What does 功亏一篑 mean and its origin?

Question

What does 功亏一貫 mean in English and its origin?

And what does 貫 mean?

Answer 1

It means giving up when project is almost done, e.g. a marathon runner quits only one step before the finish line. Often used to attribute failure to lack of persistence.

为山九仞，功亏一篑

Planed to build a nine-ren-high dirt mountain, but abandoned the project before finishing the last basket of dirt.

功：所做的事情, project.

亏：缺少, short of, lack.

篑：盛土的筐子, basket for carrying dirt.

Source: http://baike.baidu.com/view/79081.htm

I believe there is an English translation just as picturesque, but I can't come up with it at this moment.

Answer 2

First, it's composed as 功亏一篑 where

篑 = container basket in construction

..

功亏一篑 = Lack of a basketful to build the mount. / Lack of the final straw to break the camel's back (:

Answer 3

“功亏一篑” in my country means you have done anything but you can't make it.