The Straight Dope
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
Sun-Times / Straight Dope Publishing
Cecil Adams (pseudonym)
Yes
Required only on forum
1973
No longer updated
Following the column of June 27, 2018, the column was placed on hiatus, with no decision made regarding its future.[3]
Name and tagline[edit]
The 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.)”
Television[edit]
In 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.
