# 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:** 282
**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:** [July 17, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5628 "2023-07-17T21:33:01Z")
Is it a theme song that plays when they enter? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5629 "2023-07-17T21:40:00Z")
Everyone’s got one of them ! (Wrestlers etc) ---
**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:** [July 17, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5630 "2023-07-17T21:57:39Z")
Would all Presidents (and their spouses), in turn, have the same one? Does the thing continue to exist after the President leave office? Did the animal’s thing continue to exist when the animal died? Has any other animal ever had this thing? If so, were the circumstances substantially similar? Has anyone other than a First Couple or an animal ever had this thing? Could anyone else (other than an American First Couple) ever have one in the future, presuming any relevant laws and political systems remain in place? Could anyone else ever have one in the future, if laws and/or political systems were to change in the appropriate ways? Is the connection to the Presidency related to the President being the Head of Government of the US? Is it related to the President being the Head of State? If there were a First Lady who was some other relation to the President (such as a daughter), would she still co-own this thing with the President? ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5631 "2023-07-17T22:07:06Z")
Did the animal live in the USA? ---
**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 17, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5632 "2023-07-17T22:47:11Z")
reply to SurrenderDorothy: Sorry. Had to go to work. Will answer as I can. Is the deceased amimal a dog? No A horse? No Another mammal? YesA domesticated animal? No. A wild animal? Yes. A normally-wild animal kept in captivity? Yes. Well, sometimes… Is this a physical object (edit: oops, that one was already answered. Sorry!)? A title? No.A special privilege or “pass”? 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:** [July 17, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5633 "2023-07-17T22:51:30Z")
reply to Saint\_Cad: Did James Buchanan (or any other unmarried President) have one? ETA: This is really two questions as Buchanan may not have had one based solely on timing. [/quote] Not sure. Probably. This will require some research. ---
**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 17, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5634 "2023-07-17T22:52:18Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is it a theme song that plays when they enter? 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:** [July 17, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5635 "2023-07-17T22:59:34Z")
reply to Chronos: Would all Presidents (and their spouses), in turn, have the same one? Yes. Does the thing continue to exist after the President leave office? Yes. Did the animal’s thing continue to exist when the animal died? Yes Has any other animal ever had this thing? No. If so, were the circumstances substantially similar? Has anyone other than a First Couple or an animal ever had this thing? Not sure. Could anyone else (other than an American First Couple) ever have one in the future, presuming any relevant laws and political systems remain in place? Yes. Could anyone else ever have one in the future, if laws and/or political systems were to change in the appropriate ways? Yes. Is the connection to the Presidency related to the President being the Head of Government of the US? Yes. Is it related to the President being the Head of State? Yes If there were a First Lady who was some other relation to the President (such as a daughter), would she still co-own this thing with the President? Possibly. > [@Jegpeg](#): > > Did the animal live in the USA? Yes. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5636 "2023-07-17T23:36:41Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Could anyone else (other than an American First Couple) ever have one in the future, presuming any relevant laws and political systems remain in place? Yes. About these other people who could potentially have one in the future… I imagine any information about them would be speculative, but would such people be likely to be leaders of other nations? Would they likely to be celebrities? Would it be reasonably plausible for a non-famous person or set of people to have this thing? Was there more than one of this thing, during the time the animal was alive (e.g., one that was the animal’s, and one that was the First Couple’s)? Is there more than one of this thing now? Is there ever more than one of this thing? Does this thing have any connection to residence in the White House? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5637 "2023-07-17T23:36:58Z")
Are we talking about one specific animal, or an extinct species? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2023, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5638 "2023-07-18T00:50:21Z")
Is the animal stuffed? ---
**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:** [July 18, 2023, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5639 "2023-07-18T02:44:50Z")
I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s a 21 gun salute. If right, I suspect the animal is Comanche, Custer’s horse who survived the Battle of Little Bighorn. ---
**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 18, 2023, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5640 "2023-07-18T03:57:56Z")
reply to Chronos: About these other people who could potentially have one in the future… I imagine any information about them would be speculative, but would such people be likely to be leaders of other nations? No. Would they likely to be celebrities? Could be. Would it be reasonably plausible for a non-famous person or set of people to have this thing? It is not reasonably plausible for a single non-famous person to have one of these though one could imagine very very highly unlikely scenarios where you or I might get one. A set of people, however; now that is more plausible. Was there more than one of this thing, during the time the animal was alive (e.g., one that was the animal’s, and one that was the First Couple’s)? Yes. Is there more than one of this thing now? Yes Is there ever more than one of this thing? Yes. Again this is tough to answer. There are many of these things, but the animal is the only one entity to have one of them. And Joe and Jill Biden are the only couple to have one. Does this thing have any connection to residence in the White House? Yes for the Bidens. No for the animal. ---
**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 18, 2023, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5641 "2023-07-18T03:58:36Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Are we talking about one specific animal, or an extinct species? One specific animal. ---
**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 18, 2023, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5642 "2023-07-18T03:59:30Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Is the animal stuffed? 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:** [July 18, 2023, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5643 "2023-07-18T04:01:23Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s a 21 gun salute. If right, I suspect the animal is Comanche, Custer’s horse who survived the Battle of Little Bighorn. Good guess. But the animal is not a horse and the thing is not a 21 gun salute. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2023, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5644 "2023-07-18T05:13:14Z")
Is the “thing” a person performing a particular service? A physical object? Related to journalism or publicity? ---
**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:** [July 18, 2023, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5645 "2023-07-18T09:44:59Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > It is not reasonably plausible for a single non-famous person to have one of these though one could imagine very very highly unlikely scenarios where you or I might get one. A set of people, however; now that is more plausible. A ZIP code ? ---
**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 18, 2023, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5646 "2023-07-18T10:02:21Z")
reply to Ana\_Byrd: Is the “thing” a person performing a particular service? No. A physical object? No. Related to journalism or publicity? 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:** [July 18, 2023, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5647 "2023-07-18T10:09:57Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > A ZIP code ? YOU GOT IT!!! The president and their spouse (and any kids living at the White House) always have their own unique 5-digit U.S. zip code. They, along with this animal, are the only ones. And this now-deceased animal is currently the only single entity to have its own 5-digit code. Without googling, can you guess the animal? Very impressive Peter\_Morris [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=281) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=283)