Out-of-the-box vs. outside the box

Posted by Smokey Stover on March 28, 2004

In Reply to: See that Search box up there ^^^^^? posted by Bob on March 27, 2004

: : What is the origin of the phrase 'out-of -the-box', as aused in 'thinking out-of-the-box'?

: type "outside box" in the Search box, and you'll find a previous discussion

Thinking OUTSIDE the box (which is similar to coloring outside the lines) should not be confused with "out-of-the-box." The latter expression, often preceded by "right" as in "right out of the box," means so new that the speaker hasn't had time to break anything yet, or "brand new."

• Out-of-the-box vs. outside the box masakim 28/March/04