# 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:** 75
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1481 "2023-12-25T22:13:05Z")
The thing isn’t mechanical, but is it man-made? If so, is it invented since, oh, say, the Industrial Revolution? Does the thing involve combustion (energetic chemical reaction between some substance and atmospheric oxygen)? Is there any fire or flame visible in the last panel? ---
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1482 "2023-12-25T22:27:48Z")
Is she under a whole pile of coats, such as might have been left on the bed in what they thought was a spare room by adults attending a party? ---
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1483 "2023-12-25T22:52:47Z")
reply to thorny\_locust: Is she under a whole pile of coats, such as might have been left on the bed in what they thought was a spare room by adults attending a party? Yes!!! It looks like Aunt Fritzi is having some sort of large (holiday?) gathering. You can see a whole crowd of guests through the door all singing, drinking and carrying on. Nancy has been buried under winter coats, hats, purses, scarves and gloves left by the guests on her bed. Fritzi should be ashamed!. Thanks everyone for playing and Merry Christmas. If you attend a party this week please be aware of children possibly sleeping in the bed where you deposit your winterwear. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1484 "2023-12-25T22:58:32Z")
Hey, I finally got one! – I hope that doesn’t mean that I have to come up with the next one. Because I ain’t got nothing. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1485 "2023-12-25T23:03:54Z")
Congrats! Give making one up a try, thorny\_locust! ---
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1486 "2023-12-25T23:08:09Z")
I’ll think on it. But if somebody else has one ready, I’d advise stepping in. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1487 "2023-12-26T01:33:33Z")
Ok, I’ve got one. Should be quick. **Sal died. 9 months later, Sal was born. Explain.** ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1488 "2023-12-26T01:36:27Z")
Is “Sal” in the first sentence the same as “Sal” in the second sentence? Is “Sal” a person? Is “Sal” any sort of organism at all? Is “Sal” a season of the year? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1489 "2023-12-26T01:52:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is “Sal” in the first sentence the same as “Sal” in the second sentence? No. > [@"Chronos](#): > > Is “Sal” a person? Yes > [@"Chronos](#): > > Is “Sal” any sort of organism at all? Two people > [@"Chronos](#): > > Is “Sal” a season of the year? No ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1490 "2023-12-26T03:14:38Z")
OK, then, two different people named “Sal”. Is the younger one named after the elder? Is the fact that 9 months is the typical human gestation relevant? Is Sal the elder the father of Sal the younger? Sal the Elder died just after the conception of the younger? (have to get all the obvious possibilities out of the way) ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1491 "2023-12-26T03:16:21Z")
(Oh, just to be sure, is “Sal” a name, as opposed to a title or some other identifier?) ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1492 "2023-12-26T12:25:15Z")
+Was the second Sal named after the first? +Is either or both Sals real people or fictional? +Is either Sal famous? Both? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1493 "2023-12-26T17:18:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, then, two different people named “Sal”. Is the younger one named after the elder? No, not really. > [@Chronos](#): > > Is the fact that 9 months is the typical human gestation relevant? No, not really. > [@Chronos](#): > > Is Sal the elder the father of Sal the younger? No. Really. > [@Chronos](#): > > Sal the Elder died just after the conception of the younger? Not sure; doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1494 "2023-12-26T17:22:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > (Oh, just to be sure, is “Sal” a name, as opposed to a title or some other identifier?) Yup. > [@Biotop](#): > > +Was the second Sal named after the first? > +Is either or both Sals real people or fictional? > +Is either Sal famous? Both? See above. Both real Second one is famous ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1495 "2023-12-26T17:40:42Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > OK, then, two different people named “Sal”. Is the younger one named after the elder? > > No, not really. Are both of these Sals named after an earlier Sal? Is there any familial connection at all between the two? ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1496 "2023-12-26T18:25:21Z")
Is Sal a given name? A family name? Is it short for something, such as Salvatore or Sally? If it is short for something, are they both the same name? Are both Sals real people? Both fictional? One real and one fictional? Was Sal ‘born’ in the sense of a first publication of a fictional character. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1497 "2023-12-27T22:00:46Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Are both of these Sals named after an earlier Sal? > Is there any familial connection at all between the two? Yes, and yes. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1498 "2023-12-27T22:03:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is Sal a given name? A family name? > Is it short for something, such as Salvatore or Sally? > If it is short for something, are they both the same name? > > Are both Sals real people? Both fictional? One real and one fictional? > > Was Sal ‘born’ in the sense of a first publication of a fictional character. Short for a first name Both the same name Both real people Born as in birthed by a woman ---
**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:** [December 27, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1499 "2023-12-27T22:21:16Z")
Is there any connection between the two Sals other than their both being named Sal? [ETA: I did think of one, when we’re done with this one; though it may turn out to be too easy.] ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1500 "2023-12-27T22:26:55Z")
Are both Sals male? Are both Sals female? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=74) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=76)