# 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:** 143
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2841 "2025-03-13T14:25:03Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Were they able to get the cat to produce something by kneading? Are you going with making bread on this one? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2842 "2025-03-13T14:31:27Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Were they able to get the cat to produce something by kneading? No. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2843 "2025-03-13T16:01:41Z")
Was the cat itself a replacement for something? Was the rationed item Gas Steel Rubber A food product? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2844 "2025-03-13T16:06:31Z")
Was the cat’s dandruff substitute for flour? Did it have to do with the cat’s hair/fur? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2845 "2025-03-13T16:08:55Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the cat itself a replacement for something? > > Was the rationed item > Gas > Steel > Rubber > A food product? No to all. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2846 "2025-03-13T16:09:33Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Was the cat’s dandruff substitute for flour? > Did it have to do with the cat’s hair/fur? No to all. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2847 "2025-03-13T16:17:05Z")
Just to clarify, was it a rationed item that a household would be issues a ration book for? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2848 "2025-03-13T16:26:20Z")
: > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Just to clarify, was it a rationed item that a household would be issues a ration book for? Yes. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2849 "2025-03-13T16:29:27Z")
Are the cat’s claws involved? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2850 "2025-03-13T16:31:34Z")
Was it a raw item such as rubber or steel? Was it a finished item like tires or washing machines? Stealing from Ana\_Byrd, did it involve sewing? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2851 "2025-03-13T16:40:44Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Are the cat’s claws involved? 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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2852 "2025-03-13T16:42:28Z")
reply to Saint\_Cad: Was it a raw item such as rubber or steel? No. Was it a finished item like tires or washing machines? Yes. Stealing from Ana\_Byrd, did it involve sewing? 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:** [March 13, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2853 "2025-03-13T16:48:56Z")
Were pillows or slippers or hot water bottles ever rationed? Is it of those things of which I said? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2854 "2025-03-13T17:25:18Z")
reply to Saint\_Cad: Were pillows or slippers or hot water bottles ever rationed? Not sure about all of these. Shortages of materials made many items completely unavailable. One site I just checked said that slippers and sandals simply disappeared from all stores at the time. If the hot water bottles were made from needed material, I would guess they might be unavailable. Pillows… if the material was needed for the war, maybe? Is it of those things of which I said? Not exactly, but I don’t think I can say firmly 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:** [March 13, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2855 "2025-03-13T18:05:48Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > > [@dirtball](#): > > > > Were they able to get the cat to produce something by kneading? > > Are you going with making bread on this one? Well, before the **no** , I wouldn’t have ruled it out, but since Nancy thinks laterally, I wouldn’t have wanted to limit it to just that. That said: Was Nancy taking advantage of something we might think of as “typical cat behavior”? Could a dog or an armadillo or goldfish have produced similar results? (Or any other animal?) ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2856 "2025-03-13T18:18:42Z")
reply to dirtball: Was Nancy taking advantage of something we might think of as “typical cat behavior”? Yes. Could a dog or an armadillo or goldfish have produced similar results? (Or any other animal?) 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:** [March 13, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2857 "2025-03-13T18:19:24Z")
Was the cat pushing things off a table? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2858 "2025-03-13T18:40:07Z")
Is the usefulness of the cat as a replacement for X related to its production of body heat? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2859 "2025-03-13T18:43:31Z")
Was the “product” produced somehow from the cat purring? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2860 "2025-03-13T18:47:22Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was the cat pushing things off a table? No. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=142) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=144)