Brain Game: McLanderstone at the Movies

(Cue organ music.) We return to the local accounting firm of McLanderstone & Associates. The old man's four key employees, Lon, Ron, Jon, and Don, are in their respective offices, trying to make it through another Monday. McLanderstone will sometimes ask the quartet's opinions on seemingly banal subjects, just to get their minds "in gear" to begin the long workweek. This morning, he dropped an inter-office instant message to the four, which asked: "Which is better at a movie theatre: popcorn, peanuts, or nachos?" Today's Brain Game:

Provided that each man did respond with his choice, how many different possible combinations of answers could McLanderstone receive from the four men?

Here is the SOLUTION.

THE SOLUTION:

There are 24 possible mixes of products giving a total of 81 possible combinations, as follows:

Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, popcorn - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, peanuts - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, popcorn - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, peanuts - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, popcorn - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, peanuts - Ron, nachos
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, popcorn
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, peanuts
Don, nachos - Jon, nachos - Lon, nachos - Ron, nachos