# 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:** 66
**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 30, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1301 "2023-10-30T18:13:45Z")
Flyer to encourage recycling? ---
**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 30, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1302 "2023-10-30T21:48:49Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Someone running for sanitation commissioner? No. > [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Early voting? No. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Garbage pickup notice? No. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Flyer to encourage recycling? No. To recap: Yesterday, I was given something, and took a moment to see what it was. On seeing what it was, I liked it so much that I immediately threw it away. Why? ---
**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 30, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1303 "2023-10-30T22:07:47Z")
It was anti-littering literature? It was Smokey Bear, telling you not to let scrap paper pile up? ---
**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:** [October 30, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1304 "2023-10-30T22:10:37Z")
Do you have a paper recycling bin ? Could it have gone in there ? ---
**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 30, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1305 "2023-10-30T22:14:26Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > It was anti-littering literature? It was Smokey Bear, telling you not to let scrap paper pile up? No. > [@pjd](#): > > Do you have a paper recycling bin ? > Could it have gone in there ? I don’t know if it could have been recycled, but in any event, I don’t have a paper recycling bin. I think folks are starting to make this too complicated. ---
**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 31, 2023, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1306 "2023-10-31T05:23:59Z")
Is it confetti? Or something else that’s meant to be thrown? ---
**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 31, 2023, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1307 "2023-10-31T10:36:05Z")
Did throwing it away have something to do with a title? ---
**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 31, 2023, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1308 "2023-10-31T10:47:09Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Is it confetti? Or something else that’s meant to be thrown? No. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did throwing it away have something to do with a title? No. Let me put it this way: Under what circumstance would I have not immediately thrown it away? ---
**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 31, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1309 "2023-10-31T13:11:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Let me put it this way: Under what circumstance would I have not immediately thrown it away? Dozens, probably. No trash can handy. No recycling bin handy. You wanted to show it to somebody else. You wanted to keep it to remind you of directions, or time, or place, or to check a price list, or to compare it in some fashion to other possibilities. You wanted to keep it as a souvenir. You wanted to use it for firestarter in the winter. You wanted to use the back of it to make notes on. You think it looks neat and you want to hang it on your refrigerator for a while. Your kid drew it and you want to, and/or they want you to, hang it on your refrigerator for a while. You needed to keep it for your records. It’s got your name and address on it and can be used as proof of residence and you don’t already have plenty of such things. You thought it might eventually have historical interest. You wanted to crumple it up and use it as a cat toy. You want to use it as a horrible example of somebody who couldn’t keep their tenses straight. I could go on . . . ---
**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 31, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1310 "2023-10-31T14:57:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think folks are starting to make this too complicated. That’s the nature of this game. Sometimes we have to explore every nook and cranny. The only conclusive thing I have so far is that this is made of paper and has some political characteristic. ---
**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 31, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1311 "2023-10-31T15:17:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To recap: > Yesterday, I was given something, and took a moment to see what it was. On seeing what it was, I liked it so much that I immediately threw it away. Why? It also has a photo of a person and a logo on it, but the words are the important part. It is political but not featuring a politician. It is also an advertising flyer. Was it a reminder to vote? Since you already voted you threw it away immediately, but would have kept it if you needed the voting information. ---
**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:** [October 31, 2023, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1312 "2023-10-31T15:48:36Z")
was it Donald Trump toilet paper? You “threw it away” by using and flushing? ---
**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 31, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1313 "2023-10-31T15:53:27Z")
Did you get it in the mail? Was it given to you by a business? Was it given to you by a political campaigner? Was it given to you by a friend or relative? Was it given to you by a boss, work subordinate, or co-worker? Was it given to you by somebody at an event? Was it given to you by somebody you randomly passed in the street? Was it given to you by the police, or by a court? Was it given to you by a lawyer in their capacity as lawyer? Was it given to you by a neighbor? ---
**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 31, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1314 "2023-10-31T17:02:36Z")
Is this something unique to the US? Or unique to American politics in some way? ---
**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 31, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1315 "2023-10-31T17:27:28Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > Let me put it this way: Under what circumstance would I have not immediately thrown it away? > > Dozens, probably. What I don’t get, is: doesn’t the thing that provides the, uh, laterality _already_ suffice as a default answer? If I ask you why you didn’t throw something away, and you say “because I liked it,” I’m going to shut up, right then, because that response already satisfies me! What makes this a puzzle — the _only_ thing that makes it a puzzle — is the apparent oddity of a guy saying that “I liked it so much that I immediately threw it away.” “I liked it so much that I kept it” seems to deserve, like, a rebuttable presumption of being a reasonable answer; it’s only “I liked it so much that I threw it away” that seems to cry out for something more. ---
**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 31, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1316 "2023-10-31T19:49:24Z")
The only thing that I can possibly think is some sort of perfumed paper that stops foul smells floating out of the bin. But that doesn’t work with all the clues we have wrangled out of Chronos. Okay so why would I not want to throw away a bit of paper with some info on it? Hmm… Well perhaps because I need to remember some bit of information. So does it contain info that you already knew and were happy to see that it was accurate? Perhaps it was a receipt of some action you performed (a purchase maybe or a vote)? …but why would that have an image? ---
**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 31, 2023, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1317 "2023-10-31T20:17:57Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was it a reminder to vote? Since you already voted you threw it away immediately, but would have kept it if you needed the voting information. No, but close. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > was it Donald Trump toilet paper? You “threw it away” by using and flushing? No. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Did you get it in the mail? Yes > > Was it given to you by a business? Sort of > > Was it given to you by a political campaigner? Yes > > Was it given to you by a friend or relative? No > > Was it given to you by a boss, work subordinate, or co-worker? No > > Was it given to you by somebody at an event? No > > Was it given to you by somebody you randomly passed in the street? No > > Was it given to you by the police, or by a court? No > > Was it given to you by a lawyer in their capacity as lawyer? No > > Was it given to you by a neighbor? No > [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Is this something unique to the US? Or unique to American politics in some way? I don’t think so? Though it might be more common here than most places. > [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Well perhaps because I need to remember some bit of information. So does it contain info that you already knew and were happy to see that it was accurate? Sort of. > [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Perhaps it was a receipt of some action you performed (a purchase maybe or a vote)? …but why would that have an image? 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 31, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1318 "2023-10-31T20:25:32Z")
Are you happy because the paper is about something you don’t need to worry about anymore? ---
**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 31, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1319 "2023-10-31T20:26:34Z")
Only thing I can think of: It was for a candidate/proposition/initiative that you liked so much that you had already decided to vote for it Since you didn’t need the flyer as your mind was made up, you threw 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 31, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1320 "2023-10-31T20:28:00Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > It was for a candidate/proposition/initiative that you liked so much that you had already decided to vote for it Since you didn’t need the flyer as your mind was made up, you threw it away. Ding ding ding! Contrariwise, if I had hated it, I’d also have thrown it away. But if I hadn’t yet made up my mind, I’d keep it to help research the issue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=65) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=67)