Thinking Inside The Box

The Guardian has a list of of the most annoying and hackneyed words and phrases in English. You can take a look at it here. The first on the list, chosen by Adam Horowitz, is thinking outside the box. Indeed, he suggests that anybody who uses the phrase should be sealed in a box.

I hated this phrase too, until I learned where it comes from. And I can therefore inform you all that the box referred to is, in fact, a square.

The phrase originates in a rather clever puzzle that was thought up in 1914, which I shall replicate here. Try and join all nine dots in the picture below using only four straight lines and without taking your pen from the paper (or computer screen).

Simple, isn't it?

What? No?

Well, try thinking outside the box.
Solution here.

 

Pandora thinking outside the box