# 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:** 194
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3861 "2025-10-21T16:55:26Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > In 1956 Nancy (not her real name) entered an amateur ice skating exhibition as a last minute competitor. Because of this she ended up in jail. Why? Was her skirt too short? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3862 "2025-10-21T17:07:13Z")
- > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Was her skirt too short? No ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3863 "2025-10-21T17:09:03Z")
Was she a wanted criminal before entering the exhibition? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3864 "2025-10-21T17:50:11Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was she a wanted criminal before entering the exhibition? Yes ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3865 "2025-10-21T18:22:21Z")
So someone spotted her in the competition and recognized her? And that person either was part of Law Enforcement, or passed the information to them? Is that it? Any more to it? Do we need to work out her crime, or precisely how she was recognised? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3866 "2025-10-21T18:29:10Z")
- > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > So someone spotted her in the competition and recognized her? And that person either was part of Law Enforcement, or passed the information to them? Is that it? > > Any more to it? Do we need to work out her crime, or precisely how she was recognised? I am looking for something else. Because no one spotted her there, she did not register under her true name and she did not ever perform. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3867 "2025-10-21T18:48:30Z")
Did she register under a fictitious name? Did she register as some other real-life person? If she registered as some other real-life person, was she revealed to be an imposter, perhaps by someone who happened to know the other person? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3868 "2025-10-21T19:26:30Z")
reply to dirtball: Did she register under a fictitious name? Yes Did she register as some other real-life person? Sort of… If she registered as some other real-life person, was she revealed to be an imposter, perhaps by someone who happened to know the other person? Sort of… ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3869 "2025-10-21T19:33:02Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > If she registered as some other real-life person, was she revealed to be an imposter, perhaps by someone who happened to know the other person? Sort of… I seem to remember a story like this (maybe the same one) What? Suzie Dinkus is here. Man we go way back. Where is she? Umm … she’s right here. That’s not Suzie. That’s Nancy the fraudster. And the fact he knew she was a criminal happened to be a coincidence because he was one of her victims. It wasn’t national news. For Biotop: is that even close? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3870 "2025-10-21T19:50:54Z")
- > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I seem to remember a story like this (maybe the same one) > What? Suzie Dinkus is here. Man we go way back. Where is she? > Umm … she’s right here. > That’s not Suzie. That’s Nancy the fraudster. > And the fact he knew she was a criminal happened to be a coincidence because he was one of her victims. It wasn’t national news. > > For Biotop: is that even close? You are on the right track. Perhaps I have not played completely fair here, though I think the twist, in my defense, might be guessed… ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3871 "2025-10-21T19:55:05Z")
Did Nancy register using the name of a character (I’m guessing an ice-skating character) from a novel/movie/tv series/whatever storytelling medium? She might have assumed no one else would recognize the name.But someone did and said something? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3872 "2025-10-21T20:01:06Z")
She assumed no one would recognize the name… but not an ice- skating character. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3873 "2025-10-21T20:09:52Z")
Was the name actually an easily recognized name for the time and place? Is it correct to say that someone noticed that she was using a false name and that’s how she got reported to the police? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3874 "2025-10-21T20:26:24Z")
reply to Cheesesteak: Was the name actually an easily recognized name for the time and place? No. Is it correct to say that someone noticed that she was using a false name and that’s how she got reported to the police? Yes. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3875 "2025-10-21T20:39:13Z")
Was this character a criminal? If so, did Nancy commit the same crime as the character? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3876 "2025-10-21T20:49:15Z")
reply to dirtball: Was this character a criminal? No If so, did Nancy commit the same crime as the character? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3877 "2025-10-21T20:56:42Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Did she register as some other real-life person? **Sort of…** Did she register under the name of a real human? a fictional human? a real non-human? a fictional non-human? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3878 "2025-10-21T21:55:41Z")
- > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did she register under the name of a real human? > a fictional human? > a real non-human? > a fictional non-human? a fictional human ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3879 "2025-10-22T22:09:19Z")
was the amateur Ice Skating exhibition part of or related to the Olympics? Is the ‘exhibition’ part of the puzzle significant? Was she a professional skating in an amateur competition which led to legal consequences? ---
**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:** [October 22, 2025, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3880 "2025-10-22T23:47:54Z")
Had Nancy participated in other, similar events using a false name before this incident? Had she previously used her real name to do the same thing? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=193) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=195)