# 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:** 18
**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 8, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/341 "2023-08-08T13:53:48Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > So while the fire was a big part of the problem, it is not the only thing contributing to the lack of identification. If this leads me to think that there were multiple bodies burned beyond identifiable-ness and consequently no one could tell who was who, would I be on the right track? ---
**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, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/342 "2023-08-08T14:00:50Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > If this leads me to think that there were multiple bodies burned beyond identifiable-ness and consequently no one could tell who was who, would I be on the right track?.. **They were not burned beyond recognition, strange as it may seem.** ---
**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, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/343 "2023-08-08T14:02:03Z")
Did he and his twin brother both die, and they couldn’t tell which was which? ---
**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, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/344 "2023-08-08T14:06:06Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did he and his twin brother both die, and they couldn’t tell which was which?. **Close, but no, he did not have a twin.** ---
**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, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/345 "2023-08-08T14:10:20Z")
Triplet? Quad? Someone who looked very like him? ---
**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 8, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/346 "2023-08-08T14:10:59Z")
Was there some other person involved who closely resembled him (at least, close enough to make distinguishing them nontrivial)? Was there some other person involved who in some other way might be confused with him (for instance, have the same or similar names)? If either of those is true, did the other person die at the same or close to the same time as this person? ---
**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, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/347 "2023-08-08T14:13:08Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Triplet? Quad? > > **NO**. > > Someone who looked very like him? > > **YES, at least after a fire.** > [@Chronos](#): > > Was there some other person involved who closely resembled him (at least, close enough to make distinguishing them nontrivial)? > > **YES, especially at the time of the fire.** > > Was there some other person involved who in some other way might be confused with him (for instance, have the same or similar names)? > > **NO** > > If either of those is true, did the other person die at the same or close to the same time as this person? > > YES, both died in the fire along with many others. You are all quite close, but I wonder if you can narrow in on the specifics of what happened. I’ll reveal the full solution later today, but you are all so close to getting what happened. ---
**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 8, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/348 "2023-08-08T14:16:47Z")
Did the fire break out at a gathering of Elvis impersonators? “Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love…” ---
**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, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/349 "2023-08-08T15:10:24Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did the fire break out at a gathering of Elvis impersonators? Nope. ---
**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, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/350 "2023-08-08T15:22:18Z")
Was there one person or many people who closely resembled him when the fire broke out? Was it an intended gathering or were they together by random chance? Family gathering? ---
**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, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/351 "2023-08-08T15:24:42Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was there one person or many people who closely resembled him when the fire broke out? > > **One specific person.** > > Was it an intended gathering or were they together by random chance? > > **Intended gathering.** > > Family gathering? > > **NO**. This will be solved today. ---
**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, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/352 "2023-08-08T15:30:56Z")
National Association of Marlon Brando Look-Alikes? ---
**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 8, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/353 "2023-08-08T15:40:19Z")
Were these two people both being in the same place related to the fact of their physical resemblance? What we have right now, I think, is that a person did not receive the post-mortem treatment he would have liked and had pre-arranged, because he died in a fire together with someone else who closely resembled him, and presumably, their remains were confused for each other. ---
**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, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/354 "2023-08-08T15:49:09Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > National Association of Marlon Brando Look-Alikes? No, but can you think of any other reason these two people might be together? It’s not a celebrity look-alike contest. ---
**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, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/355 "2023-08-08T15:50:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Were these two people both being in the same place related to the fact of their physical resemblance? YES > [@Chronos](#): > > What we have right now, I think, is that a person did not receive the post-mortem treatment he would have liked and had pre-arranged, because he died in a fire together with someone else who closely resembled him, and presumably, their remains were confused for each other. Basically. I think just putting together the reasons for them being there together is about all there is. I’ll give the answer tonight, but I really think someone will guess it soon. ---
**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, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/356 "2023-08-08T15:55:28Z")
Did the two resembling people choose to come together themselves or was it organized by a third party? Were there other people at this location who also resembled another person in the location? ---
**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 8, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/357 "2023-08-08T15:56:17Z")
Was one of them a stunt double for the other on a movie shoot? If so, were they shooting a scene in which something was on 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 8, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/358 "2023-08-08T16:15:33Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did the two resembling people choose to come together themselves or was it organized by a third party? > > **THEMSELVES** > > Were there other people at this location who also resembled another person in the location? > > **NO** > [@dirtball](#): > > Was one of them a stunt double for the other on a movie shoot? > If so, were they shooting a scene in which something was on fire? No to everything here. Good thinking, though. ---
**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, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/359 "2023-08-08T16:29:37Z")
Did the two people know each other beforehand? If so, how long were they acquainted? all their lives? decades? years? months? days? ---
**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, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/360 "2023-08-08T16:50:02Z")
Were they closely related? Siblings? Cousins? Was this a family occasion? Did the meeting occur specifically _because_ they looked similar? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=19)