# 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:** 209
**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, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4161 "2025-12-16T18:45:34Z")
Was the sign related to WWII or some war? Did it refer to soldiers being in the dirt or mud which caused Nancy/Slugo to assume the tramp had been in the dirt and mud as a result of the war? ---
**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, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4162 "2025-12-16T19:28:24Z")
reply to Sigene: Was the sign related to WWII or some war? Yes Did it refer to soldiers being in the dirt or mud which caused Nancy/Slugo to assume the tramp had been in the dirt and mud as a result of the war? No ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4163 "2025-12-16T19:42:54Z")
Was it an instruction not to waste water? ---
**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, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4164 "2025-12-16T19:48:54Z")
Did the sign say something about a dirty job? ---
**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:** [December 16, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4165 "2025-12-16T21:13:34Z")
Advertising the movie The Dirty Dozen? ---
**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, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4166 "2025-12-16T21:49:27Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > Was it an instruction not to waste water? 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, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4167 "2025-12-16T21:49:47Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did the sign say something about a dirty job? 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, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4168 "2025-12-16T21:50:07Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Advertising the movie The Dirty Dozen? No ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4169 "2025-12-17T20:37:59Z")
Was the sign intended to be patriotic or promote patriotic feelings? Did it have a picture of a person on it? and if so did it resemble the tramp? Was it a common sign that we would recognize? Did the sign have picture(s) and words on it, or just one or the other? If it had words, how many words were there? ---
**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 18, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4170 "2025-12-18T01:34:28Z")
- reply to Sigene: Was the sign intended to be patriotic or promote patriotic feelings? yes Did it have a picture of a person on it? and if so did it resemble the tramp? no to picture Was it a common sign that we would recognize? not common Did the sign have picture(s) and words on it, or just one or the other? words If it had words, how many words were there? There are actually three signs. One with two words, one with eight words, and one with four words. The sign with four words also appears in the background of the final panel and is the most relevant —though all are the same theme. ---
**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 18, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4171 "2025-12-18T01:50:05Z")
Would the signs have been designed so that they worked together, collectively, to convey a message? Or were they separate signs that, simply by coincidence, happened to combine in a way that prompted 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 18, 2025, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4172 "2025-12-18T01:55:57Z")
. > [@dirtball](#): > > Would the signs have been designed so that they worked together, collectively, to convey a message? > Or were they separate signs that, simply by coincidence, happened to combine in a way that prompted the salute? They were meant to work together in a repeated message redundant way. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4173 "2025-12-18T13:53:00Z")
were the signs of the same format as Burma Shave marketing formats….including that they rhymed? ---
**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 18, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4174 "2025-12-18T14:42:53Z")
- > [@Sigene](#): > > were the signs of the same format as Burma Shave marketing formats….including that they rhymed? No ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4175 "2025-12-18T17:07:52Z")
did any of the signs have the word “salute”…Did the signs say “salute..(a particular person or group)” ---
**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 18, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4176 "2025-12-18T17:35:51Z")
- > [@Sigene](#): > > did any of the signs have the word “salute”…Did the signs say “salute..(a particular person or group)” No. ---
**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 18, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4177 "2025-12-18T19:00:19Z")
is the reason they are saluting because they misinterpreted the message on the sign? misinterpreted why the tramp was dirty? misinterpreted anything? ---
**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 18, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4178 "2025-12-18T19:18:53Z")
- > [@Nauplius](#): > > is the reason they are saluting because they misinterpreted the message on the sign? > > misinterpreted why the tramp was dirty? > > misinterpreted anything? No misinterpretation. ---
**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 19, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4179 "2025-12-19T14:34:57Z")
Were the signs Pro-Dirt? or Anti-Cleanliness? Did any of the signs have the word Dirt? Did any of the signs have the word Soap? Did any of the signs have the word Water? Did any of the signs have the word Clean? Did the signs imply patriotism? Or was it explicitly stated? Did any of the signs have the word Hero? Heroic? Did any of the signs have the word Patriot? Patriotic? ---
**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 19, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4180 "2025-12-19T18:46:09Z")
reply to Nauplius: ere the signs Pro-Dirt? No or Anti-Cleanliness? No Did any of the signs have the word Dirt? No Did any of the signs have the word Soap? Yes! Did any of the signs have the word Water? No Did any of the signs have the word Clean? No Did the signs imply patriotism? Yes Or was it explicitly stated? Yes Did any of the signs have the word Hero? No Heroic? No Did any of the signs have the word Patriot? No Patriotic? Yes [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=208) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=210)