# 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:** 121
**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:** [August 19, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2401 "2024-08-19T18:15:58Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was Nancy’s reason for going to the park unusual (that is, as far as most people would normally think about typical reasons for going to the park)? Yes. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2402 "2024-08-19T20:47:48Z")
Did Nancy misinterpret something in the paper as being the coordinates of buried treasure ? Is the newspaper actually relevant (eg, did she hear something on the radio while she was reading the paper) ? ---
**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:** [August 19, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2403 "2024-08-19T21:24:14Z")
reply to pjd: Did Nancy misinterpret something in the paper as being the coordinates of buried treasure ? No. Is the newspaper actually relevant (eg, did she hear something on the radio while she was reading the paper) ? Newspaper is relevant. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2404 "2024-08-19T21:26:29Z")
Did something in the newspaper remind her that she’d left something in the park? ---
**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 19, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2405 "2024-08-19T21:39:27Z")
Would it also have made sense for her, on reading the same stories and otherwise experiencing the same morning, to go to some other park? Or to some non-park recreational space? Would she be expected to spend most of the day at the park? More than an hour? Just long enough to do something quick and go right back home? Was the understanding she reached while reading the paper true and accurate? > [@Biotop](#): > > Is the newspaper actually relevant (eg, did she hear something on the > radio while she was reading the paper) ? Newspaper is relevant. To expand on this: You said that the newspaper was relevant, but was anything else she saw, heard, or otherwise experienced while reading, but which was not mentioned in the puzzle description, also relevant? ---
**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:** [August 19, 2024, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2406 "2024-08-19T21:43:08Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Did something in the newspaper remind her that she’d left something in the park? 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:** [August 19, 2024, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2407 "2024-08-19T21:50:11Z")
reply to Chronos: Would it also have made sense for her, on reading the same stories and otherwise experiencing the same morning, to go to some other park? Possibly. Or to some non-park recreational space? Possibly. Would she be expected to spend most of the day at the park? No.More than an hour? No.Just long enough to do something quick and go right back home? Yes. Was the understanding she reached while reading the paper true and accurate? Yes. > [@Biotop](#): > > Is the newspaper actually relevant (eg, did she hear something on the > radio while she was reading the paper) ? Newspaper is relevant. To expand on this: You said that the newspaper was relevant, but was anything else she saw, heard, or otherwise experienced while reading, but which was not mentioned in the puzzle description, also relevant? Nothing else of note. ---
**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 19, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2408 "2024-08-19T21:54:46Z")
In order to do what she was going to do, did Nancy have to act immediately? Could she have waited until the next day? Was the weather a factor? Was any other person involved? ---
**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:** [August 19, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2409 "2024-08-19T22:15:23Z")
reply to dirtball: In order to do what she was going to do, did Nancy have to act immediately? Yes. Could she have waited until the next day? No. Was the weather a factor? I guess… Was any other person involved? 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 19, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2410 "2024-08-19T22:19:16Z")
Was there an eclipse? ---
**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 19, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2411 "2024-08-19T22:25:26Z")
Was it essential that she go outside? ---
**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:** [August 19, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2412 "2024-08-19T22:37:24Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was there an eclipse? 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:** [August 19, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2413 "2024-08-19T22:39:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was it essential that she go outside? I don’t know if I’d call it essential, but I don’t readily see how else to make the gag work. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2414 "2024-08-19T23:20:51Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Would it also have made sense for her, on reading the same stories and otherwise experiencing the same morning, to go to some other park? Possibly. Or to some non-park recreational space? Possibly. Was her decision not actually primarily to go to the park, but primarily to get out of the house, and the park just happened to be the most convenient place to go? ---
**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:** [August 20, 2024, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2415 "2024-08-20T00:21:22Z")
reply to thorny\_locust: Was her decision not actually primarily to go to the park, but primarily to get out of the house, and the park just happened to be the most convenient place to go? No ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2416 "2024-08-20T08:40:00Z")
Did whatever caused Nancy to go to the park cause her to physically feel good? amuse her? stop something bad from happening? ---
**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:** [August 20, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2417 "2024-08-20T12:34:52Z")
reply to colinfred: Did whatever caused Nancy to go to the park cause her to physically feel good? No. amuse her? No. stop something bad from happening? Possibly…. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2418 "2024-08-20T12:38:59Z")
Was she trying to improve her health? Was she satisfied after visiting the park that she accomplished her goal? ---
**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:** [August 20, 2024, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2419 "2024-08-20T12:53:15Z")
reply to Cheesesteak: Was she trying to improve her health? No. Was she satisfied after visiting the park that she accomplished her goal? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2420 "2024-08-20T13:12:42Z")
Could she have accomplished her goal by going somewhere other than the park? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=120) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=122)