# Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Let's do it again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [October 23, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193 "2019-10-23T21:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/201 "2019-11-05T05:47:04Z")
**Answer to Aspidistra** Was he naked while desiring? **No** Was it a desire for money? **Yes** Sex? **No** Status? **No** Something somebody else possessed? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/202 "2019-11-05T05:59:55Z")
Is Kevin’s profession relevant? His age? His nationality? Is he someone that most of us are likely to have heard of? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/203 "2019-11-05T06:23:15Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Is Kevin’s profession relevant? > His age? > His nationality? > Is he someone that most of us are likely to have heard of? **No** to all. Though I bet someone here has heard about Kevin. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/204 "2019-11-05T14:26:54Z")
Aside: There’s a kitchen I’ve seen where the obligatory “all workers must wash their hands” sign above the sink is in English, Chinese, and Portuguese. I have no idea what market that sign was made for. Moving on to **Biotop** ’s, I think we want to figure out what “naked desire” means. Does it mean simply that his desire was obvious to all of the relevant people? Does it mean a desire for nakedness? Is Kevin a real-world person? Is this a real-world event? Would Kevin be known (enough so that someone here would be likely to have heard of him) if it weren’t for his naked desire? EDIT: Is Kevin the antecedent for the pronoun (that is, is “his naked desire” “Kevin’s naked desire”)? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/205 "2019-11-05T15:00:52Z")
**reply to Chronos** Does it mean simply that his desire was obvious to all of the relevant people? **No** Does it mean a desire for nakedness? **No** Is Kevin a real-world person? **Yes** Is this a real-world event? **Yes** Would Kevin be known (enough so that someone here would be likely to have heard of him) if it weren’t for his naked desire? **No** EDIT: Is Kevin the antecedent for the pronoun (that is, is “his naked desire” “Kevin’s naked desire”)? **Yes** ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/206 "2019-11-05T15:29:16Z")
Does desire in this instance mean the dictionary definition of “a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen?” ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/207 "2019-11-05T15:35:35Z")
Is Desire someone’s name? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/208 "2019-11-05T15:56:22Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Does desire in this instance mean the dictionary definition of “a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen?” **Yes**. Kevin’s desire would fit that definition. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/209 "2019-11-05T15:58:55Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is Desire someone’s name? **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:** [November 5, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/210 "2019-11-05T17:22:20Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **Answer to Aspidistra** > > Was he naked while desiring? **No** > Was it a desire for money? **Yes** \* > Sex? **No** > Status? **No** > Something somebody else possessed? **No** \*The trouble with these things is that so often not easy to answer yes or no. Kevin relevantly desired money, but this specific desire wasn’t a desire for money. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/211 "2019-11-05T17:31:01Z")
Since it’s **Biotop** … Is there any word in this puzzle whose meaning, in the context of the puzzle, is different than the meaning that we, the players, are most likely to ascribe to it? (I’m still a bit wary from “He filled the balloon”) ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/212 "2019-11-05T17:37:23Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **How did his naked desire embarrass Kevin?** > [@Chronos](#): > > Since it’s **Biotop** … > > Is there any word in this puzzle whose meaning, in the context of the puzzle, is different than the meaning that we, the players, are most likely to ascribe to it? > > (I’m still a bit wary from “He filled the balloon”) No. No tricks. 😉 ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/213 "2019-11-05T18:05:38Z")
Aw crap. Just as a warning to others, it is really easy to spoil the answer to this one just by googling ‘naked desire.’ I just wanted to see if it was a well-defined phrase. Anyway, don’t do that. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/214 "2019-11-05T18:21:45Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Aw crap. Just as a warning to others, it is really easy to spoil the answer to this one just by googling ‘naked desire.’ I just wanted to see if it was a well-defined phrase. Anyway, don’t do that. Yes. Googling gives it away immediately. **That should be a big enough hint in and of itself.** (I was kind of hoping no one would google “naked desire” because of what else might come up with such a google :eek:. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/215 "2019-11-05T19:30:04Z")
Is “Naked Desire” the title of a creative work, like a song or a movie? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/216 "2019-11-05T19:35:01Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is “Naked Desire” the title of a creative work, like a song or a movie? \*\*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:** [November 5, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/217 "2019-11-05T19:37:57Z")
**Folly** , I have to go to work for several hours. I would love it if you answer any queries for me if you want. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/218 "2019-11-05T21:09:30Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **Folly** , > > I have to go to work for several hours. I would love it if you answer any queries for me if you want. Sure! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/219 "2019-11-05T21:35:20Z")
Is literal nudity involved in any way? Is “naked desire” the name of anything tangible? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/220 "2019-11-05T21:42:51Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is literal nudity involved in any way? > > Is “naked desire” the name of anything tangible? **No** , to both. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=12)