as almost any person

[meskete]

I have a problem with the phrase "as almost any person".
I entered it in Google, and the search results seem to suggest two meanings:

• there is something that could be done by anybody else
• there is something that can't be done by anybody else - as if the phrase was "as almost nobody (else)"

What about this example: "He was as close to that as almost any mortal can get." What do you think this means?

Can anyone help me with that?

 

[bhaisahab]

I have a problem with the phrase "as almost any person".
I entered it in Google, and the search results seem to suggest two meanings:

• there is something that could be done by anybody else
• there is something that can't be done by anybody else - as if the phrase was "as almost nobody (else)"

What about this example: "He was as close to that as almost any mortal can get." What do you think this means?

Can anyone help me with that?

He was as close as almost anybody else could have got. There are very few mortals who could have got further than he did.

 

[meskete]

So in this case the "closeness" is kind of limited, I mean just as close. This "limit" is what anyone can reach, but noone can go further.
Am I right?