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Cecil Adams

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Cecil Adams,affectionately known to readers and fans and sometimes refers to himself asUncle CecilorUncle Cece,is thepseudonymousauthor ofThe Straight Dope,a popular question and answer column published inThe Chicago Readerfrom 2 February 1973 to 2018. The true identity of Adams, whether a single individual or a group of authors, has remained secret.The Chicago Reader's 1986 trademark filing for the name "Cecil Adams" states that "Cecil Adams does not identify any particular individual but was devised as a fanciful name."[1]As of 2008,Ed Zottiwas the editor of the column.[2]The column was syndicated in 31newspapersin theUnited StatesandCanadaand has been continued as a website.[citation needed]The aim of the column, and now the website, is to spread general knowledge and everyday rational thinking, using a very strong and characteristically quirky sense of humor - some of it self-deprecating.

Billed as the "World's Smartest Human",[3][4][5]Adams responded to often unusual inquiries with a high degree of humor (often directed against the questioner, sometimes sardonically), and at times carried out exhaustive research into obscure and arcane issues,urban legends,and the like.[citation needed]On more than one occasion, Adams was forced to retract or modify an answer when confronted by "the Teeming Millions" (Adams' term for his readers), often claiming overwork and staff shortages.[citation needed]On rare occasions, Adams made appearances on the Straight Dope'sMessage Board.[citation needed]

On June 27, 2018, Adams announced that the "Straight Dope" column would be ending after 45 years and over 3,400 columns.[6]On January 13, 2023, it was announced that Cecil Adams would again be writing a column on The Straight Dope Message Board.[7]The first column, which appeared on the same day, was titled, "Islongtermismthe world’s most dangerous belief system? "[8]

Personal details

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Adams states that he has "never been photographed", and while there is at least one photo captioned with his name, the image is ofEd Zotti,who fulfilled Adams's publicity engagements.[9]Previous editors include Mike Lenehan andDave Kehr.In his columns, Adams has revealed a few details of his purported personal life, including the existence of a Mrs. Adams (theFAQsection on his website states that chance references to "Mrs. Adams" may refer to his mother), that he has a brother-in-law, and that he has either children or dwarves as helpers.[5]He has a brother.[10]He is an accomplished traveler, and currently resides inChicago's47th Ward.[11]He is alsoleft-handed[5]and may be balding[12]andcolorblind.[13]He mentions having taken a class withNorthwestern UniversityEnglish professorBergen Evans,[14]mentions once working as anelectrician'sapprentice,[15]and a railroad machinist's helper.[16]He also mentions attending aCatholic school.[17]He is ofIrishdescent,[18]and relaxes withPink FloydandBaileys.[19]

Published works

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Adams has published five collections of hisThe Straight Dopecolumns:

  • The Straight Dope(1984)
  • More of the Straight Dope(1988)
  • Return of the Straight Dope(1994)
  • Triumph of the Straight Dope(1994)
  • The Straight Dope Tells All(1998)

Zotti has also published a children's collection inThe Straight Dopestyle entitledKnow It All.[20]Adams' columns are archived at the Straight Dope website. In 1996,the A&E Networkbriefly aired a show hosted by comedianMike Lukasbased on the column, also calledThe Straight Dope.[citation needed]Over 600 articles have been posted to the site's online archive; some of these contain multiple questions and answers. Also included with the columns are quirky illustrations. Slug Signorino was the regular illustrator forThe Straight Dopefor forty-two years. In his illustrations, Cecil Adams is often depicted as a large turkey wearing amortar boardor, occasionally, as a man in underwear with a paper bag over his head.[21]

References

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  1. ^"Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)".United States Patent and Trademark Office.Archivedfrom the original on August 25, 2017.RetrievedAugust 30,2013.
  2. ^Advance Publication Newsletter; Volume Seventeen, Number 3Archived2012-03-20 at theWayback MachinePenguin Group (USA)
  3. ^"The Straight Dope Tells All".Penguin Random House.February 24, 1998.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 22,2019.
  4. ^Adams, Cecil (June 16, 2000)."Are jet contrails the latest threat?".The Straight Dope.Archivedfrom the original on February 27, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 22,2019.
  5. ^abc"The Straight Dope: Who is this man called Cecil Adams?".StraightDope.com.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 22,2019.
  6. ^"A note from Cecil Adams about The Straight Dope".June 27, 2018.
  7. ^"Cecil's back!".January 13, 2023.
  8. ^"Straight Dope 1/13/2023: Is longtermism the world's most dangerous belief system?".January 13, 2023.
  9. ^Piper, Paul S. (February 1995). "What makes Cecil Adams the world's greatest reference librarian?".American Libraries.26(2): 147.ISSN0002-9769.OCLC854299.
  10. ^Adams, Cecil (August 17, 1973)."What is a felo-de-se?".The Straight Dope.Sun-Times Media, LLC.Archivedfrom the original on June 16, 2012.RetrievedAugust 2,2012.
  11. ^Adams, Cecil (September 23, 2010)."Are Chicago streets swept frequently so the city can collect more fines?".The Straight DopeChicago.The Chicago Reader.Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2010.RetrievedOctober 10,2010.
  12. ^Adams, Cecil (August 28, 1992)."Does sex make your acne worse?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on May 15, 2007.RetrievedApril 19,2007.
  13. ^Adams, Cecil (March 7, 1986)."Who decided red means" stop "and green means" go "?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2007.RetrievedApril 19,2007.
  14. ^Adams, Cecil (October 14, 2005)."Why is William Shakespeare considered the greatest English language writer of all time?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on May 3, 2007.RetrievedApril 19,2007.
  15. ^Adams, Cecil (November 20, 1992)."How come the U.S. uses 120 volt electricity, not 240 like the rest of the world?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2007.RetrievedApril 19,2007.
  16. ^"Cecil! Tell us about you smashing the building with the crane! - Straight Dope Message Board".Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2012.RetrievedMay 23,2010.
  17. ^Adams, Cecil (February 16, 1996)."Why is the heart considered the center of love and affection?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on September 30, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 7,2007.
  18. ^Adams, Cecil (July 30, 1993)."Who are the" black Irish "?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on February 13, 2008.RetrievedOctober 8,2007.
  19. ^Adams, Cecil (July 30, 2010)."Can binaural beats improve your mood?".The Straight Dope.The Chicago Reader.Archivedfrom the original on August 2, 2010.RetrievedAugust 25,2010.
  20. ^"ISBN 9780345362322 - Know It All!: The Fun Stuff You Never Learned in School".
  21. ^"The Slug Signorino FAQ".Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2012.RetrievedNovember 26,2010.
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