# Am I The Only Fool? (Question regarding Cecil.) **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 31, 2004, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392 "2004-12-31T07:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/41 "2005-01-08T04:01:54Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > “Is there a man who files his 1040 income tax return under the name ‘Cecil Adams’ and who writes the Straight Dope column for the _Chicago Reader_?” is a quite different question from “Is there really a Cecil Adams?” No, it’s not. It’s quite obvious that the intent of the question is to inquire whether a single flesh-and-blood person (using a pseudonym or no) has been writing the columns signed by “Cecil Adams” since February '73. Obviously, the nudge-nudge-wink-wink style of the answer to question 14 of the FAQ implies (to put it mildly) that Mike Lenehan began writing the column under that pen name and kept it up for 3 years, that Dave Kehr took up the column for the following 2 years, and that Ed Zotti’s been writing the column since '78. But in any case, if your post is serious (hard to tell – especially in this thread 😉 ), then I’m gonna have to go ahead and… _disagree_ with you there. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/42 "2005-01-08T04:48:33Z")
I’m surprised that the first response wasn’t, “when it comes to Cecil, we’re all fools.” ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/43 "2005-01-08T05:20:02Z")
Is **Cecil** not real? That won’t fly! Let no one existence deny Of our true Perfect Master – 'Twould be a disaster If we all stopped believing – he’d die! ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/44 "2005-01-08T05:31:24Z")
It was **Mike** who began the charade. It took two years for **David** to fade. Then our **Ed** got the duty, and oh, what a beauty – all in all, it’s a pretty good trade. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/45 "2005-01-09T20:24:57Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > No, it’s not. It’s quite obvious that the intent of the question is to inquire whether a single flesh-and-blood person (using a pseudonym or no) has been writing the columns signed by “Cecil Adams” since February '73. > > Obviously, the nudge-nudge-wink-wink style of the answer to question 14 of the FAQ implies (to put it mildly) that Mike Lenehan began writing the column under that pen name and kept it up for 3 years, that Dave Kehr took up the column for the following 2 years, and that Ed Zotti’s been writing the column since '78. > > But in any case, if your post is serious (hard to tell – especially in this thread 😉 ), then I’m gonna have to go ahead and… _disagree_ with you there. I found the Discover magazine article I mentioned earlier. It was from January 1987. The article is titled “The Answer Man” I believe. I left it at my parents’ house, so I can’t get the article right now. It implicitly confirms that “Cecil Adams” is a pseudonym. And it can’t be an anagram for Ed Acclaims because it was around before Ed Zotti became “editor.” That is very X-Filesy. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/46 "2005-01-09T22:52:16Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > The same wording like “fanciful name” was used for Ann Landers, for instance. It doesn’t mean that the person isn’t real, it only means that the name is registered. Not quite the same wording, **Dex**. From the “Ann Landers” [entry](http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=bg00m2.2.1) (I hope that link works): > [@](#): > > THE NAME “ANN LANDERS” IS FANCIFUL. From the “Cecil Adams” entry: > [@](#): > > CECIL ADAMS DOES NOT IDENTIFY ANY PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL BUT WAS DEVISED AS A FANCIFUL NAME The word “fanciful” is in both, but I think you’ll agree that the “Cecil” entry goes a bit further. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/47 "2005-01-09T23:06:31Z")
> [@The Great Zamboni](#): > > I found the Discover magazine article I mentioned earlier. It was from January 1987. The article is titled “The Answer Man” I believe. I left it at my parents’ house, so I can’t get the article right now. It implicitly confirms that “Cecil Adams” is a pseudonym. How does an article **implicitly confirm**??? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/48 "2005-01-09T23:34:35Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > Not quite the same wording, **Dex**. From the “Ann Landers” [entry](http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=bg00m2.2.1) (I hope that link works):From the “Cecil Adams” entry:The word “fanciful” is in both, but I think you’ll agree that the “Cecil” entry goes a bit further. Well, let’s not get too excited about a US government website(even though I use it all the time in my “word origins” searches). Instead of using **Ann Landers** , let’s use **Miss Manners** , whom we all know is a real live person named Judith Martin?? And, by the way, leaving live links to your searches over at the Trademark database is useless, as the session expires in a short period of time, and can’t be viewed by a later visitor. So, for all of you following along out