# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/41 "2019-10-25T02:47:04Z")
Was the nickel a foreign currency (foreign to the seller of the cigar)? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/42 "2019-10-25T14:37:53Z")
Josh looked old enough but was he old enough? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/43 "2019-10-25T15:28:42Z")
> [@max s.](#): > > did the cigar only cost five cents? Yes > did josh forget to pay taxes? No > did josh buy the cigar from a person authorized to sell cigars? Yes > > ~max > [@personal](#): > > was the nickel a foreign currency (foreign to the seller of the cigar)? no > [@fiendish astronaut](#): > > josh looked old enough but was he old enough? yes ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/44 "2019-10-25T15:34:38Z")
Was Josh in a store that sell cigars? If yes did he purchase the cigar from the store? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/45 "2019-10-25T15:54:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Was Josh in a store that sell cigars? > If yes did he purchase the cigar from the store? Yes to both. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/46 "2019-10-25T16:00:15Z")
Is a wooden nickel involved? Is an Indian head (Buffalo) nickel involved? Is a Cigar-store Indian involved? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/47 "2019-10-25T16:01:00Z")
Did Josh fraudulently alter, deface, mutilate, impair, diminish, falsify, scale, or lighten any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States? ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/48 "2019-10-25T16:05:00Z")
Was the store open when he got the cigar and paid for it? ETA Was he allowed to be in the store? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/49 "2019-10-25T16:54:51Z")
Was Josh arrested on suspicion of committing a crime/breaking the law? Was Josh arrested because he paid for a cigar with a nickel? Did Josh buy the cigar for himself? Does “convicted” mean to be found guilty in a court of law? Did Josh pay a person or machine for the cigar? Does the store or vending machine accept cash payments? Did Josh properly pay for the cigar _before_ being arrested? ETA: Was Josh arrested on accident/by mistake? Was Josh arrested on suspicion of spending counterfeit money? ~Max ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/50 "2019-10-25T17:38:39Z")
Did the cigar contain something else besides tobacco? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/51 "2019-10-25T18:18:29Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Did Josh fraudulently alter, deface, mutilate, impair, diminish, falsify, scale, or lighten any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States? YES, but this is not adequate to solve the entire puzzle. > [@septimus](#): > > Is a wooden nickel involved? NO > Is an Indian head (Buffalo) nickel involved? NO > Is a Cigar-store Indian involved? NO > [@eschrodinger](#): > > Was the store open when he got the cigar and paid for it? YES > ETA Was he allowed to be in the store? YES > [@Max\_S](#): > > Was Josh arrested on suspicion of committing a crime/breaking the law? YES > Was Josh arrested because he paid for a cigar with a nickel? NO > Did Josh buy the cigar for himself? IRRELEVANT > Does “convicted” mean to be found guilty in a court of law? YES > Did Josh pay a person or machine for the cigar? PERSON > Does the store or vending machine accept cash payments? IRRELEVANT > Did Josh properly pay for the cigar _before_ being arrested? YES > ETA: Was Josh arrested on accident/by mistake? NO > Was Josh arrested on suspicion of spending counterfeit money? YES > > ~Max I know it seems like people are getting it, but we have more to have the full solution. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did the cigar contain something else besides tobacco? NO We’re gonna need a full picture of the situation to consider it solved. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/52 "2019-10-25T18:37:33Z")
Did Josh make the nickle look like a valuable copper nickel (or a mistruck coin), but not present it as such, relying on the storekeeper recognizing it and agreeing to the deal? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/53 "2019-10-25T19:00:25Z")
Was it a Westward Journey commemorative nickel? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/54 "2019-10-25T19:06:04Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Did Josh make the nickle look like a valuable copper nickel (or a mistruck coin), but not present it as such, relying on the storekeeper recognizing it and agreeing to the deal? He did not make it look like a valuable copper nickel or mistruck coin. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Was it a Westward Journey commemorative nickel? NO ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/55 "2019-10-25T19:23:23Z")
Was the coin a stolen item? Or thought to be one? Was the coin counterfeit? Or thought to be so ? Were nickel coins brand new at the time, and thus unrecognised by the shopkeeper? Was Josh suspected of being a foreign agent or spy? Was it Confederate currency? Or Yankee currency presented in a Southern state? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/56 "2019-10-25T19:47:42Z")
Was it a magic trick of some kind? (I remember a nickle coin casing that can fit over a penny) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/57 "2019-10-25T19:49:03Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > He did not make it look like a valuable copper nickel or mistruck coin. Did he make it look like another coin altogether? Like a similarly sized gold coin? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/58 "2019-10-25T20:32:41Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was the coin a stolen item? Or thought to be one? NO > > Was the coin counterfeit? Or thought to be so ? NO > > Were nickel coins brand new at the time, and thus unrecognised by the shopkeeper? NO > > Was Josh suspected of being a foreign agent or spy? NO > > Was it Confederate currency? Or Yankee currency presented in a Southern state? NO > [@Telemark](#): > > Did he make it look like another coin altogether? Like a similarly sized gold coin? YES I think this might be enough. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was it a magic trick of some kind? (I remember a nickle coin casing that can fit over a penny) NO Telemark has most of it. He was not convicted of anything, though. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2019, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/59 "2019-10-25T20:35:49Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Telemark has most of it. He was not convicted of anything, though. Why? Has the case gone to trial? ~Max ---
**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:** [October 25, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/60 "2019-10-25T20:42:12Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > Has the case gone to trial? > > ~Max YES [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=4)