stopped short
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Puzzle #247 · February 3, 2026
To stop short is to stop abruptly. And that was all it meant until 1995 when the TV show, Sienfeld, built a mythology around this phrase. In the show, stopping short was part of a groping technique invented by George Costanza's father, one he had deployed on George's mother, Estelle.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression stopped short has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #247 on February 3, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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