# 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:** 49
**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:** [September 4, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/961 "2023-09-04T16:10:25Z")
I just sat here for minutes trying to think laterally about the current puzzle and I can’t even come up with a question or guess. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/962 "2023-09-04T17:52:58Z")
You and me both squire. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/963 "2023-09-04T18:27:48Z")
Is this an ASCII version of something? Is a tube or tunnel involved? Does the ? part mean something else besides a question? Is this an ear canal? ---
**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:** [September 4, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/964 "2023-09-04T18:28:46Z")
I’ll point out that when one poster suggested 16 semicolons, they had to explain their answer, which means it may not have been clearly wrong right away. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/965 "2023-09-05T05:29:24Z")
A smoking gun? A cigarette? ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/966 "2023-09-05T14:26:08Z")
What is eight divided by eight? ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/967 "2023-09-05T15:16:25Z")
We need some feedback from @Peter_Morris ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/968 "2023-09-05T15:24:24Z")
Eight dots above, eight dots below. Above-Below Above -Below Above-Below Above -Below Above-Below Above -Below Above-Below Above -Below 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow 'bove-'elow Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/969 "2023-09-05T15:33:11Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’ll point out that when one poster suggested 16 semicolons, they had to explain their answer, which means it may not have been clearly wrong right away. This suggests the answer is NOT a sentence or a collection of words, it’s a set of punctuation marks or symbols, which you will then explain why it’s the right answer with words. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/970 "2023-09-05T15:34:02Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > We need some feedback from @Peter_Morris No right answers so far. I don’t know how to give a hint without completely giving it away. Think about what : could mean as a symbol. That’s the best I can do. Feel free to ask friends, family, etc if they have any idea. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/971 "2023-09-05T15:38:05Z")
Is it Braille? Two dots over each other is the letter B. In Morse code it wouldn’t be anything. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/972 "2023-09-05T15:38:55Z")
Nope. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/973 "2023-09-05T15:43:06Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Think about what : could mean as a symbol. That’s the best I can do. Is to (as in ratios.) That is, or possibly therefore (as a punctuation mark.) In neither case does a set of eight of them suggest to me anything in particular. Eight on its side is infinity; but I don’t see how that helps, either. This question is to seven other questions as . . . How long does this series go on? What is the next term in this series? – in which case, the answer is : ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/974 "2023-09-05T16:02:53Z")
If we turn it sideways like a text emoji, its a guy with 16 eyes sticking out their tongue : ) Here is the [wikipeida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colon_(punctuation)) page on colons, none of them seem particularly helpful. > [@Rebo](#): > > Is it Braille? Two dots over each other is the letter B. In Morse code it wouldn’t be anything. I haven’t worked it out completely but based on this maybe it translates to “To be or not to be that is the question” ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/975 "2023-09-05T18:19:50Z")
Does it have anything to do with music or musical notation? ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/976 "2023-09-05T18:27:19Z")
nope. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/977 "2023-09-05T18:27:23Z")
nm ---
**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:** [September 6, 2023, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/978 "2023-09-06T00:20:40Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Is to (as in ratios.) That is, or possibly therefore (as a punctuation mark.) This is a possibility. Think about this, where does it lead you. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/979 "2023-09-06T15:26:32Z")
Okay, I think it’s time to end this. If I said **a:α::z:?** you’d know the answer, right? **:** means “is to” **::** means “as” **::::::::?** means **::** is to **:** as **:** is to **?** Answer **.** ---
**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:** [September 6, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/980 "2023-09-06T15:29:26Z")
: Colon is to : colon as : colon, : that is : colon : therefore : colon is to :colon ? I tried handing it over to my sleeping brain overnight; but that’s still the only place that it leads me to this morning. And that doesn’t make a great deal of sense. – OK, I was typing that as you were typing your answer. And I didn’t know that : : means “as”. But given that info: that’s a good one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=50)