# 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:** 9
**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 2, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/161 "2019-11-02T15:07:49Z")
Was the play set: - before 1700 ? - 1700 to 1750 ? - 1751 to 1800 ? - 1801 to 1825 ? - 1826 to 1850 ? - 1851 to 1875 ? - 1875 to 1900 ? - after 1900 ? check all that apply. **Before 1700.** Was the play written - before the 1890’s - in the 1890’s - after the 1890’s **Before the 1890s.** Would the play be best described as - Tragedy ? **Not really, though it has elements of this.** - Comedy ? **Ditto.** - Drama ? **Yes.** - Thriller/ Suspense/ Mystery ? **No.** - Other ? **Yes, other terms describing genre would apply.** Is the play likely to be still performed today? **Yes.** ---
**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 2, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/162 "2019-11-02T15:25:08Z")
Is it Shakespeare? ---
**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 2, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/163 "2019-11-02T16:49:30Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is it Shakespeare? **Yes.** ---
**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 2, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/164 "2019-11-02T17:13:57Z")
If I were to ask you every single Shakespeare play title, which one would you say “yes” to when I asked “is it this one”? ---
**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 2, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/165 "2019-11-02T17:18:43Z")
Okay, I’m pretty sure I’ve identified [the incident in question](https://psmag.com/environment/shakespeare-fanatic-introduced-bards-birds-america-82279). I’ve heard of this before, but I had to search for the details. It’s because a man in the 1890’s thought that America should have every type of bird mentioned in Shakespeare. Starlings [were mentioned](http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=henry4p1&Act=1&Scene=3&Scope=scene&LineHighlight=553#553)in Henry IV, so he introduced a few starlings which multiplied uncontrollably, and spread throughout the continent. Today they do an estimated $800M damage every year. I think, though that the description and some of the answers given are misleading. It wasn’t the angry man that mentioned starlings, it was a different character responding to the angry man. There’s also a few of his responses I disagree with. Ok, \*\*Chronos \*\*said he has a question. ---
**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 2, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/166 "2019-11-02T17:49:39Z")
**Peter Morris** has got it. > [@](#): > > It wasn’t the angry man that mentioned starlings, it was a different character responding to the angry man. ??? Hotspur, the character who mentions starlings, is the angry man of this puzzle (and he is very definitely angry in this scene, even if other people also are!) I am sorry if some of my other answers are misleading; I tried to make them as accurate as possible, but sometimes it was hard to know how to answer, given that he was both a historical figure and a fictional character at the same time. ---
**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 2, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/167 "2019-11-02T18:21:51Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > ??? Hotspur, the character who mentions starlings, is the angry man of this puzzle (and he is very definitely angry in this scene, even if other people also are!) Okay, I’m not at all familiar with the play. Or the actual history. But from the linked article: \* Shakespeare wrote, a single line of script where a soldier is ordered, by the king, never to mention his brother-in-law’s name again, leading the soldier to dream of buying a starling that will repeat the name over and over. \* I misunderstood that as being the king is angry about his own brother in law, forbidding the mention of his name. And Hotspur’s response to deliberately provoke more anger. I see I need to brush up my Shakespeare. ---
**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 2, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/168 "2019-11-02T18:58:43Z")
Yeah, the article isn’t very clear – Hotspur isn’t just “a soldier,” he’s the son of a powerful nobleman. His brother-in-law, Mortimer, has been taken prisoner by the Welsh. The king (who knows that Mortimer is a potential rival claimant to the throne, and also suspects him of having deliberately sold out to the Welsh) declines to ransom him, and finally orders Hotspur to stop mentioning his name. Hotspur goes off in a towering rage and threatens to have a talking starling taught to say nothing but “Mortimer” and send it to the king. ---
**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 3, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/169 "2019-11-03T00:25:31Z")
Chronos, you are up! ---
**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 3, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/170 "2019-11-03T01:39:46Z")
**Just after a victory, an athlete says the name of a company. It doesn’t end well for him. What happened?** ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/171 "2019-11-03T01:44:06Z")
Did he say just the name of the company, without any context? Was the company a sponsor? Would it help if we knew what sport he played? ---
**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:** [November 3, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/172 "2019-11-03T02:37:23Z")
Was the name of the company misinterpreted by hearers as being something else? Does the athlete lose money as a result of what he said? Do members of the general public become angry at him due to what he said? Does the company name consist of one word? Does the company name consist of two words? Does the company name consist of more than two words? ---
**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 3, 2019, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/173 "2019-11-03T07:30:19Z")
Did the athlete die? Did the athlete sustain an injury ? Was the athlete arrested? Was the athlete disqualified? Was the athlete sued? ---
**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 3, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/174 "2019-11-03T13:45:07Z")
Was the athlete a native speaker of English? Is the athlete’s nationality relevant? Is the country or location where the victory took place relevant? Are politics involved? Was the victory in an individual sport, like running a marathon? A team sport? A non-sports activity, like playing a video game? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/175 "2019-11-03T14:41:29Z")
Was it the athlete’s own victory as an individual? Was it the athlete’s own victory as the member of a team? Was the victory not the athlete’s own victory? ---
**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 4, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/176 "2019-11-04T00:05:02Z")
Sorry, forgot to get back to this thread. Did he say just the name of the company, without any context? **Yes** Was the company a sponsor? **No** Would it help if we knew what sport he played? **Yes** Was the name of the company misinterpreted by hearers as being something else? **No** Does the athlete lose money as a result of what he said? **No** Do members of the general public become angry at him due to what he said? **No** Does the company name consist of one word? **Yes** Does the company name consist of two words? **No** Does the company name consist of more than two words? **No** Did the athlete die? **Yes** Did the athlete sustain an injury ? **No** Was the athlete arrested? **No** Was the athlete disqualified? **No** Was the athlete sued? **No** Was the athlete a native speaker of English? **No** Is the athlete’s nationality relevant? **Yes** Is the country or location where the victory took place relevant? **Yes** Are politics involved? **Yes** Was the victory in an individual sport, like running a marathon? **No** A team sport? **No** A non-sports activity, like playing a video game? **Yes** Was it the athlete’s own victory as an individual? **No** Was it the athlete’s own victory as the member of a team? **Yes** Was the victory not the athlete’s own victory? **No** Some of these, I had to give the best answer I could, but some of them, a Yes or a No either one would be a stretch. ---
**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 4, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/177 "2019-11-04T02:03:24Z")
Was the athlete Japanese? Was the sport playing video games? Was the company a company we have heard of? (or are very likely to have heard of) Did the company’s name mean something different in another language? Did the athletes death result because of this incident? What decade was this in(I can name them all…)? Is the company and American company? ---
**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 4, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/178 "2019-11-04T02:25:07Z")
Was the athlete Japanese? **No** Was the sport playing video games? **No** Was the company a company we have heard of? (or are very likely to have heard of) **Yes** Did the company’s name mean something different in another language? **Yes** Did the athletes death result because of this incident? **Yes** What decade was this in(I can name them all…)? **No** Is the company and American company? **Yes** ---
**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 4, 2019, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/179 "2019-11-04T04:26:12Z")
Would the athlete’s death be considered an accident? Murder? Suicide? Natural causes? Was the athlete from somewhere in the Americas? Asia? Africa? Europe? Was he in his own country when the victory took place? Does this story take place in the present day? Does it matter _why_ he decided to say the name of a company? Was the company related to the sport he played? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/180 "2019-11-04T06:58:38Z")
Did the company’s name actually mean something in his native language? Did the company’s name have a meaning that directly resulted in his death? Did the company’s name result in somebody killing him? Is it relevant that he said the company’s name following a victory? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=10)