# 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:** 158
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3141 "2025-04-19T12:25:41Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Is it to do with “tomatoes” sounding a bit like “two eight oh”? Like the mnemonic for how many feet are in a mile (“five tomatoes”=5280) **no** ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3142 "2025-04-19T12:28:31Z")
Does the wordplay have to do with ketchup = catch up? **no** is the exact number of tomatoes 101? **no** 102? **no** 103? **no** … 999? **under 500, answered earlier** ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3143 "2025-04-19T12:31:00Z")
Would having the right number of tomatoes actually help Mr. D in the way he imagines? Or does he misunderstand something? **he misunderstands something.** ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3144 "2025-04-19T15:10:01Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > 999? **under 500, answered earlier** Do I really have to list all of the numbers from 101 to 500? 104? 105? 106? … insert all numbers in between … 499? ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3145 "2025-04-19T15:13:03Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Do I really have to list all of the numbers from 101 to 500? > 104? > 105? > 106? > … > insert all numbers in between > … > 499? **Ok, 116 tomatoes.** ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3146 "2025-04-19T15:18:24Z")
Its the fact that’s 911 upside down relevant? Did he read a message the wrong way up? ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3147 "2025-04-19T15:22:54Z")
**No to both**. ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3148 "2025-04-19T15:28:32Z")
Coming in here having read everything and taking my shots. Is he spelling a word or number with the tomatoes? Is he celebrating anything? Are birthdays involved in any way? Have we heard of this event? Is a foreign language involved at 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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3149 "2025-04-19T15:28:43Z")
I thought the wordplay was supposed to be obvious once we knew the number but I got nothing. Is the word play based on: “one hundred sixteen”? “one hundred _and_ sixteen”? “one one six”? “one sixteen”? Are the numerals read as letters as in 116 = IIG or IIb Hmmm … if it were just 16 it could be lb as in pounds. Is 116 = 1 lb as the wordplay? ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3150 "2025-04-19T15:30:40Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > If we knew the exact number would it be obvious about the solution? **yes** > [@Rebo](#): > > Ok, 116 tomatoes Nothing obvious about that to me. ETA: Nothing obvious to me about 58, either (presuming each of the people who are going to eat them gets an equal share). Except, possibly, that that’s a whole lot of standard size tomatoes for one person to eat, even as sauce; unless they’re going to be preserved. I can’t remember whether that question’s been asked. ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3151 "2025-04-19T15:35:38Z")
Did he love someone “a bushel and a peck?” ---
**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:** [April 19, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3152 "2025-04-19T16:12:57Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > ETA: Nothing obvious to me about 58, either If 114, maybe something about Heinz 57 sauce. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3153 "2025-04-19T23:35:57Z")
Did his spouse ask him to pick up “one beefsteak tomato” (or something?) from the store and they mumbled or he wasn’t listening well, so he heard “one-sixteen tomatoes” and just got all the tomatoes the store had, which was 93? Was it a translation error of some sort? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3154 "2025-04-20T17:10:50Z")
Is the riddle and everyone involved speaking and understanding English? ---
**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:** [April 20, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3155 "2025-04-20T17:16:43Z")
@Rebo (can you come in and update our questions with answers?) ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3156 "2025-04-21T12:00:39Z")
Coming in here having read everything and taking my shots. Is he spelling a word or number with the tomatoes? He is not. Is he celebrating anything? No Are birthdays involved in any way? No Have we heard of this event? No event Is a foreign language involved at all? No [/quote] ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3157 "2025-04-21T12:01:53Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Nothing obvious about that to me. When the solution is revesled it will be obvious! ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3158 "2025-04-21T12:06:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Are the numerals read as letters as in 116 = IIG or IIb > Hmmm … if it were just 16 it could be lb as in pounds. Is 116 = 1 lb as the wordplay? Ding ding ding! He has a list from his wife that says “tomatoes 1lb”. The store only had 93 tomatoes, and he is worried she will be upset he didn’t get 116. We have to assume this is in the age before cell phones. 😃 ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3159 "2025-04-21T16:46:48Z")
Something unique happened to the group of Shipp, Galloway, Gibson, Nolan, Mayes, Padgett, Handman, Justice & Williams. What was it? ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3160 "2025-04-21T17:16:14Z")
All are people? Each name is a separate one individual? Do or did they play sports? Have we heard of this group? Musical group? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=157) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=159)