lat-puzz.com

Did he want to pretend to staple something, without actually putting a staple in it? Was it the kind of stapler that crimps the staple on the other side? Relevant? Did he know it was empty? Could he have taken another one that wasn't empty? Did he use the empty stapler? Refill it? He: H? A? M? Take: pick up? Buy? Steal? Borrow? Choose? Empty: with no staples? With something else missing? Is it used as a prop? Did he take it in order to use it? Fix a problem? Cause a problem? Acting relevant? Pretending? Playing? Deception? Pranking? Threats? Violence?

Galfisk,

Good questions

Did he want to pretend to staple something, without actually putting a staple in it?
NO

Was it the kind of stapler that crimps the staple on the other side?
YES

Relevant?
NO

Did he know it was empty?
YES

Could he have taken another one that wasn't empty?
NO

Did he use the empty stapler?
NOT DIRECTLY

Refill it?
PROBABLY NEVER

He: H? A? M?
ADULT MALE MAN

Take: pick up? Buy? Steal? Borrow? Choose?
CARRY WITH HIM

Empty: with no staples?
CORRECT

With something else missing?
NO

Is it used as a prop?
IN A SENSE YES

Did he take it in order to use it?
POSSIBLY

Fix a problem?
YES IF IT AROSE

Cause a problem?
NO

Acting relevant? Pretending?
YES

Playing?
NO

Deception?
YES

Pranking? Threats? Violence?
NO

Is the movie Office Space relevant?

Was it to be used as part of a play? Film/TV show? Some other performance?

Trebor,

Is the movie Office Space relevant?
NO

Was it to be used as part of a play? Film/TV show?
no

Some other performance?
yes - but only if needed

Was the purpose to pretend to staple something? Threaten to staple something? Make the stapler seem like some other item? Make the stapler missing from where it was? Was the purpose to let someone see the stapler? Let someone see its absense? Crime relevant?

Galfisk,

Was the purpose to pretend to staple something? Threaten to staple something? Make the stapler seem like some other item? Make the stapler missing from where it was?
NO

Was the purpose to let someone see the stapler?
YES IF NEEDED

Let someone see its absense?
NO

Crime relevant?
YES AND NO

Could any item have been used other than a stapler? Other than this model of stapler? Other than this particular stapler? Would it have worked if the stapler was not empty? If he needed someone to see the stapler, would he actively show it? Let someone see it? Is the stapler used as a symbol? A threat? An alibi? If needed, will it be seen by a friend? Relative? Spouse? Enemy? Customer? Emplyee? Is the man's profession relevant? The potential staple-seer's profession? If needed, will it be seen by one person? Two? More? One group of people? Two? More? Will it be seen by the naked eye? Through an optical device? An electronic device?

Galfisk,

Could any item have been used other than a stapler?
POSSIBLY SOME OTHERS BUT STAPLER IS GOOD

Other than this model of stapler? Other than this particular stapler?
ANY STAPLER WOULD DO

Would it have worked if the stapler was not empty?
NOT AS WELL

If he needed someone to see the stapler, would he actively show it? Let someone see it?
YES

Is the stapler used as a symbol? A threat?
NO

An alibi?
NOT EXACTLY BUT CLOSE

If needed, will it be seen by a friend? Relative? Spouse?
NO

Enemy?
YES - ISH

Customer? Emplyee?
NO

Is the man's profession relevant?
YES

The potential staple-seer's profession?
NO

If needed, will it be seen by one person?
YES

Two? More? One group of people? Two? More?
NO OR UNLIKELY

Will it be seen by the naked eye? Through an optical device? An electronic device?
YES, NO, NO

Relevan from where the empty stapler was taken? From whom? Were there other non-empty staplers that could've been taken? Is the reason why it was empty relevant? If so, was it empty because it had not yet been used? Because it had been used until no staples were left? Because staples had been removed? If so, removed by the taker? The owner? Law enforcement relevant? Courts? Evidence? Did the man take anything else? Leave anything? Relevantly interact with someone, apart form potentially showing the stapler? Is a bet relevant? Is the gameshow Taskmaster televant? Was taking the stapler wrong? Has the man done anything else wrong? Gender of the potential stapler-seer relevant? Age? Will it potentially be seen once by this person? Twice? More times? Would showing the stapler prove something? Disprove something? Strengthen an argument?

