Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best!

Thread Games
501

No

502

No to both

503

Is it an object with a fixed shape or is it malleable/adjustable?

Is it made of metal?

In the one ‘objects’ case, is it simply multiple units of the same object?

Is it bigger than a breadbox?

Is it heavier than a… loaf of bread?

How many of these objects are in the average home? More than 10? More than 5? More than 1? Less than 1?

504

Did they all occur in one book or film ?

505

No. Though I did read about these many uses of this item all in one book.

506

reply to Cheesesteak:
Is it an object with a fixed shape or is it malleable/adjustable? fixed

Is it made of metal? No

In the one ‘objects’ case, is it simply multiple units of the same object? Exactly 4 of these objects were used in one instance.

Is it bigger than a breadbox? A little I guess. How big is a breadbox?

Is it heavier than a… loaf of bread? Yes

How many of these objects are in the average home? More than 10? No.More than 5? No. More than 1? Probably not.Less than 1? Probably not. I’d guess likely you have just one.

507

If Joe Public just has 1, in the case where 4 were used:

  • Did they get them from 4 different houses/locations ?
  • Were they in the place where these items are made ?
  • Were they from an “unusual” home where they had more than 1 ?
508

Is this thing likely to be taken and used outside the home?

Is it normally to be found in:

  • the kitchen?
  • the living room?
  • the bedroom?
  • the bathroom?
  • the yard or garden?
  • attached to the wall/ roof/ door/ window ?
  • often moved and used in multiple rooms?

Is it a device with moving parts?
Does it run on electricity?

Is it a vacuum cleaner?
Is it a microwave oven?

509

Is it a container?

Is it sticky? Hard? Flexible?

Is it made of textiles?

Is it something that a person from a few centuries ago would recognize? Or more modern?

Edit: You mentioned reading about all these uses in one book. Would it be at all helpful to guess the book? (And just to eliminate a hunch - it’s not the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is it?)

510

My wife would point at me, because I’m happy to lift kids out of holes and relay narration and punch lawbreakers and hold a hat in place and menacingly shush people with a finger-to-lips gesture, and there’s only one of me in the house, and I’m heavier than bread and bigger than a breadbox.

511

Answer to this is unknown. Source of objects not given or relevant.

512

reply to Peter_Morris:

Is this thing likely to be taken and used outside the home? No

Is it normally to be found in:

  • the kitchen? No
  • the living room? No
  • the bedroom? No
  • the bathroom? Yes
  • the yard or garden? No
  • attached to the wall/ roof/ door/ window ? No
  • often moved and used in multiple rooms? No. Well, sometimes I guess.

Is it a device with moving parts? No
Does it run on electricity? No

Is it a vacuum cleaner? No
Is it a microwave oven? No.

513

reply to Ana_Byrd:

Is it a container? No.

Is it sticky? No…well maybe? Hard? Yes Flexible?Yes

Is it made of textiles? No

Is it something that a person from a few centuries ago would recognize? No Or more modern? More modern than a few centuries.

Edit: You mentioned reading about all these uses in one book. Would it be at all helpful to guess the book? Maybe. Kind of obscure though. (And just to eliminate a hunch - it’s not the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is it?) No

514

Heh heh. Not you.

515

Not a towel but used in the bathroom, hard yet flexible and maybe sticky in a way - a plunger?

516

Not a towel but used in the bathroom, hard yet flexible and maybe sticky in a way - a plunger?

Yes! Good job! Ana_Byrd

Now for the bonus points. How was the plunger used in each case?

517

Let’s see… Did the boy in the hole strap plungers to his arms and legs and climb out?

Did the man in the hat stick a plunger on his bald head and put the hat over it?

518

I’m not sure about the boy in the hole… Was a plunger used to plug a drain, so the hole could be filled with water and the boy floated out?

The non-paying entertainment customers were watching the show (or whatever it was) through a hole in a fence, that was plugged with the plunger.

The party was a costume party, and the plunger was the large hat. It stayed on by suction.

The lady with the migraines put the (small) clock under a plunger to mute it. Or maybe set the clock on top of it, so the solid object under it wouldn’t couple to the ticking.

519

reply to Ana_Byrd:

Let’s see… Did the boy in the hole strap plungers to his arms and legs and climb out? No.

Did the man in the hat stick a plunger on his bald head and put the hat over it? Yes +1!

520

reply to Chronos:

I’m not sure about the boy in the hole… Was a plunger used to plug a drain, so the hole could be filled with water and the boy floated out? No

The non-paying entertainment customers were watching the show (or whatever it was) through a hole in a fence, that was plugged with the plunger. Yes! +1 (multiple plungers, multiple holes)

The party was a costume party, and the plunger was the large hat. It stayed on by suction. No. Answered above.

The lady with the migraines put the (small) clock under a plunger to mute it. Or maybe set the clock on top of it, so the solid object under it wouldn’t couple to the ticking. Very close. What kind of clock?