# 53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 129
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2561 "2018-02-23T16:07:08Z")
Is wordplay involved? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2562 "2018-02-23T16:23:39Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Is wordplay involved? **Yes, if by wordplay you mean a playful use of words.** ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2563 "2018-02-23T17:54:51Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **Yes, if by wordplay you mean a playful use of words.** So are we looking for two separate things, one a food and one a weapon? And there is a wordplay relationship between the names? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2564 "2018-02-23T18:03:05Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > So are we looking for two separate things, one a food and one a weapon? And there is a wordplay relationship between the names? \*\*Yes… sort of… \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2565 "2018-02-23T18:07:45Z")
Is the weapon a bow (long / short / cross / whatever)? Is the weapon a sling? Is the weapon a catapult? Is the weapon an atlatl? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2566 "2018-02-23T18:10:24Z")
If it’s experts who think differently, is the Latin name of the food relevant? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2567 "2018-02-23T18:40:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is the weapon a bow (long / short / cross / whatever)? > Is the weapon a sling? > Is the weapon a catapult? > Is the weapon an atlatl? > [@Quartz](#): > > If it’s experts who think differently, is the Latin name of the food relevant? **No to everything.** I am off to work now, but can answer questions tonight if someone doesn’t get it first. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2568 "2018-02-23T18:59:27Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **Yes, if by wordplay you mean a playful use of words.** Homophone? Homonym? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2569 "2018-02-24T01:16:50Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Homophone? Homonym? **No.** ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2570 "2018-02-24T07:25:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > So are we looking for two separate things, one a food and one a weapon? And there is a wordplay relationship between the names? I don’t really like the term “wordplay” here as it conjure up ideas of palindromes, anagrams, hidden words and similar tricks. Any wordplay in this mystery consists merely of playful wording, nothing particularly sneaky. And the wording of my poser is honest. These words say what you think they say. I would not want to lead the solver too far off the track. Fair’s fair. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2571 "2018-02-24T14:28:38Z")
Is there any language other than English in which this puzzle could have been posed? Could this puzzle have been posed in an arbitrary human language? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2572 "2018-02-24T14:53:09Z")
**reply to Chronos** Is there any language other than English in which this puzzle could have been posed? **Yes. But I doubt it would work as well.** Could this puzzle have been posed in an arbitrary human language? **No, not and have it work as a fair puzzle.** ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2573 "2018-02-24T17:49:12Z")
One more hint: a quick search and I find that discussion over whether it is a food, weapon or something else has occurred before on the SDMB. Not likely many debates/discussions we have not had! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2574 "2018-02-24T19:02:48Z")
So it’s projectile food. Would it be bullet-shaped, like ladyfingers? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2575 "2018-02-25T03:43:35Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > So it’s projectile food. Would it be bullet-shaped, like ladyfingers? **No to projectile food… though I suppose you can toss any food.** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2576 "2018-02-25T13:09:23Z")
To be clear: The food and the weapon are two different items. One would not eat the thing that is used as a weapon, and one would not use the food violently. But there is something about the English-language names of these two items that connects them. And possibly also in some other languages, but to a lesser degree. And the connection isn’t as simple as them having the same name, because we’ve already gotten a “no” to “homonym?”. Is this all correct? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2577 "2018-02-25T16:17:52Z")
**reply to Chronos** To be clear: The food and the weapon are two different items. **Yes** One would not eat the thing that is used as a weapon, and one would not use the food violently. **Yes** But there is something about the English-language names of these two items that connects them. **No, not exactly.** And possibly also in some other languages, but to a lesser degree. **See previous** And the connection isn’t as simple as them having the same name, because we’ve already gotten a “no” to “homonym?”. **See previous. No homonym.** \*\* The connection is that most people think it is a food, but a few experts would say no to that. They would say \* instead\* it is a weapon or perhaps even something else. The connection between the food and the weapon is this controversy and the puzzle solution.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2578 "2018-02-25T16:33:48Z")
Are the experts food experts? Are the experts weapon experts? Are the experts experts in a third category that is more relevant to the solution than the other two? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2579 "2018-02-25T16:48:28Z")
\*\*reply to Folly \*\* Are the experts food experts? \*\*No \*\* Are the experts weapon experts? \*\*No \*\* Are the experts experts in a third category that is more relevant to the solution than the other two? \*\*Yes \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2580 "2018-02-25T18:37:27Z")
Is the food a natural, single ingredient item such as a banana or an egg? Is the food made from several different ingredients combined? Is the food made from a single ingredient processed in some way? (Such as turning cream into butter) Is the food generally eaten raw? Is the food generally eaten cooked? Is the food generally eaten chilled? Is the food generally eaten at room temperature? Is the food generally eaten hot? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=128) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=130)