# 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:** 228
**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:** [December 17, 2020, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4543 "2020-12-17T12:49:57Z")
Did the head of state participate in the action that caused his/her death (like a duel), was it entirely the act of the assassin, did the assassin have outside assistance? Was the assassin banished to a particular place, or were they otherwise free to travel? Was the assassin banished from the HoS’s country, or from somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2020, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4544 "2020-12-17T12:54:54Z")
Was the head of state a religious leader as well? ---
**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:** [December 17, 2020, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4545 "2020-12-17T13:15:04Z")
Was the leader: - a hereditary ruler? - elected in a more or less democratic process ? - someone who took power? (usurper, invader, etc) How did the people of HIS OWN country think of him? Was he: - widely liked and respected? - fairly neutral? - somewhat disliked? - hated and feared? How did the people of OTHER countries think of him? Was he: - widely liked and respected? - fairly neutral? - somewhat disliked? - hated and feared? How did people in various countries react to his death? - They celebated? - They mourned? - They didn’t care much? Does history regard him as - a good leader ? - a bad leader ? - indifferent? ---
**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:** [December 18, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4546 "2020-12-18T03:01:15Z")
Whoever it was who chose banishment for the assassin: Could they have instead chosen execution? Could they instead have chosen imprisonment? Could they instead have chosen a property penalty (fine, confiscation, etc.)? Could they instead have chosen nonlethal maiming of some sort as a punishment? Was the HoS originally a citizen of the nation he was HoS of? Was the assassin a citizen of the nation he was HoS of? Was the authority that ordered the banishment an authority of that nation? ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4547 "2020-12-19T01:39:52Z")
Did the assassin have a Siamese twin who was innocent, and the assassin’s death would have killed the innocent twin too? ---
**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:** [December 19, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4548 "2020-12-19T20:55:25Z")
Was the assassin a diplomat? Was the assassin mentally competent? Did he / she intend for the HoS to die? Is the gender of the assassin relevant? ---
**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:** [January 28, 2021, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4549 "2021-01-28T10:15:35Z")
Was the assassin human? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4550 "2021-01-28T13:14:15Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was the assassin human @Ana_Byrd It’s been over a month, so just trying to send a little ping on the radar to @Ana_Byrd ---
**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:** [March 16, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4551 "2021-03-16T03:17:01Z")
I’m very sorry to leave you all hanging. I’ve had a lot going on and I haven’t been able to play. [Here’s a link to the answer of the last puzzle I gave.](https://massivelyop.com/2015/10/03/the-game-archaeologist-the-assassination-of-lord-british/) If anyone wants to continue with a new one, I’m game. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4552 "2021-04-10T17:36:31Z")
Mary (not her real name) was born in 1895. She worked as a kitchen maid, married, and died in 1944 of a brain hemorrhage. Mary was pretty much forgotten until the 1980’s when people suddenly began visiting her grave. Now hundreds (maybe more) of people come to her burial site every year and it is even part of a guided tour. Many visitors will tell you Mary once possessed an unusual item: a body part in a container! 😲 This is not true. What is Mary’s real name? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4553 "2021-04-10T17:44:55Z")
Is Mary’s existence medically important? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4554 "2021-04-10T18:35:27Z")
reply to Zyada: Is Mary’s existence medically important? No. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4555 "2021-04-10T18:37:15Z")
Was Mary a human female? Was something in the news in the 1980’s that made people start visiting her grave? Was there something unusual about her grave? Is the specific body part she was supposed to have in a jar important? Was it a: brain head hand penis/vagina ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4556 "2021-04-10T18:51:20Z")
Is Mary herself the container? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4557 "2021-04-10T19:54:04Z")
Was Mary associated with a famous person? Was she portrayed in, or the subject of, a movie in the 1980’s? ---
**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:** [April 11, 2021, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4558 "2021-04-11T04:25:03Z")
reply to Mahaloth: Was Mary a human female? Yes Was something in the news in the 1980’s that made people start visiting her grave? Yes Was there something unusual about her grave? No Is the specific body part she was supposed to have in a jar important? Yes Was it a: \* brain No head No hand No penis/vagina No - Note I am looking for something specific here. For instance if it was a hand and you guessed finger, you would technically be right but you would get a “No” answer. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4559 "2021-04-11T04:28:15Z")
reply to blabbermeister: Is Mary herself the container? 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:** [April 11, 2021, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4560 "2021-04-11T04:36:44Z")
reply to Cheesesteak: Was Mary associated with a famous person? Yes Was she portrayed in, or the subject of, a movie in the 1980’s? No ---
**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:** [April 11, 2021, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4561 "2021-04-11T10:31:04Z")
Did that body part come from the famous person she was associated with? From Mary? Is the body part’s owner significant? Was the time and/or manner of her death relevant? People have been calling the container a jar, but was it? ---
**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:** [April 11, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4562 "2021-04-11T11:59:28Z")
Was her rise in fame the result of being included in a fiction book? Was her rise in fame the result of being included in any fictional work? Is Mary widely known for anything other than the alleged body part in a container? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=227) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=229)