# 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:** 63
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1241 "2023-10-26T00:42:04Z")
Were you trying to showily _pretend_ that you didn’t like it? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1242 "2023-10-26T00:43:49Z")
No, I was not. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1243 "2023-10-26T00:45:39Z")
Was the purpose of the thing to be in the trash? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1244 "2023-10-26T00:45:59Z")
No, that wasn’t its purpose. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1245 "2023-10-26T00:54:37Z")
Not its _specific_ purpose, sure; but did you, right then, realize you could thereby accomplish some goal? Like, _‘uh, hey, I know this prank rubber snake wasn’t actually designed to be dropped in a wastebasket; but, upon getting a good look at it, I suddenly realized what a fine place that would be for it…’_ ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1246 "2023-10-26T01:13:01Z")
I’m not even sure how that would work, so no. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1247 "2023-10-26T01:21:25Z")
I meant: it maybe takes you a moment to realize it’s a gag rubber snake instead of a real snake — but, once you realize that you’re looking at a gag rubber snake meant for pranking somebody, you think (a) _oh, I like this_; and (b) if I put this in, say, a wastebasket, why, then, the person I want to prank will soon walk over to use that wastebasket, and will see this fake snake I like oh so much, and I bet they’ll react as I hope — and pointing and laughing will ensue. (FWIW, I’ve seen this exact scenario play out at work.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1248 "2023-10-26T01:38:23Z")
Would the person giving it to you have been complemented or insulted watching you throw it away? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1249 "2023-10-26T01:40:28Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Would the person giving it to you have been complemented or insulted watching you throw it away Depends. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1250 "2023-10-26T01:57:37Z")
Is it something that would be useful to look at briefly (perhaps gleaning some kind of information or amusement), but after that, you have no more use for it? (Not sure what such a thing would be, but it seems within the realm of possibility.) ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1251 "2023-10-26T02:28:43Z")
Was it a pregnancy test, and you were glad either to be pregnant (positive test) or glad not to be (negative result)? Same question, covid test? Same question, some other medical test? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1252 "2023-10-26T10:41:29Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Is it something that would be useful to look at briefly (perhaps gleaning some kind of information or amusement), but after that, you have no more use for it? Kind of? > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Was it a pregnancy test, and you were glad either to be pregnant (positive test) or glad not to be (negative result)? > > Same question, covid test? > > Same question, some other medical test? No. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1253 "2023-10-26T10:44:36Z")
Did it have a nice scent? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1254 "2023-10-26T10:50:04Z")
We’ve established that it wouldn’t be dangerous to keep it, but is it something that could get you in trouble (or at least cause an awkward situation) if the wrong person were to find it? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1255 "2023-10-26T10:52:53Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did it have a nice scent? No. > [@dirtball](#): > > We’ve established that it wouldn’t be dangerous to keep it, but is it something that could get you in trouble (or at least cause an awkward situation) if the wrong person were to find it? No. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1256 "2023-10-26T12:17:35Z")
Did you “like it so much” to the point of potential or prior addiction? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1257 "2023-10-26T12:28:55Z")
Is it something like getting handed a newspaper clipping, and it takes you a moment to realize it’s the obituary of someone you sure are glad to hear is now dead, and the first thing you can think to do as you look at the picture of the deceased is enjoy crumpling it up as you throw it in the trash? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1258 "2023-10-26T12:34:36Z")
If you didn’t like it, would you still have thrown it away? Did the person give it to you with the expectation that you would throw it away? Did you throw it away in a specific trash can? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1259 "2023-10-26T13:05:53Z")
Is this the last page of Tarzan Of The Apes? ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1260 "2023-10-26T13:09:48Z")
Is this a one-of-a-kind item, possibly but not necessarily made by the person who gave it to you? Is it a note or a message of some kind (very loose definitions of “note” and “message” here)? Is it a mass-produced item? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=62) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=64)