# 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:** 91
**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:** [January 23, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1801 "2020-01-23T11:41:30Z")
But anyway, let’s have a puzzle 😉 **He wanders the world, forever cut off from his own kind. Why?** ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1802 "2020-01-23T13:14:57Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > But anyway, let’s have a puzzle 😉 > > **He wanders the world, forever cut off from his own kind. Why?** He won’t stop and ask for directions. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1803 "2020-01-23T13:27:30Z")
Is “he” a weather phenomenon that’s been given a male name? ---
**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:** [January 23, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1804 "2020-01-23T13:29:29Z")
Is “he” human? Does he wander on foot? Does his own kind still exist? Does “world” mean Earth? Is he impaired in one or more of his senses? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1805 "2020-01-23T14:45:38Z")
Is he a whale? ---
**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:** [January 23, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1806 "2020-01-23T18:24:34Z")
He won’t stop and ask for directions **lol, actually YES!** Is “he” a weather phenomenon that’s been given a male name? **NO** Is “he” human? **NO** Does he wander on foot? **NO** Does his own kind still exist? **YES** Does “world” mean Earth? **YES** Is he impaired in one or more of his senses? **YES** Is he a whale? **YES** I’m thinking at this point that someone probably knows exactly what I’m talking about … feel free to post it if you do - if you’re just randomly very close, I’ll let people keep guessing ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1807 "2020-01-23T18:40:59Z")
I remembered hearing a story about a whale that did his song in a different key than all the others of his species, and thus couldn’t communicate with them. For some reason that came right to mind when I read your puzzle. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1808 "2020-01-23T21:15:16Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > I remembered hearing a story about a whale that did his song in a different key than all the others of his species, and thus couldn’t communicate with them. > > For some reason that came right to mind when I read your puzzle. That is a sad story. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1809 "2020-01-23T21:47:05Z")
You are quite right, that what was I was thinking of. [The 52Hz whale](https://www.odditycentral.com/animals/the-heartbreaking-story-of-the-worlds-loneliest-whale.html) A slightly [more optimistic take](http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150415-the-loneliest-whale-in-the-world) on the story ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1810 "2020-01-24T03:57:39Z")
\*\*Piano A fleet of Good Humor ice cream trucks Robot’s hand Silver bars Giraffe Dining room table What do these all have have in common?\*\* ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1811 "2020-01-24T05:16:34Z")
Is it something to do with the physical properties of the objects? Is it something to do with their names? Is it something to do with where they can be found? Is it something to do with an owner of some/all of these things? Are these the only objects you can think of with these properties, or did you just decide six was enough? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1812 "2020-01-24T05:36:56Z")
Hmmm, it’s something to do with art… ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1813 "2020-01-24T06:05:49Z")
**reply to Aspidistra** : Is it something to do with the physical properties of the objects? **No** Is it something to do with their names? **No** Is it something to do with where they can be found? **Yes** Is it something to do with an owner of some/all of these things? **No** Are these the only objects you can think of with these properties, or did you just decide six was enough? **I stopped at six. I could have added more to the list such as John Milton, Oregon, and the mysterious kangaroo/mouse hybrid. But I don’t want it to be too easy.** ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1814 "2020-01-24T06:07:04Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Hmmm, it’s something to do with art… **No**. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1815 "2020-01-24T06:18:09Z")
Are they all, in this case, physical elements (as opposed to, say, things in a story, or a movie) Are they in an enclosed location? Do those words represent the actual thing, or are they some sort of name? Are they not the actual thing, but a representation (as in, a drawing of a giraffe, as opposed to a literal giraffe?) ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1816 "2020-01-24T06:31:23Z")
**reply to Go\_Arachnid\_Laser** : Are they all, in this case, physical elements (as opposed to, say, things in a story, or a movie)\*\* Yes\*\* Are they in an enclosed location? **No** Do those words represent the actual thing, or are they some sort of name? \*\* Thing\*\* Are they not the actual thing, but a representation (as in, a drawing of a giraffe, as opposed to a literal giraffe?) **They are the actual thing. A real African Giraffe, a real piano, real silver, real ice cream trucks etc. All real.** ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1817 "2020-01-24T08:35:01Z")
So, same town? Same park? Same city? Same state? Is it in North America? Same country? Is the giraffe alive? ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1818 "2020-01-24T13:07:29Z")
Do they all have keys? Are they all part of a collection? Have they all been on Ebay? ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1819 "2020-01-24T13:39:10Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Have they all been on Ebay? Ooooooh… that’s a good one. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1820 "2020-01-24T15:25:24Z")
**reply to Go,Aracnid\_Laser** : So, same town? **Yes** Same park? **No** Same city? **Yes** Same state? **Yes** Is it in North America? **Yes** Same country? **Yes** Is the giraffe alive? **No longer living**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=90) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=92)