# 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:** 169
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3363 "2020-07-08T18:34:00Z")
Was his name a pun? An inside joke? Is the name in English or another language? Is it a nonsense word? Is the name multiple words or one long word? ---
**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:** [July 8, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3364 "2020-07-08T19:10:52Z")
reply to cheesesteak: Was his name a pun? Yes, or at least wordplay. An inside joke? No Is the name in English or another language? English Is it a nonsense word? No, well not exactly. Perhaps a variant spelling? Is the name multiple words or one long word? One long word. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3365 "2020-07-09T02:49:23Z")
I think this puzzle would probably have been more appropriate in the riddle thread, but since it is a true story and the name is possibly accidental, it ended up here. I will give you the hint I would have given in the riddle thread: The letter that accounts for 9 of the 11 letters in the horse’s name is “O” and just to clear up another (related?) possibility the first letter of the horse’s name is not a “T”. There, that should make this deductively solvable. 😉 ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3366 "2020-07-09T15:28:35Z")
Are all the "O"s adjacent? 8 of them adjacent? 7 of them adjacent? 6 etc? Are they pronounced using the same vowel sound? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3367 "2020-07-09T15:54:07Z")
Does it start with an O or end with an O? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3368 "2020-07-09T17:01:07Z")
reply to Folly: Are all the "O"s adjacent? No 8 of them adjacent? Yes 7 of them adjacent? Yes 6 etc? Yes Are they pronounced using the same vowel sound? 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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3369 "2020-07-09T17:02:24Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Does it start with an O or end with an O? Yes to end. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3370 "2020-07-09T17:32:40Z")
OMG. Was this name, shall we say, “ahead of its time” in being cre8tyv? I have a guess, but I’ll be knocked over if I’m right. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3371 "2020-07-09T17:38:50Z")
OK. So it must follow this pattern with X’s being unknown letters (also the first X is not a T)? XoXoooooooo ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3372 "2020-07-09T17:41:33Z")
Oh wait, if @RivkahChaya is right, then I think I have a guess. She deserves first shot though. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3373 "2020-07-09T17:46:09Z")
I’m going to feel silly if I’m wrong, but was it some permutation of “Pot-oooooooo,” pronounced “potato,” ie, “pot + 8 Os”? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3374 "2020-07-09T17:48:25Z")
Well Done! > **[Pot-8-Os](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potoooooooo)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > Potoooooooo or variations of Pot-8-Os (1773 – November 1800) was an 18th-century thoroughbred racehorse who won over 30 races and defeated some of the greatest racehorses of his time. He went on to be an important sire, whose leading runners included Epsom Derby winners Waxy, Champion, and Tyrant. He is best known for the unusual spelling of his name, pronounced 'Potatoes'. > Potoooooooo (also spelled Pot-8-Os, Pot8Os, Pot8O's or Pot 8 Os from vari... > **[Remembering Potoooooooo, the Racehorse with the Best Name Ever](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/potoooooooo)** > > You say potato, we say Pot-8-Os. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3375 "2020-07-09T17:53:02Z")
Yep, that was going to be my guess, pot8o, and not tom8o. Also, I then refreshed my screen and [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-juice/914847) was on top which is funny. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3376 "2020-07-10T02:37:19Z")
Okay, here’s one: **Justin thought he was well-prepared for his job interview, but nothing could have prepared him for the way it ended up going. He didn’t get the job, but his life certainly changed after that. What was unusual about the interview?** ---
**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:** [July 10, 2020, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3377 "2020-07-10T04:27:55Z")
Did Justin get a different job as a result of his interview? Is the job Justin was trying to get relevant? Is the location of the interview relevant? Did something physically happen to Justin during the interview? Did Justin establish a new relationship as a result of the interview. Is this a true story? is Justin human? ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3378 "2020-07-10T04:34:14Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Did Justin get a different job as a result of his interview? **You could say that** > Is the job Justin was trying to get relevant? **Yes** > Is the location of the interview relevant? **Yes** > Did something physically happen to Justin during the interview? **As in, was he hurt or something? No.** > Did Justin establish a new relationship as a result of the interview. **Probably in the aftermath, but it’s not really the relevant point** > Is this a true story? is Justin human? **Yes, true and yes, human** ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3379 "2020-07-10T10:32:32Z")
Is Justin his real name or a pseudonym? Did this happen in the 21st century? Did this happen in the 20th century? Did this happen in the 19th century? If this happened prior to the 19th century, is “job interview” an interpretive descriptor of what occurred, and it was an encounter that was common at the time? Was Justin a recent college graduate? Was Justin a recent HS graduate with no college? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3380 "2020-07-10T10:37:59Z")
Did the job interview go very badly? Did Justin get turned down, because the interviewer thought he was better suited for something else? Was Justin given advice during the interview, which he then followed? ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3381 "2020-07-10T11:33:03Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Is Justin his real name or a pseudonym? **Pseudonym. I just made it up** > Did this happen in the 21st century? **Yes, 21st century** > Did this happen in the 20th century? **no** > Did this happen in the 19th century? **no** > If this happened prior to the 19th century, is “job interview” an interpretive descriptor of what occurred, and it was an encounter that was common at the time? **N/A** > Was Justin a recent college graduate? **I don’t think so, but it’s irrelevant** > Was Justin a recent HS graduate with no college? **No** ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3382 "2020-07-10T11:37:29Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Did the job interview go very badly? **Well, it was certainly memorable** > Did Justin get turned down, because the interviewer thought he was better suited for something else? **I believe Justin didn’t get the job for totally mundane reasons- so I don’t know the exact reason why** > Was Justin given advice during the interview, which he then followed? **No** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=168) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=170)