# 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:** 17
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/321 "2023-08-07T17:24:52Z")
Was the body contaminated in some way? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/322 "2023-08-07T17:30:26Z")
Was the man famous? Would he have been famous before his death? I have a hunch, but the case I’m thinking of would, in fact, have involved “a fall from a height”. Was he an astronaut/cosmonaut? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/323 "2023-08-07T18:49:09Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#): > > Was the body contaminated in some way? NO. > [@Chronos](#): > > Was the man famous? Would he have been famous before his death? > > **Not very famous, but at least a little bit well known. Like, not very famous at all, but certainly there was a little bit of fame before he died. I bet at least the local newspaper carried the story of his death.** > > I have a hunch, but the case I’m thinking of would, in fact, have involved “a fall from a height”. > > **HE DID NOT FALL FROM A HEIGHT** > > Was he an astronaut/cosmonaut? > > **NO** Word count. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/324 "2023-08-07T20:44:16Z")
Does the location where he died matter? Was it a house fire? Work related? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/325 "2023-08-07T20:59:08Z")
Did the man spontaneously combust, and his body was claimed by the FBI for scientific research ? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/326 "2023-08-07T21:03:43Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Does the location where he died matter? > > **YES** , mainly as it will help you down the path to understanding this lateral puzzle solution, which is more than a simple solution. > > Was it a house fire? > > **NO** > > Work related? > > **YES** > [@pjd](#): > > Did the man spontaneously combust, and his body was claimed by the FBI > for scientific research ? NO to spontaneous combustion NO to any kind of claim by the FBI or scientists 😆 ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/327 "2023-08-07T21:31:22Z")
Was he a firefighter? Was the fire started by his actions? Did the fire occur at a residential property? Place of business? Public building? Government property? Not a building, e.g. forest fire? Was there some law that prevented him being buried there? Would he have been buried there if his dog had not been there? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/328 "2023-08-07T21:50:04Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was he a firefighter? > > NO > > Was the fire started by his actions? > > Unknown, though I’ll say “NO” and “IRRELEVANT”. > > Did the fire occur at a residential property? Place of business? Public building? Government property? Not a building, e.g. forest fire? > > **A public building that did business.** > > Was there some law that prevented him being buried there? > > NO > > Would he have been buried there if his dog had not been there? > > NO Good questions. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/329 "2023-08-07T22:55:18Z")
Was fire a part of his job? Or was this just a straight-up uncontrolled “call the fire department” kind of fire? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/330 "2023-08-07T22:59:01Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Was fire a part of his job? > > **A little bit.** > > Or was this just a straight-up uncontrolled “call the fire department” kind of fire? > > **Kind of both.** Yeppers. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/331 "2023-08-07T23:27:11Z")
Was he a cook or baker? And I know I’ve been asking some kind of gross questions, but will the actual answer be kind of gross? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/332 "2023-08-07T23:40:45Z")
Did he work in a cre​ma​to​ri​um? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2023, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/333 "2023-08-07T23:55:11Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was he a cook or baker? > > NO > > And I know I’ve been asking some kind of gross questions, but will the actual answer be kind of gross? > > There is some morbid nature to the whole thing, but no, it isn’t gross. I don’t think so, anyway. > [@dirtball](#): > > Did he work in a cre​ma​to​ri​um? NO good questions ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/334 "2023-08-08T00:43:50Z")
Will part of the solution be figuring out where he was laid to rest instead? ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/335 "2023-08-08T01:01:08Z")
NO. We don’t need that at all. ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/336 "2023-08-08T01:11:05Z")
Was somebody else buried in his reserved grave? ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/337 "2023-08-08T02:25:32Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was somebody else buried in his reserved grave?. Just his dog as far as I know. ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/338 "2023-08-08T12:17:43Z")
Were they unable to identify his body due to the fire? ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/339 "2023-08-08T13:24:30Z")
Did he die a great distance from his home? Another country? ---
**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:** [August 8, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/340 "2023-08-08T13:50:44Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Were they unable to identify his body due to the fire? I’m going to break this question down for you. Were they able to identify his body? **NO, NOT FOR SURE.** Because of the fire? **YES AND NO.** He was not burned to ashes; there was a body, not just a pile of ash. So while the fire was a big part of the problem, it is not the only thing contributing to the lack of identification. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did he die a great distance from his home? Another country? NO [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=18)