# 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:** 200
**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:** [November 12, 2025, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3981 "2025-11-12T06:04:41Z")
Is there a pun involved? Is the goat ‘scaping? ---
**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:** [November 16, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3982 "2025-11-16T14:11:03Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Did it involve something a goat is well known for. Headbutting, eating rough vegetation? Hmmm Hard question. Well-known as specific to goatitude? No > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is there a pun involved? Is the goat ‘scaping? No clue what scaping is. Escaping? No ---
**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:** [November 16, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3983 "2025-11-16T16:09:27Z")
I did mean escaping, yes. Are any other puns? ---
**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:** [November 16, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3984 "2025-11-16T19:15:04Z")
Nope. No puns. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3985 "2025-11-17T15:41:56Z")
Is it normal behavior for a real goat? Will the answer make sense if we don’t know the song? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3986 "2025-11-17T15:48:36Z")
The questions are subjective however I would say so to both. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3987 "2025-11-18T04:44:27Z")
Hint: The lyrics were changed because it was deemed offensive by later generations. These are the original lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3988 "2025-11-18T13:56:08Z")
time to focus on the song. We’ve established that it was before 1950 and not the language you wrote them in but European. Was the song before 1920? Were the lyrics originally French? German? Spanish? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3989 "2025-11-18T15:43:22Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Was the song before 1920? Yep > [@Sigene](#): > > Were the lyrics originally French? German? Spanish? Nope nope & nope ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3990 "2025-11-18T15:59:47Z")
Latin? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3991 "2025-11-18T17:14:22Z")
Is the goat doing something gross or sexual, hence why it was changed? Is the song medieval in origin? Do we know it as a Christmas song? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3992 "2025-11-18T18:05:49Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Latin? No > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is the goat doing something gross or sexual, hence why it was changed? Yes > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is the song medieval in origin? Yes > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Do we know it as a Christmas song? No ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3993 "2025-11-18T19:09:03Z")
Is the song in something by Chaucer? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3994 "2025-11-18T19:39:34Z")
No it is not. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3995 "2025-11-19T14:38:10Z")
This LTP just is not going how I thought it would. With no objections in the next 24 hours, I’ll just end it. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2025, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3996 "2025-11-21T04:24:13Z")
It’s okay, Saint\_Cad. You can just reveal the answer if if like. Anyone mind if I give the next one? ---
**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:** [November 22, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3997 "2025-11-22T19:27:29Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Anyone mind if I give the next one? No ! ---
**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:** [November 22, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3998 "2025-11-22T19:38:43Z")
_Sumer is icumen in_ or Summer is Here is the oldest English song for which we know both the lyrics and the music. Its main feature is celebrating the cuckoo but the lyrics I picked are > [@Sigene](#): > > Is it fair to assume the lyrics as you gave them in English is the original language they were written? As I gave them no, since they are in Middle English Awe bleteþ after lomb lhouþ after calue cu Bulluc sterteþ Bucke uerteþ The ewe is bleating to her lamb. The cow is lowing to her calf. The bull is starting. The goat is farting. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2025, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3999 "2025-11-22T20:03:01Z")
Seriously? That’s like, the least gross things goats do. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4000 "2025-11-22T20:07:36Z")
Damn, I saw a Youtube video about this a couple of weeks ago, and didn’t recognize it. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UPeSYdCCATE/maxresdefault.jpg "The oldest surviving song in English is not what I expected") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPeSYdCCATE) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=199) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=201)