# 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:** 208
**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:** [December 15, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4141 "2025-12-15T16:57:27Z")
Did they see the unrelated thing: …on someone’s residential property as they walked by? …at a business? …at a park, playground, or something in that general category? Was it a sign? A newspaper headline? ---
**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:** [December 15, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4142 "2025-12-15T17:14:51Z")
reply to dirtball: Did they see the unrelated thing: …on someone’s residential property as they walked by? No\* …at a business? No\* …at a park, playground, or something in that general category? No\* Was it a sign? Yes A newspaper headline? No \* The exact nature of the location is hard to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4143 "2025-12-15T23:25:45Z")
was the ‘tramp’ wearing something that triggered the salute? Was he holding something that triggered the salute? Was he covered with something that triggered it If not any of these, was there something of his or possession next to him that caused the salute? ---
**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:** [December 15, 2025, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4144 "2025-12-15T23:55:17Z")
reply to Sigene: was the ‘tramp’ wearing something that triggered the salute? I guess Was he holding something that triggered the salute? No Was he covered with something that triggered it Yes If not any of these, was there something of his or possession next to him that caused the salute? 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:** [December 16, 2025, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4145 "2025-12-16T02:23:10Z")
Was he covered with newspaper? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4146 "2025-12-16T02:25:49Z")
- > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Was he covered with newspaper? No ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4147 "2025-12-16T04:07:00Z")
covered in a flag? Or maybe covered with a blanket/cloth that resembled a flag? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4148 "2025-12-16T04:14:44Z")
Were his clothes interpreted as a uniform? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4149 "2025-12-16T12:16:09Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > covered in a flag? > > Or maybe covered with a blanket/cloth that resembled a flag? No ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4150 "2025-12-16T12:16:42Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Were his clothes interpreted as a uniform? No ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4151 "2025-12-16T14:43:43Z")
Was he covered in something unusual that we wouldn’t typically expect? Just as an example, I’m thinking wet paint that caused a confusion, or dirt or pigeons (making him a ‘full bird’ colonel!) ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4152 "2025-12-16T14:45:42Z")
Did the sign have wording that included the word “salute” or a variation of it? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4153 "2025-12-16T15:10:48Z")
reply to Sigene: Was he covered in something unusual that we wouldn’t typically expect? Yes, though not unusual for a comic strip tramp. Just as an example, I’m thinking wet paint No that caused a confusion, or dirt Yes or pigeons (making him a ‘full bird’ colonel!) No ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4154 "2025-12-16T15:11:54Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did the sign have wording that included the word “salute” or a variation of it? 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:** [December 16, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4155 "2025-12-16T15:25:34Z")
Did the dirt make a recognizable pattern, encouraging the kids to salute? ---
**Author:** ![Nauplius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nauplius/32/51_2.png) [@Nauplius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nauplius)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4156 "2025-12-16T15:31:04Z")
so they saw a sign that made them want to salute the tramp because he was covered in dirt is that correct so far? If so, did the sign say something that made them think dirt was heroic? Like “Real heroes get their hands dirty” or something like that? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4157 "2025-12-16T15:39:51Z")
Does the answer somehow play on the trope that kids don’t like to take baths? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4158 "2025-12-16T17:20:55Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did the dirt make a recognizable pattern, encouraging the kids to salute? No ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4159 "2025-12-16T17:23:40Z")
reply to Nauplius: so they saw a sign that made them want to salute the tramp because he was covered in dirt is that correct so far? Yes If so, did the sign say something that made them think dirt was heroic? close Like “Real heroes get their hands dirty” or something like that? getting there, but not there yet. ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4160 "2025-12-16T17:24:05Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Does the answer somehow play on the trope that kids don’t like to take baths? No [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=207) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=209)