outside the box

== English == === Etymology === Unclear. Attested since 1971 (see quotations) with allusion to the nine dots puzzle, where one needs to draw lines outside the perimeter of its nine dots. Earlier related phrases include go outside the dots (1956), step outside the box (1969), and think outside the dots (1970). === Pronunciation === === Prepositional phrase === outside the box (idiomatic) Beyond the bounds of convention or normal practice. Synonyms: laterally, out of the box, outside of the box ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === References === === Further reading === thinking outside the box on Wikipedia.Wikipedia