there, let’s go to the search engine for the US Government Trademark Database—[http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm](http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm) Now, right in the middle of that page, there is a line that says “Search Trademarks.” Still with me? Now, after you hit that button, hit "New User Search Form(Basic). When the new window pops up, type in “Miss Manners” You will see two results. Click on both. One will say: > [@](#): > > Word Mark MISS MANNERS Goods and Services IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: computer services, namely, providing an on-line syndicated newspaper feature on the subject of etiquette. FIRST USE: 19940101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19940101 > Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING > Serial Number 75172163 > Filing Date September 26, 1996 > Current Filing Basis 1A > Original Filing Basis 1A > Published for Opposition September 23, 1997 > Registration Number 2121259 > Registration Date December 16, 1997 > Owner (REGISTRANT) Martin, Judith INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 1651 Harvard Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20009 > Attorney of Record FRANK H ANDORKA > Prior Registrations 1176134 > Type of Mark SERVICE MARK > Register PRINCIPAL > Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). > Other Data The mark does not identify any particular living individual. > Live/Dead Indicator LIVE NOTICE–“The mark does not identify any particular living individual.” Hit the other cite in the trademark index and you get > [@](#): > > Word Mark MISS MANNERS Goods and Services IC 016. US 038. G & S: Syndicated Newspaper Column Dealing with Etiquette. FIRST USE: 19780102. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19780102 > Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING > Serial Number 73255143 > Filing Date March 24, 1980 > Current Filing Basis 1A > Original Filing Basis 1A > Published for Opposition August 11, 1981 > Registration Number 1176134 > Registration Date November 3, 1981 > Owner (REGISTRANT) United Feature Syndicate, Inc. CORPORATION NEW YORK 6th Floor 200 Park Ave. New York NEW YORK 10017 > (LAST LISTED OWNER) JUDITH MARTIN INDIVIDUAL BY ASSIGNMENT UNITED STATES C/O DH LITERARY, INC P.O. BOX 990 NYACK NEW YORK 10960 > > Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED > Disclaimer The word “Manners” is disclaimed apart from the mark as shown. > Type of Mark TRADEMARK > Register PRINCIPAL > Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20010616. > Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 20010616 > Other Data The name comprising the subject mark is merely fanciful and does not identify a particular individual. > Live/Dead Indicator LIVE Note: “The name comprising the subject mark is merely fanciful and does not identify a particular individual.” So, is Judith Martin a real person? ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/49 "2005-01-10T01:33:01Z")
Join the fight against ignorance, **Cecil** , and post your photo here for everyone to see. If you haven’t aged too good, you can use one from back in '73, when the fight began… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/50 "2005-01-10T02:58:58Z")
Cecil has this strange notion that if his photo were published, he’d lose all his privacy, and every time he went to the grocery store, he’d be mobbed by fans trying to tear off a piece of his clothing as a souvenir. I know, I know, but he’s an eccentric genius and the boss, so I’m sure not going to argue with him. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/51 "2005-01-10T03:31:47Z")
I see your point, **Dexter**. I suppose the yearly subs would have to go up if we were forever having to replace his wardrobe. On the other hand, how about if he auctioned of his apparel on e-bay every now and then? I could imagine that some of his garments would fetch staggering prices - especially among the lady dopers. Then we’d get to use the boards for free (like the good old days) and you’d be paid for all the tireless work you put in. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/52 "2005-01-10T04:00:37Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > So, is Judith Martin a real person? “Judith Martin”? Yes. “Miss Manners”? No. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/53 "2005-01-10T13:54:01Z")
It has been suggested in the past that “Cecil Adams” is a pseudonym, for the same reason that he doesn’t allow photographs. It’s not the wardrobe loss, it’s the loss of privacy that he fears. He thinks that if his true identity were available in the Chicago phone book, for instance, his house would be surrounded every day by fans, screaming and cheering for autographs, food, etc. He wouldn’t be able to leave the house, without being mobbed. I personally think it’s irrational, but he’s an eccentric genius, what can I say. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/54 "2005-01-10T15:21:01Z")
