# 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:** 213
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4241 "2026-02-24T23:24:01Z")
Was the game The Prisoner? ---
**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:** [February 24, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4242 "2026-02-24T23:25:48Z")
No, it was not. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4243 "2026-02-24T23:48:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The command was intended for the game I was playing. > > I apologize for any confusion this may cause, given my previous answer (which was also true). Hmm. So the command was both was directed at the game, and was not directly related to the game you were playing. It’s sorta a configuration thing, but not entirely so. Did it involve saving? ---
**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:** [February 24, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4244 "2026-02-24T23:51:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Hmm. So the command was both was directed at the game, and was not directly related to the game you were playing. It’s sorta a configuration thing, but not entirely so. Correct on all counts. > [@BigT](#): > > Did it involve saving? 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:** [February 25, 2026, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4245 "2026-02-25T14:16:15Z")
Did you mistakenly enter a command from a different game? ---
**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:** [February 25, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4246 "2026-02-25T15:18:43Z")
Would it help to know which game it was? ---
**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:** [February 25, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4247 "2026-02-25T22:41:31Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did you mistakenly enter a command from a different game? I guess you could sort of say yes? But not really. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Would it help to know which game it was? No. ---
**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:** [February 25, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4248 "2026-02-25T23:23:40Z")
Was the command something you didn’t really think the game would recognize, but you decided to try it anyway because, well, why not? ---
**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:** [February 25, 2026, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4249 "2026-02-25T23:34:36Z")
No. (more characters to please Discourse) ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4250 "2026-02-26T00:58:53Z")
I am not a gamer and have only very limited knowledge of computers. Am I likely to be able to understand the answer when somebody finally gets it? ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4251 "2026-02-26T01:05:35Z")
Yes, and you might even be the someone who gets it. ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4252 "2026-02-26T01:17:48Z")
Hmmm. Does it have anything to do with the keyboard? Did you try to tell the game to pause or stop, and the game didn’t recognize the command but paused or stopped because it got a command it didn’t recognize? ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4253 "2026-02-26T01:24:02Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Hmmm. Does it have anything to do with the keyboard? Beyond the fact that I typed it in, no. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Did you try to tell the game to pause or stop, and the game didn’t recognize the command but paused or stopped because it got a command it didn’t recognize? 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:** [February 26, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4254 "2026-02-26T14:51:37Z")
have you used the command in this game before? if so has it worked before? when the command failed did you get a message that the command failed? or did you get no response? were you typing a command to see if the game had frozen? ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4255 "2026-02-26T15:32:59Z")
Did you type a word that has multiple meanings and the alterntive meaning was what you needed? ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4256 "2026-02-26T15:36:49Z")
Was the command a keyboard shortcut, such as Control-A or F5 or some such? A single word? A phrase (that is, not a grammatically complete sentence)? A grammatically complete sentence? ---
**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:** [February 26, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4257 "2026-02-26T16:55:00Z")
Was it a multiplayer game? Were you trying to communicate with another player? ---
**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:** [February 27, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4258 "2026-02-27T00:59:02Z")
> [@Nauplius](#): > > have you used the command in this game before? if so has it worked before? I don’t think I have. > [@Nauplius](#): > > when the command failed did you get a message that the command failed? or did you get no response? Yes, I got an error message. > [@Nauplius](#): > > were you typing a command to see if the game had frozen? No. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Did you type a word that has multiple meanings and the alterntive meaning was what you needed? No. > [@dirtball](#): > > Was the command a keyboard shortcut, such as Control-A or F5 or some such? > A single word? > A phrase (that is, not a grammatically complete sentence)? > A grammatically complete sentence? A single word. > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Was it a multiplayer game? Were you trying to communicate with another player? Yes and no, respectively. ---
**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:** [February 27, 2026, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4259 "2026-02-27T07:51:20Z")
Were you trying to get the error message? To test whether the game would recognize the command? Was the command invalid for censorship reasons (i.e. the Scunthorpe Problem)? ---
**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:** [February 27, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4260 "2026-02-27T11:43:05Z")
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