# 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:** 214
**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 27, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4261 "2026-02-27T12:39:58Z")
Were you trying to find out if something was possible/allowed, and the error message told you it wasn’t? My question reminds me of the time in pre-internet days when I was trying to find out if a hardware store was open. I called the store, they answered the phone, and THAT told me everything I wanted to know. I then stood there mutely because I had no idea what to say and sheepishly hung up. ---
**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 27, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4262 "2026-02-27T15:46:40Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > My question reminds me of the time in pre-internet days when I was trying to find out if a hardware store was open. I called the store, they answered the phone, and THAT told me everything I wanted to know. I then stood there mutely because I had no idea what to say and sheepishly hung up. And then went to the store only to find out that they’d closed five minutes before you got there, or that they were closed the whole time but someone in there doing inventory had picked up the phone? ---
**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 27, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4263 "2026-02-27T17:35:43Z")
And now you know… the rest of the story! ---
**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 28, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4264 "2026-02-28T01:21:37Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Were you trying to find out if something was possible/allowed, and the error message told you it wasn’t? No, that wasn’t it. ---
**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 28, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4265 "2026-02-28T01:22:49Z")
Did you misspell the word? ---
**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 28, 2026, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4266 "2026-02-28T01:29:01Z")
Is it that you gave a one-word command, hoping it would work in the game, and it didn’t, but it worked on the computer? For example, you tried to mute the game, and you muted the entire computer, something like that? ---
**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 28, 2026, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4267 "2026-02-28T01:49:34Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did you misspell the word? No. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Is it that you gave a one-word command, hoping it would work in the game, and it didn’t, but it worked on the computer? For example, you tried to mute the game, and you muted the entire computer, something like that? 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:** [March 2, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4268 "2026-03-02T13:18:53Z")
Jumping back in. Tell me if I’m summarizing correctly. We’ve got a single word command, an older multiplayer game, an error message. Command is intended for the game you’re playing but… it was sort of a command from a different game and sort of not directly related to the game you were playing. Not a cheat code, not causing the character to take an action, not error checking. Was the command not from a game at all? Did the command do something outside of the game? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4269 "2026-03-02T22:16:37Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Jumping back in. Tell me if I’m summarizing correctly. > > We’ve got a single word command, an older multiplayer game, an error message. > > Command is intended for the game you’re playing but… it was sort of a command from a different game and sort of not directly related to the game you were playing. > > Not a cheat code, not causing the character to take an action, not error checking. All good so far. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the command not from a game at all? It wasn’t really from a game. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did the command do something outside of the game? It did not. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4270 "2026-03-03T00:19:55Z")
Was it a profanity, possibly typed in frustration because of something you were having trouble with? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4271 "2026-03-03T00:20:10Z")
No, not a profanity. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4272 "2026-03-03T01:44:39Z")
I can not wait to find out what this actually is. I’m totally lost. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4273 "2026-03-03T02:16:58Z")
Oh, and I’m wondering what happened to @Biotop – He hasn’t posted for two weeks. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4274 "2026-03-03T12:49:37Z")
Was the command from an operating system, business application, or a non-computer command? Did the error message acknowledge what command you entered, as in, it was a customized message for the command you entered, the alternative option being it was a generic “command not recognized” type of error? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4275 "2026-03-03T16:17:45Z")
Were you trying to exit the game, but generated an error which crashed the game, achieving the same desired result ? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4276 "2026-03-03T21:46:10Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the command from an operating system, Probably. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > , business application, Probably. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > , or a non-computer command? Arguably? > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did the error message acknowledge what command you entered, as in, it was a customized message for the command you entered, the alternative option being it was a generic “command not recognized” type of error? It was a generic “command not recognized” type of error. > [@pjd](#): > > Were you trying to exit the game, but generated an error which crashed the > game, achieving the same desired result ? 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:** [March 4, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4277 "2026-03-04T15:15:16Z")
Was the display of the error message the very thing that accomplished your purpose, or was there another effect that accomplished what you were trying to do? Were you trying to get the game to do something visual, auditory, or gameplay related? ---
**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:** [March 4, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4278 "2026-03-04T15:33:49Z")
Were you checking to see if the game allowed commands to be entered? Even though the specific command you entered failed you know that commands in general can be entered? ---
**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:** [March 4, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4279 "2026-03-04T22:50:27Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the display of the error message the very thing that accomplished your purpose Yes. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Were you trying to get the game to do something visual, auditory, or gameplay related? No. > [@Nauplius](#): > > Were you checking to see if the game allowed commands to be entered? No. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4280 "2026-03-04T23:09:39Z")
Were you trying to give a command to another player, and suddenly learned that you were giving a command to a computer? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=213) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=215)