[OT] Why is it called string?

[Mel Wilson]

In article <3f44fb74$0$571$b45e6eb0 at senator-bedfellow.mit.edu>,
Brian Kelley <bkelley at wi.mit.edu> wrote:
>A "bit" used to be half a quarter and therefore there are also 8 bits to
>a dollar.  Coincidence or a play on words?  Some of us here are making
>our livings using "pieces of eight", so to speak.

   Synchornicity, IMHO, since early bits were more likely to
bunch up into half-dozens than eights.

        Regards.        Mel.