# 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:** 125
**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 25, 2024, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2481 "2024-08-25T01:58:55Z")
reply to Ana\_Byrd: Is playground equipment involved? No Did she intend to use a slide No (or some other shiny surface) as a mirror? Yes. ---
**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 25, 2024, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2482 "2024-08-25T02:46:45Z")
Doesn’t she have a mirror in the house? ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2483 "2024-08-25T03:36:38Z")
Does she intend to read it reflected off of water? ---
**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 25, 2024, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2484 "2024-08-25T10:24:16Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > Biotop is recounting a joke from a comic strip called [Nancy](https://www.gocomics.com/nancy-classics), but that is apparently not important, it could happen in real life. Thanks for clearing that up! Okay so in order to read the last panel instead of turning the newspaper upside down does she turn herself upside down instead? ---
**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 25, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2485 "2024-08-25T10:55:33Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Doesn’t she have a mirror in the house? Probably. Not 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 25, 2024, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2486 "2024-08-25T10:58:29Z")
> [@newme](#): > > Does she intend to read it reflected off of water? 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 25, 2024, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2487 "2024-08-25T11:01:15Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Okay so in order to read the last panel instead of turning the newspaper upside down does she turn herself upside down instead? No. She does not take the newspaper to the park. She needs the park for some other reason than reading the newspaper comic strip. ---
**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 25, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2488 "2024-08-25T12:25:56Z")
Did she like the idea and so wanted her last panel to be upside down as well ? ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2489 "2024-08-25T13:34:03Z")
Was it something that could only be done on that particular day? Was it something that could only be done at that particular park? _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2490 "2024-08-25T13:47:20Z")
Just to see if I have this right. Nancy reads an in-her-universe comic strip The last panel of the in-her-universe comic strip was printed upside down by mistake Nancy goes to the park without the comic strip to hang upside down and see the reflection of something we don’t know what yet. ---
**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 25, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2491 "2024-08-25T14:26:00Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Did she like the idea and so wanted her last panel to be upside down as well ? Not exactly. ---
**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 25, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2492 "2024-08-25T14:28:46Z")
reply to Bicycle\_Bill: Was it something that could only be done on that particular day? For the gag to work, Yes Was it something that could only be done at that particular park?Or similar spot. ---
**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 25, 2024, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2493 "2024-08-25T14:35:05Z")
reply to Saint\_Cad: Just to see if I have this right. Nancy reads an in-her-universe comic strip Yes. The last panel of the in-her-universe comic strip was printed upside down by mistake Yes. Nancy goes to the park without the comic strip Yes.to hang upside down No. and see the reflection Yes.of something we don’t know what yet.more like why we don’t know yet. ---
**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 25, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2494 "2024-08-25T16:39:53Z")
it the last panel, is the top of Nancy’s head closer to the ground than her neck? ---
**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 25, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2495 "2024-08-25T20:21:02Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Did she like the idea and so wanted her last panel to be upside down as well ? 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 25, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2496 "2024-08-25T20:22:16Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > it the last panel, is the top of Nancy’s head closer to the ground than her neck? No. ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2497 "2024-08-26T00:38:12Z")
Is the date itself a reflectable date that also appears unchanged when viewed upside down … like August 8, 1988 – which would have been written as 8/8/88 and was in the inverted panel in the cartoon strip – so she went to the park depicted in the cartoon strip to see for herself? _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**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 26, 2024, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2498 "2024-08-26T11:07:12Z")
reply to Bicycle\_Bill: Is the date itself a reflectable date that also appears unchanged when viewed upside down … like August 8, 1988 – which would have been written as 8/8/88 and was in the inverted panel in the cartoon strip – so she went to the park depicted in the cartoon strip to see for herself? No ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2499 "2024-08-26T15:42:24Z")
Is there a word involved that reads upside down? Backwards? ---
**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 26, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2500 "2024-08-26T16:13:03Z")
Was Nancy looking at a pond or lake? Did she see the view beyond the lake upside down in the reflection? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=124) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=126)