# 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:** 169
**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:** [June 18, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3361 "2025-06-18T16:47:52Z")
Is it someone in a profession where they routinely ask for their clients’ birth dates? ---
**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:** [June 18, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3362 "2025-06-18T16:48:45Z")
No, it was not. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3363 "2025-06-18T18:38:02Z")
Someone you’re related to? Someone who works at the church? ---
**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:** [June 18, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3364 "2025-06-18T18:43:56Z")
No and yes, respectively. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3365 "2025-06-18T21:50:47Z")
The minister? Someone in charge of event calendars? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3366 "2025-06-19T00:03:56Z")
No to both. Callout to @Mahaloth , @Biotop , @Saint_Cad, in case they didn’t notice that a new puzzle is up. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3367 "2025-06-19T00:07:57Z")
Were there flowers on the altar during services for her birthday? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3368 "2025-06-19T00:10:33Z")
There were flowers on the altar, but not for her birthday specifically, just for the Easter season. As an aside, when there are flowers in church, Mom’s the one who waters them, so making more work for her wouldn’t be a very nice birthday gesture. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3369 "2025-06-19T00:26:33Z")
Was the text-sending phone owned by the church–like, it would normally used to conduct church business? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3370 "2025-06-19T00:27:02Z")
No, it was not. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3371 "2025-06-19T00:42:09Z")
Was the text meant for your mother? Her birthday instead of, say,… Jesus’ birthday? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3372 "2025-06-19T01:14:59Z")
Yes, intended for my mother, and yes, for her birthday. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3373 "2025-06-19T01:18:50Z")
Is it a friend of your mom’s? Someone in her social circle outside of Church? Someone in the prayer circle? Someone in a group associated with the Church? Was it a male? Female? Going completely lateral: was it someone borrowing a phone? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3374 "2025-06-19T01:25:59Z")
Is it a friend of your mom’s? Let’s say “acquaintance” Someone in her social circle outside of Church? No Someone in the prayer circle? No Someone in a group associated with the Church? I suppose? Was it a male? Female? Female Going completely lateral: was it someone borrowing a phone? OK, I like that one, but no. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3375 "2025-06-19T01:41:50Z")
Had you ever met the person who sent the text? (If yes: would you still have been able to figure it out even if you had not met the person?) Did the phone number have an area code / country code that was unusual for the place where your mother lives? Was there anything else distinctive about it? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3376 "2025-06-19T01:42:32Z")
Was it someone she had arranged to meet at church that week? Do people normally text your mom to tell her when they won’t be at church? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3377 "2025-06-19T01:47:55Z")
So the text sender was not in your mom’s contacts. Is it therefore safe to assume your mom was, for some reason, in the sender’s contacts? (No specific scenario in mind where this would be important; just trying to figure out where lateral thinking might come into play.) Might the sender have previously been listed in your mom’s contacts? For example (but not limited to this), your mom might have gotten a new phone and, in the process of transferring over from the old phone, lost some or all of her contacts? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3378 "2025-06-19T02:25:42Z")
Did your mother’s birthday coincide with the date of some event or some cancelled event that allowed the caller to know your mother’s birthday? ( for example another birthday party). Did the person who texted, upon discovering your mother’s approaching birthday, have to look up the number somewhere else to be able to text her? Did the person know your mother’s text number before finding out about her birthday? Did someone else specifically inform the texter about your mother’s birthday? Would knowing the age of the texter help us at 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:** [June 19, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3379 "2025-06-19T02:28:03Z")
Was there something in the specific language used in the text that helped you identify the person texting? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2025, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3380 "2025-06-19T02:31:11Z")
Did the church produce the kind of fund-raising calendar that lists local people’s birthdays on it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=168) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=170)