dates and didn't even mention the "hand grenades"
or "drive-ins."

   27 March 1966, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 6:
   "I've been close on several occasions before, but close only counts in
horseshoes."
(New York Ranger Harry Howell on all-star recognition--ed.)

   27 November 1968, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 27 ad:
_We'd say compare Nova SS_
_with its closest competition._
  _If anything came close._
(...)
   Close only counts in horseshoes.
_CHEVROLET_

   18 May 1976, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 50:
   Once when the team came close to winning a game, he quipped, "close only
counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and at the drive-in-movies."
(Coach Bill Fitch of the basketball Cleveland Cavaliers--ed.)

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DOG LATIN; PIG LATIN

   I don't know why the NEW YORK TIMES has this Latin gap with "dog" and
"hog" and "pig."

   16 February 1855, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 4:
   Besides, the people, the doctors should look to this piece of radicalism,
for I suspect the entire thing is but a drive at their "dog Latin" and
unintelligible prescriptions.

   11 December 1887, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 4:
   "L" Conductor (shouting)--Wuh hu'r twan frrr!  Passenger--When you get
through practicing your hog Latin won't you please tell us what station this
is?--_Texas Siftings_.