A Miss Is as Good as a Mile: The Meaning and Origin of the Proverb

Meaning of the Phrase

"A miss is as good as a mile" means that failing or losing by a small margin is just as bad as failing or losing by a large margin. In other words, coming close to success but failing is no better than failing by a lot.

Examples of Usage

* He was beaten by just one vote, but a miss is as good as a mile. * She felt that not achieving a perfect grade point average was as bad as failing all of her classes. * The team came close to winning the championship, but a miss is as good as a mile.

Origin of the Phrase

This proverbial saying dates back to the 18th century. The first example of it in print that I can find is from the USA in the journal The American Museum Volume 3 1788. The phrase likely originated from the fact that regardless of how badly or not someone missed the target, it is a miss after all. It disregards the fact that a miss may be by a small margin.

Historical Examples

* In the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington's army was victorious over Napoleon's army. However, the battle was close, and the Duke of Wellington is said to have remarked that "a miss is as good as a mile." * In the 1960 US presidential election, Richard Nixon lost to John F. Kennedy by a narrow margin. Nixon is said to have said that "a miss is as good as a mile."

Conclusion

The phrase "a miss is as good as a mile" is a reminder that failure is failure, regardless of how close you come to success. It is a cautionary tale against complacency and encourages us to strive for excellence in all that we do.