# 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:** 83
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1641 "2017-09-25T03:36:46Z")
Aside: Remember my [dry, yellow, wooden, strange](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=766823&page=2) riddle from a couple of years ago? At the time, it was unGoogleable. Then, shortly after it was solved in that thread, it was easily Googleable, because the thread itself was the top hit. Now, the thread has sunk several pages in the search results, but it’s nonetheless still Googleable, because the first page now contains a couple of Google Books hits for glossaries, and anyone skimming the results would have to notice the pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1642 "2017-09-25T03:50:29Z")
Were they commemorated or depicted in some particular way? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1643 "2017-09-25T04:10:49Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Were they commemorated or depicted in some particular way? No… not really. Well not exactly. Possibly. In a vague way I suppose. Tough to answer. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1644 "2017-09-25T20:00:06Z")
Could a name be on the list at one point in time, and then subsequently be removed from the list? ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1645 "2017-09-25T20:07:04Z")
Are the members of the list human? (If necessary: are some members human?) If not human: animal? If not human or animal: places? If not any of the above: consumer products? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1646 "2017-09-25T20:22:49Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Could a name be on the list at one point in time, and then subsequently be removed from the list? 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:** [September 25, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1647 "2017-09-25T20:24:21Z")
Are the members of the list human? No. (If necessary: are some members human?) No If not human: animal? Yes If not human or animal: places? No If not any of the above: consumer products? No ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1648 "2017-09-25T20:28:33Z")
So: the members of the list are animals, and the examples you’ve given are named after King Tut, Satan, and Calamity Jane? (Making sure) Are the animals in question competitors in sporting events? E.g., racehorses? Or racing dogs? If not sporting competitors, competitors in another kind of competition, like Westminster Kennel Club winners? ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1649 "2017-09-25T20:43:28Z")
I’m confused in parsing “That hasn’t happened for more than a hundred years.” Is it that there hasn’t been an example of [new membership in the list being achieved/earned] for over a hundred years? Or that all examples have been forgotten that are less than a hundred years old (that seems impossible)? Or something else? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1650 "2017-09-25T20:53:14Z")
So: the members of the list are animals, and the examples you’ve given are named after King Tut, Satan, and Calamity Jane? (Making sure) Yes Are the animals in question competitors in sporting events? No. E.g., racehorses? No. Or racing dogs? No. If not sporting competitors, competitors in another kind of competition, like Westminster Kennel Club winners? No. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1651 "2017-09-25T20:56:33Z")
Are the animals all mammals? Are the animals all domesticated? Are the animals all dangerous? If any of the above answers is “no”, then repeat the questions with “any”. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1652 "2017-09-25T21:03:08Z")
I’m confused in parsing “That hasn’t happened for more than a hundred years.” Is it that there hasn’t been an example of [new membership in the list being achieved/earned] for over a hundred years? No. Many new names over the past 100 years. Or that all examples have been forgotten that are less than a hundred years old (that seems impossible)? No. Or something else? Yes. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1653 "2017-09-25T21:05:35Z")
Are the animals all mammals? Yes. Are the animals all domesticated? Yes. Are the animals all dangerous? No to all or any. If any of the above answers is “no”, then repeat the questions with “any”. See above. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1654 "2017-09-25T21:07:52Z")
Are they all the same species of animal? Are one or more of them: Dogs? Cats? Horses? Sheep? Pigs? Cows? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1655 "2017-09-25T21:15:47Z")
Are they all the same species of animal? \*\*Yes \*\* Are one or more of them: Dogs? \*\*Yes \*\* Cats? Horses? Sheep? Pigs? Cows? \*\*All no \*\* ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1656 "2017-09-25T21:24:52Z")
The names don’t sound familiar, but are they white house dogs? I know it’s unusual that we don’t have one currently. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1657 "2017-09-25T21:46:25Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > The names don’t sound familiar, but are they white house dogs? I know it’s unusual that we don’t have one currently. Yes. You got it! [The last president not to have a dog was McKinley](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://dogtime.com/dog-names/dog-names-by-theme/2115-presidential-dog-names/amp&ved=0ahUKEwid8-KQp8HWAhXE4SYKHVIWCSAQFgh-MA0&usg=AFQjCNG2JBfWLJxCYwkvOwbM68Dao5ECbQ&cf=1) George Washington had a dog named “Drunkard.” ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1658 "2017-09-25T22:31:23Z")
Bill Clinton had a dog, but he only got it after he was already in office. So there was a period as recently as the 90s when there wasn’t a White House dog. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1659 "2017-09-25T23:00:19Z")
[More fun with presidential pets](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/in-sight/wp/2016/03/24/a-presidential-menagerie-animals-that-have-lived-at-the-white-house/&ved=0ahUKEwjvr8Tht8HWAhVF5iYKHf7nC0cQFgglMAA&usg=AFQjCNECHC2I2VZvMih9oe2F6HaVKpyUSg&cf=1). I wonder if a candidate who had a dog named “Satan” could get elected today? ---
**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:** [September 26, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1660 "2017-09-26T02:14:53Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > I’m confused in parsing “That hasn’t happened for more than a hundred years.” > > Is it that there hasn’t been an example of [new membership in the list being achieved/earned] for over a hundred years? > > Or that all examples have been forgotten that are less than a hundred years old (that seems impossible)? > > Or something else? As far as I read it: there are no current examples on the list. The last time there was no current example was over a hundred years ago. It took me a while to parse it too. Not clearly phrased, IMO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=82) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=84)