# 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:** 217
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4321 "2026-03-25T18:03:35Z")
Is the text relevant for us to figure out the solution? Is there a pun involved? Or a misinterpreted figure of speech (like “stop on a dime”)? Is it critical that it is an ‘alarm’ clock rather than any other kind of clock? and is the solution dependent on the alarm being there or going off? ---
**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:** [March 25, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4322 "2026-03-25T18:42:51Z")
Something to do with the dog having “ticks” ? ---
**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:** [March 25, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4323 "2026-03-25T19:39:21Z")
. reply to Sigene Is the text relevant for us to figure out the solution? No Is there a pun involved? Yes Or a misinterpreted figure of speech (like “stop on a dime”)? No Is it critical that it is an ‘alarm’ clock rather than any other kind of clock? Not really and is the solution dependent on the alarm being there or going off? 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:** [March 25, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4324 "2026-03-25T19:41:37Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Something to do with the dog having “ticks” ? You got it!! The new vet in town is handsome, so Nancy wants to have a reason to take her dog there. So she gives him ticks. Wow. You folks are starting to think too much like Bushmiller for these to work anymore. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4325 "2026-04-01T22:40:26Z")
Since it’s been a week, and no one else jumped in, and it’s April 1st, there’s a story I tell in two different ways; I’ve always figured one makes me look better, and one worse, and I’ve never figured out which is which — and, after this gets solved, maybe someone can supply that answer. But never mind that now; here’s the true-story puzzle: **I went to a theater’s box office and handed them enough cash to buy a ticket to a play, and told them which showing I wanted to buy a ticket for; that showing was sold out, and they of course explained that the system wouldn’t let them issue me a ticket. I explained that there was no _need_ for a ticket; even if they _had_ given me one, I’d have had no plans to present it to anyone or let anyone else make use of it — sure as I didn’t plan on returning to that theater to see any showings. I then walked off, leaving the cash with them as planned. Why?** ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4326 "2026-04-01T22:50:08Z")
Did you have a reasonable expectation, when you handed over the money, that that showing might not have been sold out? If you had somehow managed to get a ticket, would you have watched the play? Was the showing you wanted to buy a ticket for of some sort of historical importance? Did it matter what theater it was? If so, was it a theater that most people would consider notable? Did you want to be able to truthfully say “I paid for a ticket for \_\_\_\_\_”? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4327 "2026-04-01T23:06:38Z")
Did you previously have a ticket that you used but somehow didn’t pay for? Like, maybe there was some kind of glitch with the computer system or with your credit card and the ticket was issued without the payment being processed? And now, being the honest person you are, you wanted to make good on 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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4328 "2026-04-01T23:09:45Z")
Donation? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4329 "2026-04-01T23:13:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Did you have a reasonable expectation, when you handed over the money, that that showing might not have been sold out? I had a reasonable expectation that that showing _was_ sold out. > [@](#): > > If you had somehow managed to get a ticket, would you have watched the play? When I handed them the cash, I had no desire to see any showings of the play. > [@](#): > > Was the showing you wanted to buy a ticket for of some sort of historical importance? No. > [@](#): > > Did it matter what theater it was? If so, was it a theater that most people would consider notable? Kind of a judgment call, but I don’t think it’s especially notable. > [@](#): > > Did you want to be able to truthfully say “I paid for a ticket for \_\_\_\_\_”? I did. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4330 "2026-04-01T23:16:04Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Did you previously have a ticket that you used but somehow didn’t pay for? No, but, wow, that’s a really great guess. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4331 "2026-04-01T23:16:08Z")
Could this have happened the same way if it had been a movie, rather than a play? Could it have happened with a different type of live performance, such as a concert? Were you personally acquainted with anyone involved with the production? Is the subject matter of the play relevant? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4332 "2026-04-01T23:16:46Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Donation? Nope. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4333 "2026-04-01T23:22:39Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Could this have happened the same way if it had been a movie, rather than a play? As far as I can tell, yeah. > [@](#): > > Could it have happened with a different type of live performance, such as a concert? Yeah. > [@](#): > > Were you personally acquainted with anyone involved with the production? No. > [@](#): > > Is the subject matter of the play relevant? I don’t think so. (As it happens, it was Guys And Dolls.) ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4334 "2026-04-01T23:30:17Z")
@The_Other_Waldo_Pepper When you asked for a particular showing, did you pick one at random or did it have to be that particular showing ? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4335 "2026-04-01T23:35:47Z")
Didbyou know the person from whom you were buying the ticket? Did you get something for your money? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4336 "2026-04-01T23:38:54Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > When you asked for a particular showing, did you pick one at > random or did it have to be that particular showing ? I didn’t pick at random; I had a definite preference for that one. If they’d insisted, I guess I would’ve settled for handing over the money for a different showing. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4337 "2026-04-01T23:39:10Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Did you want to be able to truthfully say “I paid for a ticket for \_\_\_\_\_”? > > I did. If we knew why you wanted that, would that constitute a complete solution to the puzzle? Aside from being sold out, was there any other reason the theater couldn’t sell you a ticket? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4338 "2026-04-01T23:40:37Z")
Did you do this because you had some sort of connection with someone involved in producing the play? Or with someone who worked at the theater? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2026, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4339 "2026-04-01T23:41:11Z")
did you want a receipt? and if so, was it so you had an alibi and could say you were at the play? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4340 "2026-04-01T23:44:16Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Didbyou know the person from whom you were buying the ticket? Nope. > [@](#): > > Did you get something for your money? I feel like either a “yes” or a “no” could later get me accused of giving a bad answer; tell me what you have in mind, and I’ll tell you if — well, if you got it right, of course, but also if it’s anything significantly similar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=216) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=218)