# 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:** 159
**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, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3161 "2025-04-21T17:18:32Z")
Yes Yes No Probably not. Just to clarify, they were individuals grouped together. Not a group like sports, music, acting troupe, &c. Does that make sense? Nope ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3162 "2025-04-21T17:21:41Z")
Are each of these names a surname? > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Probably not. Just to clarify, they were individuals grouped together. Not a group like sports, music, acting troupe, &c. Does that make sense? By this, do you mean that they happened to be brought together by circumstance (all happened to be in the same place at the same time, say, or the same unusual thing happened to all of them), rather than them choosing to associate with each other? ---
**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, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3163 "2025-04-21T18:16:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Are each of these names a surname? Yes > [@Chronos](#): > > By this, do you mean that they happened to be brought together by circumstance (all happened to be in the same place at the same time, say, or the same unusual thing happened to all of them), rather than them choosing to associate with each other? For the purpose of this LTP think the former. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3164 "2025-04-21T18:24:02Z")
just to clarify Justice & Williams refers to two separate people as in Justice, Williams. and are not intentionally supposed to be grouped as a single entity? oh…and while I’m at it. All of the names refer to ‘persons’ as we typically think of them and not something else? ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3165 "2025-04-21T18:30:22Z")
Is the fact that there are nine names significant? Could something similar have happened to a group of eight or twelve? ---
**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, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3166 "2025-04-21T18:32:08Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is the fact that there are nine names significant? Could something similar have happened to a group of eight or twelve? Or even a group of one. > [@Sigene](#): > > Justice & Williams > > refers to two separate people as in Justice, Williams. and are not intentionally supposed to be grouped as a single entity? Correct. Avoiding the Oxford comma. > [@Sigene](#): > > oh…and while I’m at it. All of the names refer to ‘persons’ as we typically think of them and not something else? Yep. Human beings ---
**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:** [April 21, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3167 "2025-04-21T18:37:48Z")
Did this group consist of men? Women? Both? Would this puzzle be easier if we knew their first names? Were they (or their immediate survivors, if some / all of them were dead) pleased that this thing happened to them? Displeased? Indifferent? ---
**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, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3168 "2025-04-21T19:12:41Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Did this group consist of men? Women? Both? All men but sex/gender is immaterial to the LTP. > [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Would this puzzle be easier if we knew their first names? Nope > [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Were they (or their immediate survivors, if some / all of them were dead) pleased that this thing happened to them? Displeased? Indifferent? I’m sure all were displeased the event happened. 6 were very displeased with the outcome whereas 3 were (I presume) pleased with the outcome. To answer the question you kind of asked, none of them died as a result of the event. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3169 "2025-04-21T19:42:04Z")
Were these people US residents, and the event that happened to them take place in the US? Did the event have any connection to the law or legal matters? Do you know their profession, and is their profession important to the solution? ---
**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, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3170 "2025-04-21T19:56:31Z")
Are the names relevant at all? Is this just a random selection of last names and any set of last names would have worked for the puzzle? ---
**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 22, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3171 "2025-04-22T03:18:24Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Were these people US residents, and the event that happened to them take place in the US? > > Did the event have any connection to the law or legal matters? > > Do you know their profession, and is their profession important to the solution? Yes & Yes Yes it does Two of them had occupations that are known and relevant to the LTP. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Are the names relevant at all? Nope as in the names are not the puzzle. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is this just a random selection of last names and any set of last names would have worked for the puzzle? Absolutely not ---
**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:** [April 22, 2025, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3172 "2025-04-22T05:52:43Z")
Is this a well known event? Can we get a time period? Say, 20th century? Were they all accused of a crime? Victims of a crime? Were they plaintiffs in a lawsuit? Defendants in a lawsuit? ---
**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 22, 2025, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3173 "2025-04-22T12:27:45Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Nope as in the names are not the puzzle. Hmmmmmmmmm… ---
**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 22, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3174 "2025-04-22T15:48:45Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is this a well known event? > > Can we get a time period? Say, 20th century? > > Were they all accused of a crime? Victims of a crime? > > Were they plaintiffs in a lawsuit? Defendants in a lawsuit? Not that well known 20th Century Accused & Defendants ---
**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:** [April 23, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3175 "2025-04-23T16:17:56Z")
So is this puzzle just guessing the crime, or is there something lateral to figure out here? ---
**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 23, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3176 "2025-04-23T16:55:06Z")
Definitely a lateral aspect as the case itself is (as of now) unique ---
**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:** [April 23, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3177 "2025-04-23T16:57:10Z")
Was it a financial crime? Anything to do with fraud? ---
**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:** [April 23, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3178 "2025-04-23T17:00:40Z")
Were some of them acquitted? Was the victim of the crime (they were accused of) human? ---
**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 23, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3179 "2025-04-23T18:24:16Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was it a financial crime? Anything to do with fraud? Nope > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Were some of them acquitted? > > Was the victim of the crime (they were accused of) human? Yes 6 convicted; 3 acquitted Technically no. This will make sense when you find out the whole story. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3180 "2025-04-23T20:52:15Z")
Was it murder? Were they all (allegedly) conspiring together to commit the same crime? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=158) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=160)