miss is as good as a mile, a

a miss is as good as a mile

Failing or losing by a small margin is just as bad as failing or losing by a large margin. She felt that not achieving a perfect grade point average was as bad as failing all of her classes because, according to her, a miss is as good as a mile.See also: good, mile, miss

miss is as good as a mile

Prov. Almost having done something is the same as not having done it at all, since in both cases the thing does not get done. We only missed the train by one minute? Well, a miss is as good as a mile.See also: good, mile, miss

miss is as good as a mile, a

Coming close to success but failing is no better than failing by a lot, as in He was beaten by just one vote, but a miss is as good as a mile. This proverbial expression, first recorded in 1614, is a shortening of the older form, "An inch of a miss is as good [or bad] as a mile of a miss." See also: good, miss

a miss is as good as a mile

BRITISH, INFORMALPeople say a miss is as good as a mile to mean that if you only just fail, the result is as bad as failing by a large amount. She failed the exam by one point, but a miss is as good as a mile.See also: good, mile, miss

a ˌmiss is as ˌgood as a ˈmile

(saying) there is no real difference between only just failing in something and failing in it badly because the result is still the same: What’s the difference between failing an exam with 35% or 10%? Absolutely nothing; a miss is as good as a mile.See also: good, mile, miss

miss is as good as a mile, a

Falling short by a small amount is as bad as falling short by a great deal. This condensation of the older proverb, “An inch of a miss is as good (or bad) as a mile (or ell) of a miss,” known in the sixteenth century, is believed to have originated with Sir Walter Scott, who wrote in his Journal (Dec. 3, 1825), “He was very near being a poet—but a miss is as good as a mile, and he always fell short of the mark.”See also: good, miss