# outside the box

> English word · Prep_phrase

## Definitions
1. Beyond the bounds of convention or normal practice.

## 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).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/outside-the-box