# 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:** 205
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4083 "2020-10-05T22:49:43Z")
Did the Power Company shut off the power? Did the Power Company disconnect transmission lines from the power plant? Did the power company shut down the power plant? To protect life? To protect property? To protect “first responders”? ---
**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:** [October 5, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4084 "2020-10-05T23:09:05Z")
reply to newme: Did the Power Company shut off the power? No Did the Power Company disconnect transmission lines from the power plant? No Did the power company shut down the power plant? No To protect life? No To protect property? No To protect “first responders”? No ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4085 "2020-10-06T00:01:26Z")
Is the area which suffered a power outage normally supplied AC from some kind of power plant? Do standard transmission lines normally carry the AC power from a power plant to the outage area? During the outage, did the power plant cease generating AC? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4086 "2020-10-06T00:56:16Z")
reply to newme: Is the area which suffered a power outage normally supplied AC from some kind of power plant? Yes Do standard transmission lines normally carry the AC power from a power plant to the outage area? Yes During the outage, did the power plant cease generating AC? Don’t know. ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4087 "2020-10-06T01:01:58Z")
Were the man and/or his conversation partner the intended victim(s) of the crime? Did one or both of them do something as a result of their conversation that later caused them to die due to the crime? Did this all take place within one state? Was the crime a terrorist action? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4088 "2020-10-06T01:32:04Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Were the man and/or his conversation partner the intended victim(s) of the crime? Yes Did one or both of them do something as a result of their conversation that later caused them to die due to the crime? Yes Did this all take place within one state? Yes Was the crime a terrorist action? 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:** [October 6, 2020, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4089 "2020-10-06T02:13:17Z")
Were the criminals known to one or both of the men in the bar? Family members? _Crime_-family members? Did the criminals know that the conversation took place? Did they engineer it? Was the motive of the crime personal animosity? Money? Gain of some other sort? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4090 "2020-10-06T02:24:20Z")
Were the man and / or his conversation partner gay? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4091 "2020-10-06T02:29:41Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Were the criminals known to one or both of the men in the bar? Yes Family members? Yes _Crime_ -family members? No Did the criminals know that the conversation took place? I don’t know. Probably not.Did they engineer it? No Was the motive of the crime personal animosity? Yes Money? No Gain of some other sort? 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:** [October 6, 2020, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4092 "2020-10-06T02:30:58Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Were the man and / or his conversation partner gay? 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:** [October 6, 2020, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4093 "2020-10-06T02:38:58Z")
Was the crime already planned before the men had their conversation? Was it a response to something they did as a result of the conversation? Were the other people who died also intended victims? Or collateral damage? Did the victims of the crime die by gunfire? Blunt force trauma? Poisoning? Drowning? A variety of ways? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4094 "2020-10-06T02:53:27Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Was the crime already planned before the men had their conversation? Yes Was it a response to something they did as a result of the conversation? No Were the other people who died also intended victims? Yes Or collateral damage? No Did the victims of the crime die by gunfire? Two did. Blunt force trauma? No Poisoning? No Drowning? No A variety of ways? Two different ways, gunfire and one other. ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4095 "2020-10-06T09:00:55Z")
Was the power outage caused by use of an electric chair? Did it happen in Georgia? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4096 "2020-10-06T13:11:14Z")
reply to Peter\_Morris: Was the power outage caused by use of an electric chair? No Did it happen in Georgia? Yes ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4097 "2020-10-06T21:10:47Z")
Was the personal animosity behind the crime related to anyone’s race? Nationality? Immigration status? Sexuality? Some action that someone had taken that the criminals were angry about? Is the other method of death (besides shooting) relevant? Was the power outage caused by some object getting shot in the course of the crime? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4098 "2020-10-06T21:12:58Z")
Did someone hang an innocent man? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4099 "2020-10-06T21:48:06Z")
"Aspidistra Was the personal animosity behind the crime related to anyone’s race? Nationality? Immigration status? Sexuality? No to all Some action that someone had taken that the criminals were angry about? Yes Is the other method of death (besides shooting) relevant? Yes Was the power outage caused by some object getting shot in the course of the crime? 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:** [October 6, 2020, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4100 "2020-10-06T21:51:47Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did someone hang an innocent man? You got it. Kudos Cheesecake! ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4101 "2020-10-06T22:06:41Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > reply to Peter\_Morris: > > Was the power outage caused by use of an electric chair? No > > Did it happen in Georgia? Yes I thought it might be the song. The meaning of the lyrics has been discussed to death on many forums, including this one, but “the lights went out” is often taken to refer to the movie cliche of the lights dimming when the electric chair is used. ---
**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:** [October 6, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4102 "2020-10-06T23:21:40Z")
Yes, but they hung Brother. I was (thankfully?) unaware of the movie take. The lyrics are indeed absurd. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=204) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=206)