Galfisk,

Relevant from where the empty stapler was taken?
NO

From whom? Were there other non-empty staplers that could've been taken? Is the reason why it was empty relevant?
NO

If so, was it empty because it had not yet been used? Because it had been used until no staples were left?
IRRELEVANT

Because staples had been removed? If so, removed by the taker? The owner?
YES

Law enforcement relevant?
POSSIBLY

Courts? Evidence?
NO

Did the man take anything else?
SOMETIMES

Leave anything?
NO

Relevantly interact with someone, apart form potentially showing the stapler?
NO

Is a bet relevant? Is the gameshow Taskmaster televant? Was taking the stapler wrong?
NO

Has the man done anything else wrong?
YES AND NO. DEPENDS ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW

Gender of the potential stapler-seer relevant? Age?
NO

Will it potentially be seen once by this person? Twice? More times?
ONCE

Would showing the stapler prove something? Disprove something? Strengthen an argument?
YES TO THOSE

Did the empty stapler show that the man had done something? was going to do something? was not able to do something?
Would it also work when he took a stapler with staples and removed the staples?
Did he want to do something with the stapler? give it to someone? show it to someone?
Did he steal the stapler?

Would it work if he had bought the stapler? Would showing the stapler be honest? Deceptive? Would the stapler-seer make an incorrect assumption? Relevant how it would be shown? Would it be shown to be empty? Would it be used to "staple" something without putting a staple in it? Magic tricks relevant?

Sundowner,

Did the empty stapler show that the man had done something?
POSSIBLY YES. IN THAT IT GAVE HIM AN EXCUSE

was going to do something? was not able to do something?
NO


Would it also work when he took a stapler with staples and removed the staples?
YES

Did he want to do something with the stapler? give it to someone?
NO

show it to someone?
ONLY IF NEEDED

Did he steal the stapler?
NO

GALFISK,

Would it work if he had bought the stapler?
YES

Would showing the stapler be honest? Deceptive?
NO, YES

Would the stapler-seer make an incorrect assumption?
MAYBE

Relevant how it would be shown?
HOW NO, WHEN YES

Would it be shown to be empty?
YES

Would it be used to "staple" something without putting a staple in it? Magic tricks relevant?
NO

Are any other staplers involved? Are staples involved? Would he show the stapler if asked? Confronted? Seen doing something? Seen being somewhere? Would the empty stapler give him an excuse to be somewhere? To seek more staples? does he potentially show the empty stapler at his workplace? Home? A store? In public? In a vehicle? Someone else's home? Does he work in: sales/marketing? Technology? Manufacturing? Engineering? Science? Care? Medicine? Entertainment? Politics? Press? Law? Law enforcement? Government? Military? Aerospace? Transport? Travel? Sports? Recreation? Emergency services? Education? Municipal services? Utilities? Infrastructure? Housing? Cleaning? Maintenance? Intelligence?

GALFISK,

Are any other staplers involved? Are staples involved?
NO

Would he show the stapler if asked? Confronted? Seen doing something? Seen being somewhere? Would the empty stapler give him an excuse to be somewhere?
YES

To seek more staples?
YES

does he potentially show the empty stapler at his workplace? Home? A store? In public? In a vehicle?
NO

Someone else's home?
YES

Does he work in: sales/marketing? Technology? Manufacturing? Engineering? Science? Care? Medicine? Entertainment? Politics? Press? Law? Law enforcement? Government? Military? Aerospace? Transport? Travel? Sports? Recreation? Emergency services? Education? Municipal services? Utilities? Infrastructure? Housing? Cleaning? Maintenance?
NO

Intelligence?
YES

Does the home belong to someone relevant? Someone who's being spied on? Are bugs (as in spying devices) relevant? Relevant which intelligence agency the stapler-haver is working for? Is he a field agent? Is he James Bond? Some other famous fictional spy? Can the stapler thing be called a ruse? Is he doing something illegal? Immoral? Inappropriate?

GALFISK

GETTING CLOSE

Does the home belong to someone relevant?
A LITTLE

Someone who's being spied on?
YES

Are bugs (as in spying devices) relevant?
NO

Relevant which intelligence agency the stapler-haver is working for?
NO

Is he a field agent?
MAYBE YES

Is he James Bond? Some other famous fictional spy?
NO

Can the stapler thing be called a ruse?
YES

Is he doing something illegal? Immoral? Inappropriate?
YES, MAYBE, YES

Is he spying by: listening? Looking? Reading? Planting something? Taking something? Computers relevant? Other tech? Are other people involved in spying on this person? Does he know the target? Is the ruse useful for: entering the home of the target? Entering a certain room? Looking around? Is it a big home? A rich home? Does it have staff?

Is he performing a service at the home of a customer, as a pretext for visiting the home? and then uses the empty stapler to justify asking where the home office is and going in there? ostensibly to grab some staples, but actually because he wants to rummage through drawers looking for documents?

Biograd and Galfisk

Close enough

* * * * * SPOILER * * * *

He was a diplomat who was acting as an agent for his country. When he was invited to a reception at a foreign ambassador's house he sneaked into the ambassador's office. He started going through the desk drawers looking for intel. He took an empty stapler with him in case he was interrupted when he would wave the stapler and say - 'Sorry I was just looking for some staples for my empty stapler.'