# 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:** 64
**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, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1261 "2023-10-26T19:56:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Did you “like it so much” to the point of potential or prior addiction? No. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > 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? Not really. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > If you didn’t like it, would you still have thrown it away? Yes > > Did the person give it to you with the expectation that you would throw it away? Eventually > > Did you throw it away in a specific trash can? The one that was most convenient > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Is this the last page of Tarzan Of The Apes? No, and I’m not sure what the significance of that would be. > [@dirtball](#): > > Is this a one-of-a-kind item, possibly but not necessarily made by the person who gave it to you? No > Is it a note or a message of some kind (very loose definitions of “note” and “message” here)? Yes > Is it a mass-produced item? Yes ---
**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, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1262 "2023-10-26T20:10:23Z")
Is it a greeting card? ---
**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, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1263 "2023-10-26T20:23:25Z")
No, it’s not a greeting card. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1264 "2023-10-26T20:36:30Z")
Does the thing contain information you didn’t know before? ---
**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, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1265 "2023-10-26T20:40:54Z")
Probably a little? I threw it away before I could check thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1266 "2023-10-26T20:45:53Z")
Was the thing made of paper? ---
**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, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1267 "2023-10-26T20:50:22Z")
Yes, it was made of paper. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1268 "2023-10-26T21:16:49Z")
Were there words handwritten on it? Were there words printed on it? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1269 "2023-10-26T21:24:31Z")
Far fetched questions: Was the item a newspaper? Did it show the current date? Are you a time traveler? ---
**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, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1270 "2023-10-26T21:34:38Z")
Fortune cookie message? ---
**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, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1271 "2023-10-26T23:53:15Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Were there words handwritten on it? > > Were there words printed on it? Printed, but not handwritten. > [@BigT](#): > > Far fetched questions: > > Was the item a newspaper? > Did it show the current date? > Are you a time traveler? No, no, and not in any way that’s relevant. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Fortune cookie message? No. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1272 "2023-10-27T04:35:36Z")
Were the words the important part? Did it have any monetary value (e.g. a gift card)? Was its value personal (e.g. a note from someone you love)? Was the paper folded? If so, is that important? Was there an image in addition to the words? ---
**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 27, 2023, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1273 "2023-10-27T10:45:30Z")
Were the words the important part? Yes Did it have any monetary value (e.g. a gift card)? No Was its value personal (e.g. a note from someone you love)? No Was the paper folded? If so, is that important? Not folded Was there an image in addition to the words? Yes ---
**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 27, 2023, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1274 "2023-10-27T10:57:58Z")
Was it a business card? If so, did it have contact info for the person who gave it to you? Or info for someone else? ---
**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 27, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1275 "2023-10-27T20:53:46Z")
Not a business card. ---
**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 27, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1276 "2023-10-27T20:59:45Z")
Oh, and @Mahaloth and @Biotop might not have noticed that a new one was up. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1277 "2023-10-27T22:02:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, and @Mahaloth and @Biotop might not have noticed that a new one was up New what? Thread or this puzzle? I asked about it being a boomerang if the puzzle. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1278 "2023-10-27T22:33:07Z")
Was it a cancellation notice? Like “no meeting tomorrow” or “we’re off for drinks tonight” or something? Was it something you were happy to be done with, like your last work-related memo before vacation or final car payment or the flyer for an event that you’ve been working on for months? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1279 "2023-10-27T22:46:45Z")
Was the image a photo? Was it a photo of a person? Was it a photo of you? ---
**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 27, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1280 "2023-10-27T22:52:01Z")
Was the image a company logo? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=63) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=65)