"Connecring the dots": origin?

[Wilson Gray]

I've also always had the feeling that the reference to the :picture"
game, too. In "dots," the point isn't to learn, discover, or reason
through anything, but to defeat your opponent.

Sadly, I recall dots with less pleasure than Larry does, it being the
case that my younger brother regularly kicked my ass, metaphorically
speaking, in that game. Well, as my otherwise-loving wife has pointed
out, I lack any concept of strategy.

=Wilson

On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 7:55 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
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> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "Connecring the dots": origin?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I think it's more likely to allude to the "drawing" kind of
> "connect-the-dots" game.
>
> As you connect those dots, a recognizable picture emerges.
>
> Hence the metaphor. IMO.
>
> JL
> On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 7:42 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:
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>> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>> Subject:      Re: "Connecring the dots": origin?
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> At 6:46 PM -0400 5/3/10, Wilson Gray wrote:
>> >When I was a child, there was a popular game called "dots." You put
>> >parallel lines of equal numbers of dots onto a sheet of paper. The
>> >number of lines was a function of the patience of the person drawing
>> >up the "board." The game was played by connecting the dots, drawing
>> >only one line at a time. Neither player "owned" the lines, so that A
>> >could draw a line to connect a dot to which B had already drawn a line
>> >to make a connection. The point of the game was to be the one who was
>> >able to make the most squares by connecting the dots. A put "A" into
>> >his squares and B put "B" into his, to keep track.
>> >
>> >There were also puzzle-drawing for kids that involved connecting
>> >seemingly randomly-placed, numbered dots in such a way as to draw some
>> >figure by connecting the dots in mumerical order.
>> >
>> >I'm not suggesting that *either* of these games is the source of the
>> >phrase, "connecting the dots." They're just two games that I know of
>> >that involve connecting the dots and which come to mind whenever I
>> >hear talk of "connecting the dots."
>> >
>> >Does anyone know the actual source of the phrase? BTW, I don't really
>> >care. I'm just randomly wondering.
>> >
>> We played that first game in NYC; I'd totally forgotten it.  It was a
>> variant of another game called "Territories". I remember both fondly.
>> The second, puzzle-drawing exercise was a lot less exciting, but I
>> always associated the "connect the dots" metaphor (as in the
>> blamecasting post 9-11) with that one.  But it's nice to be reminded
>> me of that first one!
>>
>> LH
>>
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--
-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"––a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
–Mark Twain

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