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Conference thebay::joyoflex

Title:The Joy of Lex
Notice:A Notes File even your grammar could love
Moderator:THEBAY::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 28 1986
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1192
Total number of notes:42769

1158.0. "Tie Game in Tic-Tac-Toe" by AD::DEVER () Tue Oct 24 1995 04:42

	When I was small, I used to call a tied game of tic-tac-toe a 
    "cat game."  This was only for tic-tac-toe; the term was never used for
    any other games.  No such definition for "cat" is in Webster's, however.
    Has anyone else ever heard of this?

    /Dan
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
1158.1TOHOPE::VORE_SRaise The StandardTue Oct 24 1995 07:221
we did it to, don't know why though.
1158.2AD::DEVERTue Oct 24 1995 09:541
Could it be regional?  I'm from Akron, Ohio.
1158.3JRDV04::DIAMONDsegmentation fault (california dumped)Tue Oct 24 1995 21:439
    I heard it in California.  So far, it sounds regional to part of
    North America :-)
    
    I also only heard it for tic-tac-toe.  Might be because cats move
    so quickly when they play, a tie in chess or bridge or go could
    hardly be attributed to a cat :-)
    
    Bonus question:  What science fiction novel was conceived while
    cleaning a cat's sandbox?
1158.4Zelazny? Heinlein?wook.mso.dec.com::LEEWed Oct 25 1995 13:496
re: bonus question

I don't know, but it certainly rings a bell? Was it something by Heinlein or
Zelazny?

Wook
1158.5JRDV04::DIAMONDsegmentation fault (california dumped)Wed Oct 25 1995 17:2811
re: bonus question

>I don't know, but it certainly rings a bell? Was it something by Heinlein or
>Zelazny?
    
    Well, I didn't know there was a real answer to it.
    I thought I made it up :-)
    
    My answer is:
    
    "More than human"
1158.6Cat and Mouse!SAPPHO::DUBOISBear takes over WDW in Pooh D'Etat!Wed Nov 01 1995 08:5514
<                        <<< Note 1158.0 by AD::DEVER >>>
<                          -< Tie Game in Tic-Tac-Toe >-

<	When I was small, I used to call a tied game of tic-tac-toe a 
<    "cat game."  

It's a "cat and mouse" game!!!

       Says the Southern California native  :-)

My family's from the South and Ozarks, though, so I don't know if it's from
California or elsewhere.

       Carol
1158.7similar concept to "bit bucket", sort ofTLE::C_STOCKSCheryl StocksTue Nov 07 1995 15:176
We called it "cat's game" (Chicago area).  Since it applies to a game with
no winner (nobody got 3 in a row), I figured it meant that the winner was
the cat (a non-participant).  We used the term in some other games as well,
but right now I couldn't tell you what they were.

					cheryl