The Straight Dope was a question-and-answer newspaper column written under the pseudonym Cecil Adams. Contributions were made by multiple authors, and it was illustrated (also pseudonymously) by Slug Signorino.[1] It was first published in 1973 in the Chicago Reader as well as in print syndication nationally in the United States,[2] and on a website with the same name.
 | |
Type of site | Question and answer |
|---|---|
| Owner | Sun-Times / Straight Dope Publishing |
| Created by | Cecil Adams (pseudonym) |
| URL | straightdope.com |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Required only on forum |
| Launched | 1973 |
| Current status | No longer updated |
The final column was printed on June 27, 2018, including a statement that it was only being placed on hiatus, though it never did return.[3]
Name and tagline
editThe column derives its name from the American idiom meaning roughly "the true information; the full story"[4] and covers many subjects, including history, science, old wives' tales, urban legends, and inventions. The column appeared under the tagline: "Fighting ignorance since 1973. (It's taking longer than we thought.)”
Books
editFive collections of columns have been published, sometimes referred to as The Straight Dope Cyclopedia of Human Knowledge:
- The Straight Dope (1984)
- More of the Straight Dope (1988)
- Return of the Straight Dope (1994)
- The Straight Dope Tells All (1998)
- Triumph of the Straight Dope (1999)
In addition, the 1993 collection Know It All was published for younger audiences by Cecil's "assistant" Ed Zotti.[5]
Television
editIn 1996, the A&E Network briefly aired a show based on the column called The Straight Dope, hosted and co-written by comedian Mike Lukas.[6] A podcast has also been released sporadically.
References
edit- ^ "The Straight Dope FAQ". Chicago Reader. 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Newspapers carrying The Straight Dope". The Straight Dope. 2013-06-16. Archived from the original on 2017-10-03.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (27 June 2018). "A note from Cecil Adams about The Straight Dope". The Straight Dope. Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28.
- ^ Spears, Richard A. (2005). McGraw-Hill's dictionary of American idioms and phrasal verbs. Chicago: McGraw-Hill. p. 652. ISBN 0-07-143578-6. OCLC 61399219.
- ^ "The Straight Dope Books". The Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ "Mike Lukas". Deja Vu Comedy Club. Archived from the original on 2008-02-06.
