# 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:** 116
**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:** [August 6, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2301 "2024-08-06T22:59:30Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > This situation that’s so unlucky for Gerald: > Is it something that hasn’t happened yet? > > **NO, it’s happened.** > > If so, is there any chance he can avoid it? > > **Nope, it’s done.** > > If it happens (or if it is already happening), is it something he might be able to remedy, however unlikely a solution might be? > > **NO** > Or is it something that he’ll just have to endure no matter what? > > **It’s a done deal.** > Is it likely to kill him? > > **NO** yeppers ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2302 "2024-08-06T23:38:13Z")
Was Gerald’s birthday on 29th February? My guess is that the ship crossed the international dateline so he missed his birthday meaning he will have an eight year wait between birthdays. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2303 "2024-08-06T23:42:11Z")
Does he cross the international date line twice, and miss his birthday altogether? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2304 "2024-08-07T00:01:24Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Was Gerald’s birthday on 29th February? > > **YES** > > My guess is that the ship crossed the international dateline so he missed his birthday > > **YES, but that would hardly make him the unluckiest man in the world.** > > meaning he will have an eight year wait between birthdays. > > **NO** KKKKKK ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2305 "2024-08-07T00:07:53Z")
Was there some sort of concession/allowance/benefit afforded to men on their birthday that Gerald missed? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2306 "2024-08-07T01:04:22Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Was there some sort of concession/allowance/benefit afforded to men on their birthday that Gerald missed?. **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:** [August 7, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2307 "2024-08-07T01:15:15Z")
Did poorly coded computer software (in the sense that it didn’t properly account for Feb. 29) cause a problem? Did Gerald miss an appointment or some other commitment? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2308 "2024-08-07T01:28:58Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did poorly coded computer software (in the sense that it didn’t properly account for Feb. 29) cause a problem? > Did Gerald miss an appointment or some other commitment?. **NO to both** ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2309 "2024-08-07T13:38:13Z")
Is the draft relevant? Did missing his birthday cause him to miss an opportunity to do something? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2310 "2024-08-07T13:45:23Z")
Does the bad luck have to do with Gerald’s military career? finances? love life? family life? health? reputation? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2311 "2024-08-07T14:02:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Does he cross the international date line twice, and miss his birthday altogether? You appear to have missed answering this question. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2312 "2024-08-07T14:36:43Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is the draft relevant? > > **NO** > > Did missing his birthday cause him to miss an opportunity to do something? > > **Celebrating his birthday.** > [@dirtball](#): > > Does the bad luck have to do with Gerald’s > military career? > finances? > love life? > family life? > health? > reputation? **NO** > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Does he cross the international date line twice, and miss his birthday altogether? **I actually thought it was just once and yes, he missed his birthday altogether.** So this _may_ seem like a full solution, but even this rare type of event would not make him so astoundingly unlucky when it comes to this type of thing. What might? His unluckiness is not catastrophic, folks. It’s a very specific unluckiness that makes him noteworthy ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2313 "2024-08-07T14:54:51Z")
Was the square piece of paper some sort of official military communication? Was it an invitation? If he had received the paper under other, less unusual circumstances, would he have been pleased to receive it? Displeased? Indifferent? Was there a war going on? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2314 "2024-08-07T15:33:27Z")
**NO to everything.** **Except:** **Typically he’d be indifferent .** ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2315 "2024-08-07T15:41:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I actually thought it was just once and yes, he missed his birthday altogether. To be clear, it’s something similar to: His birthday is Jan 10 At 23:59 on Jan 9, he crosses the date line. It becomes 23:59 on Jan 10. He enjoys his birthday for 1 minute, then the clock chimes, and it’s 00:00 on Jan 11. Is that correct? Maybe a different date, or maybe it’s just after midnight, rather than just before. Is leap year involved? Is the lack of a leap year in 1800/ 1900 involved? Maybe he missed two consecutive birthdays that way. Did this happen shortly after the date line was established? Making him the first ever person to lose a birthday this way? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2316 "2024-08-07T16:05:58Z")
Was the little square piece of paper a page from a page-a-day-type desk calendar? ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2317 "2024-08-07T16:07:36Z")
Was Gerald routinely accustomed to celebrating his birthday in some unusual way? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2318 "2024-08-07T16:12:22Z")
Is The Pirates of Penzance relevant here? Or possibly a situation similar to that in the operetta? (for reference, the main character was apprenticed to pirates “until his twenty-first birthday”, but since he was born on Leap Day, that would actually be an apprenticeship of 84 years) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2319 "2024-08-07T16:42:23Z")
Well, we know his depression wasn’t because the note told him he would need to stay on the ship longer than expected, so I don’t think it’s anything like that. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2320 "2024-08-07T19:18:05Z")
If his birthday had been some other day than Leap Day, but he had missed it in a similar fashion, would he have been: – About as unhappy as he was? – Still unhappy, but to a lesser degree? – Not unhappy at all? Did missing his birthday cause him to miss out on a chance to acquire some sort of distinction or status? Did he also cross the equator? At the same time? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=115) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=117)