Cecil Adams is a name, possibly a pseudonym, which designates the author of The Straight Dope, a popular question and answer column published in The Chicago Reader since 1973. Ed Zotti is Adams' editor.[1] Many readers of Adams' column believe that Zotti is, in fact, Adams.
The column has since been syndicated in 30 newspapers in the United States and Canada and is available online. Billed as the "World's Smartest Human," Adams responds to often unusual inquiries with abrasive humor (often directed against the questioner), and at times exhaustive research into obscure and arcane issues, urban legends, and the like. On more than one occasion, Adams has been forced to retract or modify an answer when confronted by "the teeming millions" (Adams's term for his readers), often claiming overwork and staff shortages. On rare occasions, Adams has made appearances on the Straight Dope's Message Board.
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Personal details
Adams claims that he has "never been photographed," but Ed Zotti, who fulfills Adams's publicity engagements, has appeared in at least one photo captioned "Cecil Adams."[2]
In his columns, Adams has revealed a few details of his personal life. Although the FAQ section on his website states that chance references to "Mrs. Adams" may refer to his mother,[3] one article describes him kissing Mrs. Adams[4] and another specifically mentions his wife as "in charge of Straight Dope Inc.'s vast world holdings"[5]. Likewise, a reference to his "little researchers" may or may not suggest that he has children. He is an accomplished traveler, and currently resides in Chicago. He is also left-handed[3] and may be balding[6] and colorblind.[7] He apparently attended Northwestern University (he mentions having taken a class with Northwestern English Professor Bergen Evans)[8] but also mentions once working as an electrician's apprentice.[9] He also mentions going to Catholic School and being taught by nuns.[10] He is of Irish descent.[11]
Published works
To date, Adams has published five collections of his The Straight Dope columns, and Zotti has published a children's collection in The Straight Dope style entitled Know It All.
Adams' columns are archived at the Straight Dope website. In 1996, the A&E Network briefly aired a show hosted by comedian Mike Lukas based on the column also called The Straight Dope.
Over 600 articles have been posted to the site's online archive, and some of these contains multiple questions-and-answers. Also included with the columns are quirky illustrations. Slug Signorino, in addition to a successful commercial art career, has been the regular illustrator for The Straight Dope for the past twenty years. In his illustrations, Cecil Adams is often depicted as a turkey wearing a mortar board.
Notes
- ^ http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/library/HistBioMemF08.pdf
- ^ Piper, Paul S. (February 1995). "What makes Cecil Adams the world's greatest reference librarian?" (photograph captioned “Cecil Adams”). American Libraries 26 (2): p. 147. OCLC 854299. ISSN 0002-9769.
- ^ a b "The Straight Dope: Who is this man called Cecil Adams?". StraightDope.com. The Chicago Reader. http://www.straightdope.com/faq/officialfaq.html. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Adams, Cecil. "Does passionate kissing cause your chewing gum to disintegrate?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_201.html. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Adams, Cecil. "Why are air fares cheaper if you stay over Saturday night?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/705/why-are-air-fares-cheaper-if-you-stay-over-saturday-night. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (1992-08-28). "Does sex make your acne worse?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_217.html. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (1986-03-07). "Who decided red means "stop" and green means "go"?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_152.html. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (2005-10-14). "Why is William Shakespeare considered the greatest English language writer of all time?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051014.html. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (1992-11-20). "How come the U.S. uses 120 volt electricity, not 240 like the rest of the world?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_292.html. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (1996-02-16). "Why is the heart considered the center of love and affection?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_271.html. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ Adams, Cecil (1993-07-30). "Who are the "black Irish"?". The Straight Dope (The Chicago Reader). http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_077.html. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
External links
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