# 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:** 94
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1861 "2024-04-19T18:19:53Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > if I told you the names of the parties, you’d probably know the answer already. In hindsight, this was a perfect hint for lateral thinking, because while true it’s also misleading. I had assumed that we’d recognize the name of one of the parties or corporation, not that we’d notice that the same name appeared twice in the puzzle. Well played. ---
**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:** [April 19, 2024, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1862 "2024-04-19T18:24:13Z")
> [@Rhodes](#): > > In hindsight, this was a perfect hint for lateral thinking, because while true it’s also misleading. I had assumed that we’d recognize the name of one of the parties or corporation, not that we’d notice that the same name appeared twice in the puzzle. Well played. Seconded. Well played to the point at which I was going to report that I’d never heard of any of those people when I saw the above post. Nice job. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1863 "2024-04-20T04:42:17Z")
I got a new one, and I’ll be generous - I’ll name the party involved! (Which naturally makes this very Googlable.) **In 1974, Fleetwood Mac went on tour. The shows were well received at first, but soon people got angry. Venues started cancelling on them, and they and their manager even got sued. Just for showing up to play! What was the problem?** ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2024, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1864 "2024-04-20T10:38:12Z")
Was the Fleetwood Mac that turned up to play the same lineup that people were expecting? ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1865 "2024-04-20T15:03:29Z")
**No** ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1866 "2024-04-20T15:15:38Z")
Did they do that thing bands sometimes do where they refuse to play their hits but only their new material? 1974 seems quite early in Fleetwood Mac’s history though (but I guess you wouldn’t know that in 1974). ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1867 "2024-04-20T15:18:40Z")
**No. (At least, if anyone had a problem with the setlist, it wasn’t the main problem.)** ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1868 "2024-04-20T15:43:41Z")
Was the band fraudulently advertising themselves as “Fleetwood Mac” even though they had no actual connection to the band everyone knows by that name? In other words, a trademark violation? Did the actual band have some changes in membership (but still the same overall organization), that fans objected to? Were there multiple, officially-licensed, bands by that name, so that they could play multiple venues at once? ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1869 "2024-04-20T15:48:30Z")
Was the band fraudulently advertising themselves as “Fleetwood Mac” even though they had no actual connection to the band everyone knows by that name? In other words, a trademark violation? **Yes!** And since that was quick, let’s pull the thread a little further. **Why were the musicians in the fake Fleetwood Mac blindsided by this reaction?** ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1870 "2024-04-20T19:12:08Z")
Had the fake Fleetwood Mac not heard of the more famous band, and had coincidentally called themselves that? ---
**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:** [April 20, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1871 "2024-04-20T19:15:34Z")
**No** ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2024, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1872 "2024-04-21T01:50:10Z")
Saying they “had no connection” isn’t true. It was the same manager (i.e. Clifford Davis), just none of the original band. As far as why the musicians were blindsided, did the fake musicians get told by Davis that they were going to replace the original members of the band? (The original members did sue Davis, but I don’t know the timeline of when they did it relative to the fake tour.) ---
**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:** [April 21, 2024, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1873 "2024-04-21T02:55:34Z")
**Yes,** that’s exactly it. I probably could have been clearer on the connection through their manager, but that’s what I was hoping somebody would figure out. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1874 "2024-04-21T03:38:35Z")
Anyway [here’s the story.](https://www.thevintagenews.com/2021/10/06/the-bizarre-story-of-fleetwood-macs-fake-1974-tour/) One version of it, anyway. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1875 "2024-04-23T17:22:09Z")
I’m not sure how lateral this is but let’s give it a shot. I ask that you don’t look up the names I give you as that would probably ruin the puzzle. Howie Shanks and Benny Bengough are part of a triumvirate. Who was the third person? ---
**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:** [April 23, 2024, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1876 "2024-04-23T19:08:45Z")
Were they better known by other names? ---
**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:** [April 23, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1877 "2024-04-23T19:13:29Z")
Nope. Awesome guess. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1878 "2024-04-23T19:20:48Z")
Are Howie and Benny H/A/M? Are they American? Does the triumvirate still exist in 2024? If not, was it from the 20th century? 19th? ---
**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:** [April 23, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1879 "2024-04-23T19:25:24Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Are Howie and Benny H/A/M? No clue what that is. > [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Are they American? Yes > [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Does the triumvirate still exist in 2024? Nope > [@kk\_fusion](#): > > If not, was it from the 20th century? Yes ---
**Author:** ![MonkeysBrother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@MonkeysBrother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeysBrother)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/1880 "2024-04-23T19:39:16Z")
Is the third person famous, i.e. an easily recognizable name? Or is it the name of the triumvirate that we might recognize? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=93) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=95)