# 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:** 55
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1081 "2023-09-13T11:36:16Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Communists? No. Heh heh. I do recall one Nancy daily strip that referenced Kruschev’s shoe banging, though I forget the exact details. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1082 "2023-09-13T11:38:15Z")
> [@SailorHG](#): > > Is it a skunk farm? (Though I can’t see how climbing a tree would save you from being sprayed!) Not skunks. ---
**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 13, 2023, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1083 "2023-09-13T11:46:46Z")
Porcupines? ---
**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 13, 2023, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1084 "2023-09-13T12:01:19Z")
An alligator farm? Goats? Pigs? Ducks/geese/chickens? ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1085 "2023-09-13T12:23:47Z")
Spiders? Mice? These would pose a real danger (though often a danger in cartoons as well) Lions? Tigers? Rhino? ---
**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 13, 2023, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1086 "2023-09-13T12:33:20Z")
Snakes ? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1087 "2023-09-13T12:42:48Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > An alligator farm? > Goats? > Pigs? > Ducks/geese/chickens? GOATS! Yes a goat farm. In Nancy there are always angry goats on any random farm ready to charge at Sluggo. And our final panel shows Sluggo using the rake/ladder to escape such a goat on Glomper’s Goat Farm. Good job everyone. Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy was pretty much a daily lateral thinking puzzle that didn’t give the reader any time or need to actually think. The last panel was the gag and the previous panels the set up. Cover up any last panel and try and guess its contents based on the clues from the previous panels. Therein is the fun. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1088 "2023-09-13T13:41:36Z")
Good one! ---
**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 13, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1089 "2023-09-13T14:07:21Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > GOATS! Yes a goat farm. In Nancy there are always angry goats on any random farm ready to charge at Sluggo. And our final panel shows Sluggo using the rake/ladder to escape such a goat on Glomper’s Goat Farm. Good job everyone. Can you link to the comic strip? ---
**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 13, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1090 "2023-09-13T17:23:19Z")
Yay! I got it. (With wild guesses.) 😉 ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1091 "2023-09-13T20:09:44Z")
**A misshapen lump. Another lump, with a handle. A warped sawblade. A long pronged stick.** **A man presents these items as a group to an audience. People are puzzled, then frustrated. If I did the same thing he did to you guys, you would be puzzled and angry at me as well. What am I talking about?** ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1092 "2023-09-13T20:18:01Z")
Dammit, I know this one too. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1093 "2023-09-13T20:19:37Z")
Other than the handle, are the lumps the same? Are the lumps metal? Stone? Wood? Dirt? Plastic? Is the handle wood? Metal? Plastic? Is the sawblade from a circular saw? Hand saw? Chainsaw? Is the stick wooden? Are the prongs wooden? Do the lumps, blade, and stick form letters? Are the audience coworkers? Clients? An audience for an entertainment production? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1094 "2023-09-13T20:21:18Z")
> [@Rhodes](#): > > Other than the handle, are the lumps the same? **Not precisely** > Are the lumps metal? Stone? Wood? Dirt? Plastic? **Unknown** > Is the handle wood? Metal? Plastic? **Unknown** > Is the sawblade from a circular saw? Hand saw? Chainsaw? **Handsaw** > Is the stick wooden? Are the prongs wooden? **Unknown** > Do the lumps, blade, and stick form letters? **No** > Are the audience coworkers? Clients? An audience for an entertainment production? **Entertainment audience** Post not empty ---
**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 13, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1095 "2023-09-13T20:24:42Z")
Is it a magic trick of some sort? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1096 "2023-09-13T20:25:25Z")
**Not a magic trick.** ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1097 "2023-09-13T20:26:41Z")
Was the sawblade used to form the lumps or stick? Had the items been taken from the audience? Is it the audience of a live theater production? Magic show? Street performance? Sporting event? Movie? Television? Book? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1098 "2023-09-13T20:29:29Z")
> [@Rhodes](#): > > Was the sawblade used to form the lumps or stick? **No** (or better said **unknowable** ) > Had the items been taken from the audience? **No** > Is it the audience of a live theater production? Magic show? Street performance? Sporting event? Movie? Television? Book? **None of these (but book is closest)** Post not empty ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1099 "2023-09-13T21:09:26Z")
Are the lumps the same size? Is one or both bigger than his fist? Bigger than a basketball? Are they made of something that could be easily reshaped by hand, like the way you might work with fresh Play-Doh? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1100 "2023-09-13T21:11:31Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Are the lumps the same size? \*\*Roughly \*\* > Is one or both bigger than his fist? **I think so?** > Bigger than a basketball? **No** > Are they made of something that could be easily reshaped by hand, like the way you might work with fresh Play-Doh? **Unknown** Post not empty [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=54) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=56)