Cecil has occasionally provided details about his life – about how [he once violently smacked an overhead crane into a building](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_402b.html), for instance, which he [greatly expanded on in this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=3176765&postcount=14), and how [he was once held at gunpoint](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_146.html), which he [expanded on here, in the same thread as above](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=3203160&postcount=45). Plus numerous smaller events, like [squirting sodas in an alley](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_043.html) and [driving cross-country in a Pontiac 6000 LE seeing if you get better gas mileage with the windows down or the A/C on](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_393.html), and referring to himself using phrases like [“I’m a liberal”](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_155.html) and [“Cecil, like any good liberal”](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_368.html), and his infamous [calling the 2003 war in Iraq “this damn fool war”](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030411.html). This is the sort of thing that gives you that sense that you know the man, and that leads us to venerate Cecil as the Perfect Master, above all others (well, the “damn fool war” thing caused a number of people to pile on him, but you know what I mean). So, when somebody asks “Is Cecil Adams real?”, to me it means “A, is their one individual who had all of the experiences I read about Cecil having, and B, if there is, is his name really Cecil Adams?” The A part is much more important to me, personally, than the B. I would be a crushing disappointment to think that the mental image I have of Cecil, whoever he is, has merely been a composite of multiple people. **C K Dexter Haven** , you have always assured us that Cecil Adams was a real person, and I think of you as extremely trustworthy. If you say that the points above do indeed reflect one particular individual, regardless of his name, I for one will believe you … and be extremely happy. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/55 "2005-01-10T23:44:11Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > is their one individual who had all of the experiences I read about Cecil having Doggone it – obviously that underlined word should be “there.” I had originally worded the sentence differently and “their” was correct at the time, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/56 "2005-01-11T02:26:11Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > This is the sort of thing that gives you that sense that you know the man, and that leads us to venerate Cecil as the Perfect Master, above all others (well, the “damn fool war” thing caused a number of people to pile on him, but you know what I mean). So, when somebody asks “Is Cecil Adams real?”, to me it means “A, is their one individual who had all of the experiences I read about Cecil having, and B, if there is, is his name really Cecil Adams?” The A part is much more important to me, personally, than the B. I would be a crushing disappointment to think that the mental image I have of Cecil, whoever he is, has merely been a composite of multiple people. Individual or composite? Just go into GD on a hot topic thread, such as transsexualism or cats, and see if you can distinguish one PC contribution from another. Can you truly tell your from your Windy City doper from your Bay doper? > [@chorpler](#): > > **C K Dexter Haven** , you have always assured us that Cecil Adams was a real person, and I think of you as extremely trustworthy. If you say that the points above do indeed reflect one particular individual, regardless of his name, I for one will believe you … and be extremely happy. As an auditor once told aspirants to that noble profession, there are three things you must do if you wish to be good at your job: “Doubt, doubt, and doubt”. **Roger O. Thornhill** ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/57 "2005-01-11T04:39:11Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Individual or composite? Just go into GD on a hot topic thread, such as transsexualism or cats, and see if you can distinguish one PC contribution from another. Can you truly tell your from your Windy City doper from your Bay doper? I doubt it, but that’s my point – to me, it seems like Cecil’s writing style has been consistent since the column started in 1973 until now, so it seems like it has been written by one individual … but I probably wouldn’t be able to tell if it wasn’t, especially since I really, really _want_ him to be a real individual. I don’t care what his real name is, as long as the person I feel I’ve gotten to learn a few things about is an actual person. > [@](#): > > As an auditor once told aspirants to that noble profession, there are three things you must do if you wish to be good at your job: “Doubt, doubt, and doubt”. Speaking of doubt, I had an idea. The usual speculation is that Cecil if Cecil does _not_ exist, it’s Ed Zotti writing the columns under that name, right? So perhaps somebody could dig into Ed’s past (or, you know, hire a private investigator or whatever :)) and see if any of the details Cecil has given out above match Ed’s life – did he ever own a Pontiac 6000 LE, did he ever work for a guy named Belcher and crash an overhead crane into a building, etc. On the other hand, that information could be difficult or impossible to find, and hiring an investigator would be very expensive. But we do have a large body of writing from both Cecil and Ed – Cecil has several books worth of columns out so far, and Ed has his own question-and-answer book, [_Know It All!