# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/201 "2023-07-28T18:30:09Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think they would be dead or earn absolutely zero dollars. Jim was exceptionally good at his job. Just to be clear: how many dollars did Jim, uh, _earn_ as a result of this? Absolutely zero? Six million? Negative six million? Two hundred and twelve? What? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/202 "2023-07-28T18:55:43Z")
Did Jim lose his own money? Family money? Company money? Government money? Money belonging to another individual? Belonging to several people? Was Jim’s job to destroy old currency? e.g. incinerating obsolete banknotes, reclaiming metal from discontinued coins, etc. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/203 "2023-07-28T19:01:19Z")
Was the issue Jim was too good? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/204 "2023-07-28T19:15:36Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Just to be clear: how many dollars did Jim, uh, _earn_ as a result of this? Absolutely zero? Six million? Negative six million? Two hundred and twelve? What? **He earned a total of $19.5 million. He ended up with $13.5 million if you take away the $6 million.** > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did Jim lose his own money? Family money? Company money? Government money? Money belonging to another individual? Belonging to several people? > > **His own money.** > > Was Jim’s job to destroy old currency? e.g. incinerating obsolete banknotes, reclaiming metal from discontinued coins, etc. > > **NO** > [@Biotop](#): > > Was the issue Jim was too good? **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:** [July 28, 2023, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/205 "2023-07-28T19:29:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think they would be dead or earn absolutely zero dollars. Jim was exceptionally good at his job. Was Jim’s job dangerous? Was he in the military? Law ? Espionage? A Criminal? Stuntman? Exploration? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/206 "2023-07-28T19:30:34Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was Jim’s job dangerous? Was he in the military? Law ? Espionage? A Criminal? Stuntman? Exploration?.. Yes to dangerous. No to all the jobs you listed, though. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/207 "2023-07-28T19:33:07Z")
Could his job be considered, in any sense, salvage or recovery work? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/208 "2023-07-28T19:39:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yes to dangerous. > > No to all the jobs you listed, though. POTUS? A dangerous job with a mortality rate of almost 1 in 5. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/209 "2023-07-28T20:19:36Z")
Was his job a sport of some kind? Was gambling involved? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/210 "2023-07-28T20:28:32Z")
Was he laundering proceeds of crime ? ETA probably not or he’d be a criminal ! ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/211 "2023-07-28T21:05:45Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Could his job be considered, in any sense, salvage or recovery work? **NO** > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > POTUS? A dangerous job with a mortality rate of almost 1 in 5. 😀 **NO** > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was his job a sport of some kind? > > **YES** > > Was gambling involved? > > **NO** , though people bet on his sport. This story is purely legit, though. No gambling. > [@pjd](#): > > Was he laundering proceeds of crime ? **NO** ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/212 "2023-07-28T21:16:34Z")
Did this have something to do with negotiations for, or the terms of a contract with, a professional sports organization? If so, was the contract with a team in one of the “big four” sports in the US? Or did it have to do with sponsorship of a product? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/213 "2023-07-28T21:20:10Z")
It was the result of negotiations for his sports contract. It was not a big four US sport, but a well known sport. No to sponsorship. Can you figure out what might have happened??? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/214 "2023-07-28T21:21:20Z")
Was/is he a boxer? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/215 "2023-07-28T21:38:53Z")
Is horse racing involved? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/216 "2023-07-28T22:07:36Z")
No to boxing or horse racing. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/217 "2023-07-28T22:14:02Z")
Is it a team sport? Is it one individual against one other individual? (e.g. tennis) Is it several individuals, each in competition against the others? (e.g. golf) Is some kind of fighting involved? (Not boxing, but wrestling, fencing, martial arts, or similar) Is it some kind of race? Is a ball involved? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/218 "2023-07-28T22:19:32Z")
Assuming this is a one-against-one sport, was he so good that he had to lower his price by $6 million in order to get someone to agree to a game/match/whatever with him? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2023, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/219 "2023-07-28T22:24:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is it a team sport? > > There are teams, but it is also indvidual. > > Is it one individual against one other individual? (e.g. tennis) > > NO > > Is it several individuals, each in competition against the others? (e.g. golf) > > YES > > Is some kind of fighting involved? (Not boxing, but wrestling, fencing, martial arts, or similar) > > NO > > Is it some kind of race? > > YES, car racing. > > Is a ball involved? > > NO > [@dirtball](#): > > Assuming this is a one-against-one sport, was he so good that he had to lower his price by $6 million in order to get someone to agree to a game/match/whatever with him? NO. It’s car racing folks, he races cars. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/220 "2023-07-29T15:08:19Z")
Does it have to do with sponsorship deals? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=12)