# 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:** 56
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1101 "2023-09-13T21:17:28Z")
The thing that he does—does it involve audience participation? Is it musical? ---
**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, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1102 "2023-09-13T21:21:59Z")
**Neither of these** ---
**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, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1103 "2023-09-13T21:23:28Z")
Is he a comedian? ---
**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 13, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1104 "2023-09-13T21:23:48Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > 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? I’m 99% sure I know what you’re talking about. Knowing the reference I wouldn’t be puzzled. Not sure why you think I’d be angry. ---
**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, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1105 "2023-09-13T21:42:42Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Is he a comedian? **Yes, of a sort** > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’m 99% sure I know what you’re talking about. Knowing the reference I wouldn’t be puzzled. Not sure why you think I’d be angry. Imagine a situation in which you _couldn’t_ know the reference, though. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1106 "2023-09-13T22:52:44Z")
Is the performance something people had to buy tickets for? Something they would have chosen/planned to attend? A street performance? Was the performer trying to make a moral or social point using the objects? Was there some riddle the audience was supposed to figure out? Were the objects supposed to represent something other than what they literally physically were? Were they examples of some kind of failure? ---
**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, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1107 "2023-09-13T23:43:35Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Is the performance something people had to buy tickets for? Something they would have chosen/planned to attend? A street performance? **None of these** > > Was the performer trying to make a moral or social point using the objects? **No** > > Was there some riddle the audience was supposed to figure out? **This was not the intent** > > Were the objects supposed to represent something other than what they literally physically were? **Not really** > > Were they examples of some kind of failure? **In a way** 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, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1108 "2023-09-13T23:46:46Z")
Was this a sales pitch? Were the lumps supposed to be something else, but something went wrong? ---
**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, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1109 "2023-09-13T23:48:49Z")
**Neither of these.** ---
**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:** [September 13, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1110 "2023-09-13T23:49:13Z")
Yeah, these things are frustrating when you already know the answer. I’m pretty sure I do, too. ---
**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 14, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1111 "2023-09-14T00:21:10Z")
Are these items a rebus? ---
**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 14, 2023, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1112 "2023-09-14T01:02:31Z")
Is this a true story? If so, did it happen in the USA? Was the intent to anger the audience? Physical objects or images? If images, photos? ---
**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 14, 2023, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1113 "2023-09-14T05:47:20Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Are these items a rebus? **No** > [@Biotop](#): > > Is this a true story? **Yes** > > If so, did it happen in the USA? **Yes** > > Was the intent to anger the audience? **No** > > Physical objects or images? **Images** > > If images, photos? **Not photos** 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 14, 2023, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1114 "2023-09-14T05:52:35Z")
So, this little tableau described above. Was it part of a larger performance or event that included other performers and props? ---
**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 14, 2023, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1115 "2023-09-14T05:54:09Z")
**It was just the image.** ---
**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 14, 2023, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1116 "2023-09-14T05:56:57Z")
Was it a display in a museum? Maybe a wax museum? ---
**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 14, 2023, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1117 "2023-09-14T06:00:26Z")
**Not a museum exhibit.** ---
**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 14, 2023, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1118 "2023-09-14T10:44:39Z")
Was this on a TV episode? Was this an illustration? Was this part of a game? If so, did the artist think the answer was easy to grasp? ---
**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 14, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1119 "2023-09-14T15:18:05Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was this on a TV episode? **No** > Was this an illustration? **Yes** > Was this part of a game? **No** > If so, did the artist think the answer was easy to grasp? **Not a game, but the artist did assume it wouldn’t take much thought.** 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 14, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1120 "2023-09-14T15:26:21Z")
Is this a well-known artist? Was he a surrealist? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=55) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=57)