_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345362322/qid=1105417178/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-5563235-3849568?v=glance&s=books), and apparently something called [_Chicago River urban design guidelines: Downtown corridor_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006EZJMY/qid=1105417178/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/104-5563235-3849568?v=glance&s=books). Now, I remember that, a few decades ago, some researchers at Brigham Young University (I think) claimed that they did “wordprint” studies that proved the Book of Mormon was written by many ancient authors and was merely translated by Joseph Smith, rather than being written by a single author (presumably Joseph Smith), and that none of the writing styles in the Book of Mormon match up to Joseph Smith’s writing style anyway. Now, I know their claims were met with skepticism, and many people brought up very plausible-sounding reasons why their work was skewed and invalid, and then apologists brought up plausible-sounding reasons why the results were NOT invalid, followed by refutations from the other side, and so on back and forth. But let’s assume for a moment that, even if that particular work by those particular researchers wasn’t valid, the basic theory is sound and it would be at least theoretically possible to get a valid wordprint comparison done for the writings of Cecil and Ed. Then we’d be able to tell if the same individual wrote both, right? Of course, Cecil’s articles are edited by Ed, so that might give a false positive. But Cecil does have posts here on the board, and presumably Ed doesn’t edit _everything_ Cecil writes, right? So we could use those, too. I leave it to somebody who knows more about the topic than I (like whether the basic theory _is_ sound or not, and things like that) to comment further. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/58 "2005-01-11T04:50:08Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > every time he went to the grocery store, he’d be mobbed by fans trying to tear off a piece of his clothing as a souvenir. The obvious solution to this is for Cecil to take up residence in the nearest nudist colony. In Chicago. In January. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/59 "2005-01-11T04:55:39Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > Cecil does have posts here on the board, and presumably Ed doesn’t edit _everything_ Cecil writes, right? Well, there’s a handle called “Cecil Adams” and a handle called “Ed Zotti”. Doesn’t mean much. As for writing for 30 odd years in a similar style, the same thing’s been achieved for much longer by editorialists (those fellows and women who write newspaper editorials) for much much longer. If you didn’t know it, and took editorials from London, Hong Kong, LA and NYC (and anywhere else in the same newspaper tradition), and got 'em all printed out in the same font, with the same margins, etc, I bet most people would think they’d come from teh same author. Same pompous tone, similar pie-in-the-sky optimism, same faintly nauseating self-congratulatory tone. Anyway, I feel like the Grinch what stole Christmas. **Cecil** , you’re the man! Just amuses me that the world’s premier ignorance-busting portal should employ such energies in perpetuating a myth; and that the world’s premier evidence-demanding cite-driven cyber-college should ignore its own founding principles regarding its “founder”! And it’s real fun to see the Mods sucked into more and more loopy defences of the great one. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392/60 "2005-01-11T05:51:05Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Well, there’s a handle called “Cecil Adams” and a handle called “Ed Zotti”. Doesn’t mean much. As for writing for 30 odd years in a similar style, the same thing’s been achieved for much longer by editorialists (those fellows and women who write newspaper editorials) for much much longer. If you didn’t know it, and took editorials from London, Hong Kong, LA and NYC (and anywhere else in the same newspaper tradition), and got 'em all printed out in the same font, with the same margins, etc, I bet most people would think they’d come from teh same author. > > Same pompous tone, similar pie-in-the-sky optimism, same faintly nauseating self-congratulatory tone. I don’t doubt it – most editorials sound similar to me (in style and tone, that is, not content). But supposedly wordprint studies can tell the difference. I personally have extreme doubts about that, but it would be an interesting experiment nevertheless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-fool-question-regarding-cecil/282392.md?page=4)