# 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:** 139
**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 14, 2024, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2761 "2024-10-14T09:22:10Z")
Yes, congrats! ---
**Author:** ![MonkeysBrother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@MonkeysBrother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeysBrother)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2762 "2024-10-14T18:49:12Z")
OK, so I’m curious… What was the park? What was the ride? What did the sign actually say? ---
**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 14, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2763 "2024-10-14T21:01:28Z")
Well, it was Universal Studios Florida, and it was the _Fast & Furious: Supercharged_ ride. It wasn’t written words on signage: Ludacris appears on video monitors and conversationally refers to the ride attendants while you and the rest of the group may otherwise get bored waiting for the get-on-the-ride doors to open; these aren’t, of course, the real-time video calls they purport to be — and that slackjawed little kids might figure they are — but are, instead, just prerecorded bits where he’d conveniently made use of unisex names. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeysBrother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@MonkeysBrother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeysBrother)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2764 "2024-10-15T00:19:03Z")
Thanks. ---
**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 15, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2765 "2024-10-15T14:16:55Z")
A few think I should be the 13th member of the group but everyone is satisfied with just the twelve. Adding to that identity crisis, no one is really sure who I am although pretty much everyone on Earth has seen me. At least they know I study herpetology so that’s something. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2766 "2024-10-15T14:21:00Z")
Are you a constellation? ---
**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 15, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2767 "2024-10-15T14:22:25Z")
Yes I thought it would be solved in 24 hours but this is crazy ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2768 "2024-10-15T14:56:44Z")
[Are you Rufus, the 13th disciple?](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120655/?ref_=nm_flmg_knf_i_4) ---
**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 15, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2769 "2024-10-15T14:59:26Z")
Nope I am not. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2770 "2024-10-15T15:15:55Z")
@colinfred sort of gave it away… Are you Ophiuchus, the constellation of the serpent-bearer? ---
**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 15, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2771 "2024-10-15T15:24:24Z")
Yep. I was afraid it was too easy. I almost left out the reference to herpetology. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2772 "2024-10-15T15:27:41Z")
I didn’t know about Ophiuchus. I think leaving out the 12 would have been better, as I think that just made it too obvious. ---
**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 16, 2024, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2773 "2024-10-16T17:20:39Z")
That’s the weird thing. Sometimes you think it is too easy but they will be one of the better ones. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2774 "2024-10-16T17:39:24Z")
Absolutely. Some of my best ones were unexpected. Some of the ones I thought would be great landed with a thud. ---
**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 19, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2775 "2024-10-19T13:20:56Z")
Speaking of the unexpected and landing with a thud, let me try one I’ve mentioned in another thread: my daughter was once given a homework assignment, and did at least nine-tenths of it correctly; having reviewed her answers, her teacher then accused her — quite reasonably, and in good faith — of not having done _any_ of it. She then wordlessly showed the evidence that, no, she’d put in the work to get the right answer every time. What explains the accusation and the vindication? ---
**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:** [October 19, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2776 "2024-10-19T13:41:37Z")
Was the assignment multiple choice? Was the assignment true/false? Did the assignment have ten questions? Were the questions on the assignment all discrete (i.e., you could remove any of the questions, or put one of the questions on a different assignment, and have it still make sense?) Did the teacher believe that she had gotten the answers from someone else (copying, or someone doing it for her, etc.)? Did she do the last tenth correctly? Did the assignment have objective, right or wrong answers (like math calculations)? Did it have subjective answers (like assessing the tone of a poem)? Did each question have only one right answer? ---
**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 19, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2777 "2024-10-19T13:44:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the assignment multiple choice? > Was the assignment true/false? > Did the assignment have ten questions? Ten true/false questions. > [@](#): > > Were the questions on the assignment all discrete (i.e., you could remove any of the questions, or put one of the questions on a different assignment, and have it still make sense?) Yes. > [@](#): > > Did the teacher believe that she had gotten the answers from someone else (copying, or someone doing it for her, etc.)? No. > [@](#): > > Did she do the last tenth correctly? Yes. > [@](#): > > Did the assignment have objective, right or wrong answers (like math calculations)? Did it have subjective answers (like assessing the tone of a poem)? Objective. > [@](#): > > Did each question have only one right answer? No. ---
**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:** [October 19, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2778 "2024-10-19T19:51:37Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Did each question have only one right answer? > > No. Did you maybe give an incorrect response there? Or did you really mean that some of the questions have two or more correct answers? So that on one or more questions T and F are both correct answers? ---
**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 19, 2024, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2779 "2024-10-19T20:05:46Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did you maybe give an incorrect response there? Or did you really mean that some of the questions have two or more correct answers? So that on one or more questions T and F are both correct answers? I really meant it, but maybe not in the way you have in mind. For example, consider kindergarteners or first-graders who get asked if their first name has an odd number of vowels: for some kids in the class that’d be _true,_ and for some _false,_ right? ---
**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:** [October 19, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2780 "2024-10-19T20:38:30Z")
Well, then, would your daughter’s answers have been correct for every student in the class? Is there any one specific other student for which they would all have been correct? Did the teacher know, before this assignment, which answers would be true or false for any given student? Was there an unexpected pattern in your daughter’s answers (for instance, all true, or alternating true and false)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=138) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=140)