# 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:** 21
**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 10, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/401 "2023-08-10T00:13:02Z")
But Tony is our guy’s real name? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/402 "2023-08-10T00:13:33Z")
**Yes, Tony is his real name.** ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/403 "2023-08-10T00:31:29Z")
Was Tony a drummer? A guitarist? A bassist? A keyboardist? A singer? Other instrument? Combination of any of these? A producer? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/404 "2023-08-10T00:32:03Z")
**Singer** ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/405 "2023-08-10T00:34:47Z")
Is it Tony Bennet? (He’s not exactly a studio musician, but he has collaborated with a lot of different artists/bands/orchestras from multiple genres and has won multiple grammies for the effort.) ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/406 "2023-08-10T00:35:55Z")
**Not Tony Bennet.** ---
**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 10, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/407 "2023-08-10T00:36:48Z")
Is he currently alive? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/408 "2023-08-10T00:39:20Z")
Just looked him up and **yes, he is still alive**. But guessing names isn’t the puzzle. The question is, what is it about what he did five times that only makes sense to be done once? ---
**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 10, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/409 "2023-08-10T03:32:29Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > The question is, what is it about what he did five times that only makes sense to be done once? I’ll just make my guess more specific and ask: **Did he participate in five number one hits in a row?** I think it would be reasonable to have one in a row, so to speak. But five? That would be odd. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/410 "2023-08-10T03:40:48Z")
**No.** Consider this: “Five time number one hit maker” or “Five-time Grammy winner” are rare achievements, certainly. But they are still phrases that make sense. “Five time” this thing only makes sense with information that, fortunately, you have by now. ---
**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 10, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/411 "2023-08-10T04:11:33Z")
To be clear: he did this thing one time with each of five different bands. Is that correct? Could he just as well have done it five times with the same band? Is doing this thing an individual accomplishment? Or would it be proper to credit the whole band each time? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/412 "2023-08-10T04:12:38Z")
To be clear: he did this thing one time with each of five different bands. Is that correct? **Correct** Could he just as well have done it five times with the same band? **No** Is doing this thing an individual accomplishment? **Not in this case** Or would it be proper to credit the whole band each time? **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:** [August 10, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/413 "2023-08-10T04:19:12Z")
Does that mean that all the other members of the five bands have done it at least once? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/414 "2023-08-10T04:20:59Z")
**Yes.** ---
**Author:** ![SailorHG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SailorHG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SailorHG)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/415 "2023-08-10T09:02:31Z")
Is it being honoured or initiated (or whatever they call it) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Or some other such organisation? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/416 "2023-08-10T10:43:53Z")
I figured it out, but I spoiled myself because I didn’t think it would be fun for others if I jumped in with the answer after not participating. All I’ll say is that you guys are so close. ---
**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 10, 2023, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/417 "2023-08-10T11:04:39Z")
Is the word “first” involved? For example, his band’s first album went gold/ platinum? ---
**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 10, 2023, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/418 "2023-08-10T11:32:24Z")
Five time “best new artist”? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/419 "2023-08-10T12:41:59Z")
Is it being honoured or initiated (or whatever they call it) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Or some other such organisation? **No** Is the word “first” involved? **No** For example, his band’s first album went gold/ platinum? **No** Five time “best new artist”? **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:** [August 10, 2023, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/420 "2023-08-10T13:05:32Z")
Ok, so this is something that a band can do, but an individual band can only do once. He joined 5 different bands and the bands all did this thing. Is this directly related to the 5 hit songs he recorded with 5 separate bands? Wait, was he a member of 5 “one hit wonders”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=22)