# 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:** 31
**Author:** ![Calavera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calavera/32/70_2.png) [@Calavera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calavera)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/601 "2019-11-22T15:39:38Z")
\*\*The more I close it, the wider it opens. Unless I close it all the way. \*\* Is it a pincer on a Leatherman style multitool? ---
**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 22, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/602 "2019-11-22T15:46:48Z")
> [@Calavera](#): > > Is it a pincer on a Leatherman style multitool? No. ---
**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 22, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/603 "2019-11-22T17:35:24Z")
Is “it” something most people would have in their houses? Is it a tool of some sort? Can it be worn? Is it predominantly animal in origin? Vegetable? Mineral? Intangible? ---
**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 22, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/604 "2019-11-22T17:42:54Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is “it” … Is “it” something most people would have in their houses? **YES** Is it a tool of some sort? **NO** Can it be worn? **NO** Is it predominantly animal in origin? **NO** Vegetable? **YES** , (the particular one I’m thinking of. Could be other materials) Mineral? **NO** Intangible? **NO** ---
**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 22, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/605 "2019-11-22T18:52:30Z")
Is “it” typically found in a kitchen? A bathroom? A bedroom? Living room / family room / rec room? Some other part of the house? Is it made of wood? Rubber? Paper? ---
**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 22, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/606 "2019-11-22T19:01:00Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is “it” typically… Is “it” typically found in a kitchen? **Sometimes** A bathroom? **YES** A bedroom? **YES** Living room / family room / rec room? **Sometimes** Some other part of the house? **YES** Is it made of wood? **YES** Rubber? **Typically NO** Paper? **Typically NO** ---
**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 22, 2019, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/607 "2019-11-22T20:41:36Z")
Is it some sort of door? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/608 "2019-11-22T20:52:04Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > This is it! > > I think we can call this one, then. > > Min(dy) is a steppe eagle and a bunch of steppe eagles have been racking up roaming charges on their SMS tracking beacons. Elena is one of the scientists in Russia dealing with this. > > I believe the cell phone company has waved the roaming charges. > > [Read about it here.](https://www.sciencealert.com/soaring-eagles-bankrupt-scientists-with-excessive-global-roaming-charges) Before the charges were waived, they started a crowdfund account to cover them, and it’s not so much that the cell provider waived the charges, but retroactively gave them a plan that supported roaming, so they’re now paying the same amount for each text regardless of location. ---
**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 22, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/609 "2019-11-22T21:20:11Z")
**"The more I close it, the wider it opens. Unless I close it all the way."** Is there some sort of word play involved? (Similar to : _What gets wetter as it dries_?) Does every “it” in the question refer to the same object? Is a fulcrum involved? Do you close one end to open the other? ---
**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 22, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/610 "2019-11-22T21:21:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is it some sort of door? **Yes** ---
**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 22, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/611 "2019-11-22T21:26:57Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > **“The more I close it, the wider it opens. Unless I close it all the way.”** > > Is there… Is there some sort of word play involved? (Similar to : _What gets wetter as it dries_?) **NO** Does every “it” in the question refer to the same object? **YES** Is a fulcrum involved? Do you close one end to open the other? **NO** ---
**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 22, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/612 "2019-11-22T21:58:26Z")
Is it a door that people would typically go through? Would animals typically go through it? Is it part of an appliance? Does it lead to a storage space, like a closet or cabinet? Does closing it “all the way” cause it to latch shut? ---
**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 22, 2019, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/613 "2019-11-22T22:04:53Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is it a door… Is it a door that people would typically go through? **YES** Would animals typically go through it? **YES** Is it part of an appliance? **NO** Does it lead to a storage space, like a closet or cabinet? **NO** Does closing it “all the way” cause it to latch shut? **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:** [November 22, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/614 "2019-11-22T22:07:43Z")
Would most first-world bathrooms contain this? Would most first-world bedrooms contain this? Does “the more I close it” refer to putting it into a more-closed position? Does “the more I close it” refer to number of instances of acting upon it? Is it opening wider a desirable effect of normal use of this thing? ---
**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 22, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/615 "2019-11-22T22:11:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Would most first-world bathrooms… Would most first-world bathrooms contain this? **YES** Would most first-world bedrooms contain this? **YES** Does “the more I close it” refer to putting it into a more-closed position? \*\* YES\*\* Does “the more I close it” refer to number of instances of acting upon it? **NO** Is it opening wider a desirable effect of normal use of this thing? **NO** ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/616 "2019-11-22T22:25:06Z")
Is it something that folds closed as it opens, like a bifold door? ---
**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 22, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/617 "2019-11-22T22:29:54Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > Is it something that folds closed as it opens, like a bifold door? **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:** [November 22, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/618 "2019-11-22T22:57:02Z")
Is it a curtain? ---
**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 22, 2019, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/619 "2019-11-22T23:13:12Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is it a curtain? **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:** [November 22, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/620 "2019-11-22T23:32:35Z")
Could a human fit through walking upright? Is it a door to something small? A cupboard? Medicine chest? Wardrobe? Laundry basket? Is it a lid? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=32)