Wittgenstein has another similar metaphor (Zettel, pg 934):
447. Disquiet in philosophy might be said to arise from looking at philosophy wrongly, seeing it wrong, namely as if it were divided into (infinite) longitudinal strips instead of into (finite) cross strips. This inversion in our conception produces the greatest difficulty. So we try as it were to grasp the unlimited strips and complain that it cannot be done piecemeal. To be sure it cannot, if by a piece one means an infinite longitudinal strip. But it may well be done, if one means a cross-strip.
--But in that case we never get to the end of our work!--Of course not, for it has no end. (We want to replace wild conjectures and explanations by quiet weighing of linguistic facts.)
Wittgenstein has another similar metaphor (Zettel, pg 934):