# 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:** 25
**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 14, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/481 "2023-08-14T18:28:48Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > You say the book is written in English, but are the father/daughter native speakers of English? > > Yes > > Was it a winter day?. > > No. Yeppers ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/482 "2023-08-14T18:37:50Z")
Is it a matter of changing vocabulary? Was the weather compared to something else? An object? A person? A concept? An activity? A point in time? Was it described as making someone feel a certain way? Is a parasol or umbrella involved? Any piece of equipment or clothing that might be useful, depending on weather? Did the book take place on Earth? ---
**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 14, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/483 "2023-08-14T18:41:41Z")
Is the misunderstanding related to the color of the sky? A word that the elder person interprets as grey and the younger person blue? ---
**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 14, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/484 "2023-08-14T19:47:26Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Is it a matter of changing vocabulary? > > **Vocabulary? No, I don’t think so. However, this is a wise path to go down. But words are words.** > > Was the weather compared to something else? An object? A person? A concept? An activity? A point in time? > > **An Object** > > Was it described as making someone feel a certain way? > > **NO** > > Is a parasol or umbrella involved? > > **NO** > > Any piece of equipment or clothing that might be useful, depending on weather? > > **NO** > > Did the book take place on Earth? > > **Yes, I think so. Though irrelevant to puzzle.** > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Is the misunderstanding related to the color of the sky? > > **YES** > > A word that the elder person interprets as grey and the younger person blue? > > Not just a word, but you are on the right path. Good so far. We’re getting there. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/485 "2023-08-14T20:04:13Z")
Was the color of the sky compared to something … like the sea ? ---
**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 14, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/486 "2023-08-14T20:16:39Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Was the color of the sky compared to something … like the sea? NO. But yes it was compared to something. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/487 "2023-08-14T23:17:21Z")
Was the colour of the sky compared to something that used to be grey but is now blue? Was it compared to something which while it can be either blue or grey is now more commonly blue? Was it cmpared to something which older people tend to encounter grey ones and younger people blue ones? ---
**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 14, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/488 "2023-08-14T23:19:43Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#): > > Was the colour of the sky compared to something that used to be grey but is now blue? > > **YES** > > Was it compared to something which while it can be either blue or grey is now more commonly blue? > > **NO** > > Was it cmpared to something which older people tend to encounter grey ones and younger people blue ones? > > **NO** I think we are just about close enough here, but can anyone think of something that used to be grey, but is now blue? I can give a hint in a bit. ---
**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 14, 2023, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/489 "2023-08-14T23:58:34Z")
Is the thing metaphorical or a physical object? Is it governmental, commercial or naturally occurring? ---
**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 15, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/490 "2023-08-15T00:00:02Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Is the thing metaphorical or a physical object? > > Physical > > Is it governmental, commercial or naturally occurring? > > It’s a piece of technology. Something that has changed. Yeppers ---
**Author:** ![SailorHG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SailorHG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SailorHG)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/491 "2023-08-15T07:52:38Z")
This makes me think of “the sky” as viewed on old black-and-white televisions vs. modern televisions that show a colourful blue. Something like that? ---
**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 15, 2023, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/492 "2023-08-15T11:32:18Z")
It’s a physical technology object, and these objects would have been gray in the past but are blue today. Are they handheld objects? ---
**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:** [August 15, 2023, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/493 "2023-08-15T12:31:11Z")
Do most older people still think of them as grey, or are they pretty much blue for everyone now? ---
**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 15, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/494 "2023-08-15T13:42:32Z")
> [@SailorHG](#): > > This makes me think of “the sky” as viewed on old black-and-white televisions vs. modern televisions that show a colourful blue. Something like that? This is the answer. The book is Neuromancer by William Gibson. It’s opening line is: > [@](#): > > **“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.”** Dad thought it was grey and static color. Girl thought it was blue. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/495 "2023-08-15T14:33:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Dad thought it was grey and static color. Girl thought it was blue. I have NEVER seen a sky the color of the blue screen of death. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/496 "2023-08-16T02:25:45Z")
A 5-problem puzzle in 1! +++++ \* A boy falls into a hole and cannot get out. No nearby rope or ladder is available. How is he rescued? \*A woman is trying to watch a romance movie on television. The video on the TV is fine, but something is wrong with the audio and she cannot hear what is going on. Her niece has an idea to help. What? \* An entertainment company has an issue with unauthorized access to their product by certain non-paying customers. How is unauthorized access prevented? \* Two fellows wearing large hats are outside walking to a party on a gusty day. One of them has a problem with the wind blowing off his hat. Then other does not. Why not? \* A lady has a terrible migraine headache and needs absolute silence in her home. Even the clock is too noisy. What to do? +++++ In each of the above cases the problem is solved by the use of a particular object (or in one case objects). It is same object in each situation! What is this object? Bonus points for how the object is used 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 16, 2023, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/497 "2023-08-16T04:32:03Z")
Are these real situations or hypotheticals? Is the important part the material the object is made of? The shape of the object? A use it was designed for? Did any of these cases involve putting this thing on someone’s ears? (I sat out the last one because I was already familiar with the quote - still clever, though! But now I’m back.) ---
**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:** [August 16, 2023, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/498 "2023-08-16T10:24:26Z")
reply to Ana\_Byrd: Are these real situations or hypotheticals? Fictional. Is the important part the material the object is made of? Yes. The shape of the object? Yes A use it was designed for? No Did any of these cases involve putting this thing on someone’s ears? No. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/499 "2023-08-16T18:19:52Z")
Is it a wire coat hanger ? It’s always a wire coat hanger. ---
**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 16, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/500 "2023-08-16T18:22:55Z")
Is it Duct Tape? WD-40? That covers things that move when they shouldn’t and things that don’t move when they should. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=26)