# 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:** 222
**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 19, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4423 "2020-11-19T21:13:06Z")
Are we likely to have heard the town’s name spoken aloud? Is the town Welsh? ---
**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 19, 2020, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4424 "2020-11-19T21:19:43Z")
Is the Town’s name synonymous with any thing or idea? Is the honor given annually? ---
**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 19, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4425 "2020-11-19T21:31:07Z")
I think I know, but I don’t want to spoil it for other people, so I’m going to ask a confirmation question about a fact that hopefully doesn’t give anything away: Is the town located on an island that starts with R? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4426 "2020-11-20T01:13:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Is it in an English speaking country? **No** > > Is the honor because of the place’s name? **No** > Something that happened there? **Yes** > [@](#): > > What country is this town in? **Sweden** > > Does this town really exist? **Yes** > > Is this award something we have heard of? **Incorrect assumption, but yes** > [@](#): > > Are we likely to have heard the town’s name spoken aloud? **Less likely, but possible** > > Is the town Welsh? **No** > [@](#): > > Is the Town’s name synonymous with any thing or idea? **Kind of…** > > Is the honor given annually? **No** > [@](#): > > I think I know, but I don’t want to spoil it for other people, so I’m going to ask a confirmation question about a fact that hopefully doesn’t give anything away: > > Is the town located on an island that starts with R? **Yes** I was afraid this would be too easy, and it looks like I may have been right. No hints this time! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4427 "2020-11-20T15:34:04Z")
Is it Ytterby? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4428 "2020-11-20T16:59:18Z")
**Yes, and solved.** Four different elements are named after Ytterby, all of which (and more) were discovered in a local mine. Someone else want to do the next one? ---
**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 20, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4429 "2020-11-20T18:21:17Z")
**A murderer facing the death penalty made a plea for clemency. The judges rejected the plea in the name of Allah. None of the participants were Muslims. What’s going on there?** (Some people may know this right away. If so, please allow it to run for a while and don’t give it away. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4430 "2020-11-20T18:29:52Z")
Were they speaking Arabic or related language? ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4431 "2020-11-20T19:37:41Z")
Does Allah here refer to the god of Islam and not something else that sounds or is spelled the same? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4432 "2020-11-20T20:22:22Z")
Was the plea made on religious grounds? Was it rejected on religious grounds? Is the location relevant? Is the specific crime relevant? ---
**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 20, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4433 "2020-11-20T20:58:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Were they speaking Arabic or related language? **NO** (mostly) > [@](#): > > Does Allah here refer to the god of Islam **YES** and not something else that sounds or is spelled the same? **NO** > [@](#): > > Was the plea made on religious grounds? **NO** > > Was it rejected on religious grounds? **NO** > > Is the location relevant? **NO** > > Is the specific crime relevant? **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:** [November 20, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4434 "2020-11-20T21:09:39Z")
Did this happen in real life and not fiction? Were they only mostly not speaking Arabic or related language because they said the word Allah? Does this have to do with the use of a Koran in some way? Did the murder make the plea or a previous plea on a Koran? Did the judges have the option to reject the plea not in the name of Allah? ---
**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 20, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4435 "2020-11-20T21:13:39Z")
Grammatical ambiguity: Was the plea in the name of Allah? Was the rejection in the name of Allah? ---
**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 20, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4436 "2020-11-20T21:39:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Did this happen in real life and not fiction? **HARD TO SAY. THERES SOME DEBATE ON THAT POINT.** > Were they only mostly not speaking Arabic or related language because they said the word Allah? **CORRECT**. > Does this have to do with the use of a Koran in some way? **NO** > Did the murder make the plea or a previous plea on a Koran? **NO** > Did the judges have the option to reject the plea not in the name of Allah? **YES** > [@](#): > > Was the plea in the name of Allah? > Was the rejection in the name of Allah? > > **THE REJECTION.** ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4437 "2020-11-20T21:51:21Z")
Was the victim of the crime Muslim? ---
**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 20, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4438 "2020-11-20T21:53:52Z")
Was “Allah” the name of anybody involved in the case? Would it be useful to know the country where this happened? Would it be useful to know the time period? ---
**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 20, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4439 "2020-11-20T21:54:55Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was the victim of the crime Muslim? > > **UNKNOWN - PROBABLY NOT.** … ---
**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 20, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4440 "2020-11-20T21:56:21Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Was “Allah” the name of anybody involved in the case? **NO** > > Would it be useful to know the country where this happened? **PROBABLY NOT** > > Would it be useful to know the time period? **PROBABLY NOT** … ---
**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:** [November 21, 2020, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4441 "2020-11-21T13:25:51Z")
Was the invocation to Allah relevant to the case? Was the invocation to Allah made with less than serious intent? Did the murderer convert to Islam? ---
**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 21, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4442 "2020-11-21T13:35:45Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the invocation to Allah relevant to the case? **NO** > Was the invocation to Allah made with less than serious intent? **NO** > Did the murderer convert to Islam? **NO** … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=221) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=223)