# 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:** 133
**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:** [October 8, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2641 "2024-10-08T21:18:20Z")
Nope. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2642 "2024-10-09T03:42:42Z")
Did several employees use the same name? Did someone address this employee by a different name? Does the type of business matter? If so, was it service, professional, entertainment? retail? Was the employee human? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2643 "2024-10-09T04:04:50Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Did several employees use the same name? If they did, I wasn’t aware of it. > [@](#): > > Did someone address this employee by a different name? If they did, I wasn’t aware of it. > [@](#): > > Does the type of business matter? If so, was it service, professional, entertainment? retail? Entertainment. > [@](#): > > Was the employee human? Decidedly. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2644 "2024-10-09T11:13:38Z")
Was this a movie theater? Were they dressed in a uniform or themed costume? Did you stumble upon a secret government plot? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2645 "2024-10-09T12:59:47Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was this a movie theater? No. > [@](#): > > Were they dressed in a uniform or themed costume? Not in the sense of a superhero with a jumpsuit and cape: or Elvis Presley, with, uh, jumpsuit and cape. But in the sense of the uniform that “guy who works at a Target, with, what, khakis and a red shirt” wears, yeah. > [@](#): > > Did you stumble upon a secret government plot? Well, not _then,_ 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:** [October 9, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2646 "2024-10-09T13:16:18Z")
Was the employee a child or infant? Was the entertainment sports? Stage? Adult? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2647 "2024-10-09T13:20:04Z")
Was the name used also the name of a fictional character or a celebrity? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2648 "2024-10-09T14:22:09Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was the employee a child or infant? No. > [@](#): > > Was the entertainment sports? Stage? Adult? No. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2649 "2024-10-09T14:22:23Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the name used also the name of a fictional character or a celebrity? Nope. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2650 "2024-10-09T14:24:08Z")
Did the employee use a different name on a previous occasion? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2651 "2024-10-09T14:28:41Z")
Did the name sound like something that could be made up, such as a pun or a pop culture reference, or whatever? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2652 "2024-10-09T14:39:34Z")
Would it help to know the kind of entertainment? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2653 "2024-10-09T14:41:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Did the employee use a different name on a previous occasion? Again, that’s of course what I’m _figuring_ — and, gun to my head, it’s how I’d bet — but I’m not aware of them doing so. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2654 "2024-10-09T14:41:48Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did the name sound like something that could be made up, such as a pun or a pop culture reference, or whatever? No, nothing like that. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2655 "2024-10-09T15:17:41Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Would it help to know the kind of entertainment? Sort of? For example, a poster upthread asked if this took place at a movie theater, and I replied that it didn’t — but I’d figure that something significantly similar _could’ve_ played out at a movie theater. Absent that earlier question, it might have been misleading for me to answer you here by saying _“well, it didn’t take place at a movie theater”_ — which you might take to mean _“aha, he’s ruling out that possibility for some reason”_ when I’m actually just saying _“no, it didn’t happen to take place at a movie theater.”_ That said, I guess I’d advise you to narrow it down: it couldn’t hurt (if you’re not taking it as ruling out stuff going pretty much the same way in some other setting) and could help. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2656 "2024-10-09T15:42:51Z")
Was the name they were using that you concluded probably wasn’t their real name: - A first name? - A last name - Both? - A name the person gave when they introduced themself to you? - A name you heard someone else call them? - A name you saw written down, but did not hear spoken? Was the name itself unusual enough to make it likely that it was an alias (e.g., “Lady Gaga”)? Or was it a regular, normal name? Were they in a job where using a stage name / pen name / other type of alias is common? If you had met the same person, using the same name, in some other context, such as being introduced to them at a party, would you have had any reason to question whether it was their real name? Is the type of information the employee gave you 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:** [October 9, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2657 "2024-10-09T16:21:15Z")
Did they use a name that was in some fashion related to your name? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2658 "2024-10-09T16:25:08Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Entertainment. Were they possibly using a stage name? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2659 "2024-10-09T21:27:35Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Was the name they were using that you concluded probably wasn’t their real name: > > - A first name? > - A last name > - Both? > - A name the person gave when they introduced themself to you? > - A name you heard someone else call them? > - A name you saw written down, but did not hear spoken? First name; they gave it, someone else called them it, I heard it spoken. > [@](#): > > Was the name itself unusual enough to make it likely that it was an alias (e.g., “Lady Gaga”)? Or was it a regular, normal name? Regular and normal. > [@](#): > > Were they in a job where using a stage name / pen name / other type of alias is common? I don’t believe so. > [@](#): > > If you had met the same person, using the same name, in some other context, such as being introduced to them at a party, would you have had any reason to question whether it was their real name? No, I don’t think I would’ve. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2660 "2024-10-09T21:39:27Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is the type of information the employee gave you relevant I’m not sure. For example, IIRC they told me where the exit was — and I don’t think it would’ve changed my conclusion about their name if they _hadn’t_ mentioned it, and if someone else had mentioned it instead (or if i’d already simply noticed that the exit was clearly marked before _anyone_ brought it up). (Or, if I’m misremembering and they _didn’t_ actually tell me where the exit was, I would’ve reached the same conclusion if they _had_ pointed it out for me.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=132) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=134)