# 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:** 67
**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:** [December 29, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1321 "2019-12-29T18:33:20Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Betsy Ross’ socks? Commemorating something with the flag? > > \*I was under the impression Betsy Ross did not really design the flag, but still… **No to Betsy Ross** ---
**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:** [December 29, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1322 "2019-12-29T20:15:00Z")
Dolley Madison? She saved the White House artifacts during the fire in 1812. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1323 "2019-12-29T22:54:32Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Dolley Madison? She saved the White House artifacts during the fire in 1812. Mighty nice of her to do that, but she is not the subject of this puzzle, nor is the White House in play. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1324 "2019-12-30T01:25:55Z")
The plot thickens. So there are at least two notable females involved in this event, one of whom was a child or teenager at the time. Was one the other one’s mother? Was it to do with women’s rights? Was one the first woman to do something? Did it have to do with literature? Music? Performing arts? I feel like I’m flirting with the answer but am also way more stumped than I should be and I’m like… driving to the airport to pick up a friend going, “Okay, so it was something that was positive, that involved women, that happened in northeastern part of the US in the early 1800s, that wasn’t planned but wasn’t completely a surprise, something I would know about of featuring people I would have heard of, not politics or discovery or the founding or creation of anything… Helen Keller was too late, Clara Barton was a professional and founded something, ditto Elizabeth Blackwell, Sacagawea was Native American and we ruled that out… also featuring socks… oh crap that was my exit!” ---
**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 30, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1325 "2019-12-30T01:57:13Z")
Is Christmas involved? (I’m thinking the socks might be Christmas stockings) ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1326 "2019-12-30T02:02:11Z")
Are the socks themselves of historic value? ---
**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 30, 2019, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1327 "2019-12-30T04:31:32Z")
And, heck, was a newspaper key to the event? ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1328 "2019-12-30T05:35:15Z")
**reply to SurrenderDorothy** The plot thickens. So there are at least two notable females involved in this event, one of whom was a child or teenager at the time. \*\* “Notable” is sort of subjective. Everyone is notable, in a sense. Most are just waiting to be noted. Beware of assuming things not established. :)\*\* Was one the other one’s mother? **No** Was it to do with women’s rights? **No** Was one the first woman to do something? **No** Did it have to do with literature? **Yes…** Music? **No** Performing arts? **No** I feel like I’m flirting with the answer but am also way more stumped than I should be and I’m like… driving to the airport to pick up a friend going, “Okay, so it was something that was positive, that involved women, that happened in northeastern part of the US in the early 1800s, that wasn’t planned but wasn’t completely a surprise, something I would know about of featuring people I would have heard of, not politics or discovery or the founding or creation of anything… Helen Keller was too late, Clara Barton was a professional and founded something, ditto Elizabeth Blackwell, Sacagawea was Native American and we ruled that out… also featuring socks… oh crap that was my exit!” **The key is the pair of socks!** ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1329 "2019-12-30T05:38:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is Christmas involved? > > (I’m thinking the socks might be Christmas stockings) **No. I actually tried to think of a holiday themed lateral thinking puzzle, but failed. Maybe if this thread is around next year someone can pose such a riddle.** ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1330 "2019-12-30T05:43:57Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Are the socks themselves of historic value? \*\*The socks are gone, reduced to threads for the fundraiser. Were they around today they would be in a museum or a rich person’s private collection, though I don’t know how you preserve 200 year-old socks. Which is to say they would have historic value. \*\* ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1331 "2019-12-30T05:45:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And, heck, was a newspaper key to the event? **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:** [December 30, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1332 "2019-12-30T15:39:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And, heck, was a newspaper key to the event? **The key is the pair of socks.** ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1333 "2019-12-30T15:59:36Z")
So, the socks belonged to a famous writer? American? English? ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1334 "2019-12-30T16:04:54Z")
**reply to Go\_Arachnid\_Laser** So the socks belonged to a famous writer? **No**. American? **Yes. The socks’ owner was American.** English? \*\*The socks’ owner was not from England. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1335 "2019-12-30T16:19:49Z")
Where the socks part of a book narrative? Where the socks supposed to belong to a literary character (As in, Sherlock Holmes’ socks!)? Did the socks belong to an editor? A publisher? A journalist? A real person who appears as a character or inspired a character in a book (say, Alice Liddel’s socks)? ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1336 "2019-12-30T16:31:55Z")
**reply to Go\_Arachnid \_Laser** Where the socks part of a book narrative? **No.** Where the socks supposed to belong to a literary character (As in, Sherlock Holmes’ socks!)? **No.** Did the socks belong to an editor? **No** A publisher? **No.** A journalist? **No.** A real person who appears as a character or inspired a character in a book (say, Alice Liddel’s socks)? **Yes. However no to Alice Liddel.** ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1337 "2019-12-30T16:35:23Z")
Was the book a children’s book? Was it an adventure book? Was it a book about real life events? Was it a romantic book? ---
**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:** [December 30, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1338 "2019-12-30T16:41:59Z")
**reply to Go\_Arachnid\_Laser** : Was the book a children’s book? **Yes.** Was it an adventure book? **No** Was it a book about real life events? **Yes and no**. Was it a romantic book? **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:** [December 30, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1339 "2019-12-30T16:47:58Z")
I have to go to work, but you have enough information to get this now! **Think about the socks!** ---
**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 30, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1340 "2019-12-30T19:19:31Z")
So, we have a children’s book, featuring a character whose socks were of special significance (more so than other articles of clothing), and that character was based on a real person, and that real person’s socks ended up getting used in a fundraiser. Is that correct? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=66) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=68)