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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Commissioner race: Challstrom says government unfriendly to business ... Commissioner race: Strosser cites strong public service ... Commissioner race: Breidenthal says his experience will pay off ... Commissioner race: Challstrom says government unfriendly to business ... Commissioner race: Strosser cites strong public service ... Commissioner race: Breidenthal says his experience will pay off ... Origin of 'Cat's game' in tic-tac-toe escapes us By D.D., Grants Pass MailTribune.com By D.D., Grants Pass Posted Mar. 1, 2007 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 19, 2010 at 4:40 AM By D.D., Grants Pass Posted Mar. 1, 2007 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 19, 2010 at 4:40 AM » Social News My children and I were playing a version of tic-tac-toe at their school's Math Night, and after a tie game, I called "Cats!" Another dad had never heard the phrase for a tie game of tic-tac-toe and suggested it was a regional thing. I have no idea how I learned it, but it was common when I grew up in Portland. Any ideas? -- We've heard several theories, D.D. 1. Tac spelled backwards is Cat. 2. Tic-tac-toe is a "scratch" game, and cats scratch. 3. No matter how hard a cat fights its tail, it never wins, yet it has fun. You buy any of that? OK, then. Here's our favorite: A tie tic-tac-toe game is called a Cat's game when it ends in a tie because then either the X's or O's make a C. And not only is C for cat, it looks like a cat's tail curled up. Having said that, we knew somebody who would cry "Rabbits!" ... Which just goes to show. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to . — — if (!title) { var title="Article from the MailTribune.com "; }if (!tags) { var tags="mail tribune medford oregon news newspaper" } document.write (""); By D.D., Grants Pass MailTribune.com By D.D., Grants Pass Posted Mar. 1, 2007 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 19, 2010 at 4:40 AM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501