# Are Cecil and Una Married?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 29, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447 "2011-08-29T02:04:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/21 "2011-08-29T23:19:53Z")
Or maybe they are a polyamorous marriage? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/22 "2011-08-30T00:15:41Z")
How many men do you know of that could get away with calling their wife, their assistant? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/23 "2011-08-30T00:35:28Z")
Is **Fierra** a redhead, because if so, that’s hot. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/24 "2011-08-30T01:16:51Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > How many men do you know of that could get away with calling their wife, their assistant? Kinky. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/25 "2011-08-31T04:18:25Z")
I think of Cecil as family of a sort. Actually, I phone him an awful lot more than anyone in my family… Cecil is married and has mentioned his wife in columns long before I even heard of the Straight Dope. Fierra is my girl, and she helps out behind the scenes with some website-related things for the Straight Dope column. I really do like the science experiments; it’s not a love-hate relationship. There have been a dearth of them lately because Cecil hasn’t come up with anything for me to investigate along those lines. Cecil and I have some very animated discussions, only a few of which make it into the newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/26 "2011-08-31T22:58:08Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > … Fierra is my girl, … You realize, I hope, that this statement can be taken 2 ways? “Fierra is my girl[friend, as in partner]” and “Fierra is my [baby]girl [as in daughter]”. Could you clarify, please. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/27 "2011-09-01T02:15:09Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > You realize, I hope, that this statement can be taken 2 ways? “Fierra is my girl[friend, as in partner]” and “Fierra is my [baby]girl [as in daughter]”. Could you clarify, please. > > 😃 I can’t have children, so one option is out… ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/28 "2011-09-01T16:01:54Z")
It’s still theoretically possible that **Fierra** is Cecil, and that she and **Una** have a same sex marriage, and the references to “him” are part of an elaborate fiction. The flaw in this theory is, of course, the notion that Cecil is fictional… ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/29 "2011-09-01T19:00:14Z")
Cecil is as fictional as I am, which isn’t very. I talk to Cecil on the phone, I’ve met Cecil. Cecil even sent me a Christmas card and letter once. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/30 "2011-09-01T19:29:16Z")
The real question is, will Una reveal Cecil’s identity upon his embarking to the journey to the Great Beyond? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/31 "2011-09-01T19:35:39Z")
Cecil is real in the same sense that Mark Twain was real. Cecil’s xmas cards have all gone to Zotti for years and to a couple of other guys before Zotti took on the role a number of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/32 "2011-09-01T20:29:59Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Cecil is real in the same sense that Mark Twain was real. I think Cecil would be happy to be mentioned in the same sentence as Twain. Yes, I really do think that. Some folks get…well, actually angry over the prospect that Cecil is really Ed or someone else, and having people who work for the Straight Dope “pretending” that Cecil is really an independent person. I’ve seen it numerous times on this message board. Usually someone brings up the Trademark record for “Cecil Adams,” and gets on a soapbox about how it’s disrespectful, demeaning, and patronizing to pretend like a fictional character exists, etc. I don’t understand the anger, though - folks who _are_ convinced it’s purely a pen name should understand that a person writing under a pen name needs to keep consistent about the fiction of the name. What good is a pen name if one keeps switching back to one’s real name within the same use context? This holds true with newspaper columnists, book authors, and radio and TV personalities. I swear, some people probably keep a basket of bricks to hurl through their TV every time “Elton John” is mentioned, screaming “That’s not his real name!” So Cecil is Cecil, Ed is his editor, and I am their assistant. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/33 "2011-09-01T20:59:02Z")
I’m certainly not even close to angry. Bemused would be way more accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/34 "2011-09-01T21:39:51Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’m certainly not even close to angry. Bemused would be way more accurate. I apologize - I didn’t mean to imply you were. I was making a separate point in the same post. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/35 "2011-09-01T21:54:24Z")
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll admit that there really isn’t a person named Little Nemo writing this post. But I really am a person and I really am writing this post. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/36 "2011-09-01T23:21:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll admit that there really isn’t a person named Little Nemo writing this post. But I really am a person and I really am writing this post. Ironically, there really is a person named \*\*Little Nemo \*\*writing this post! -L/n ---
**Author:** ![Zhen\_ka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zhen\_ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhen_ka)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/37 "2011-09-02T02:25:59Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > I think Cecil would be happy to be mentioned in the same sentence as Twain. Yes, I really do think that. > > Some folks get…well, actually angry over the prospect that Cecil is really Ed or someone else, and having people who work for the Straight Dope “pretending” that Cecil is really an independent person. I’ve seen it numerous times on this message board. Usually someone brings up the Trademark record for “Cecil Adams,” and gets on a soapbox about how it’s disrespectful, demeaning, and patronizing to pretend like a fictional character exists, etc. > > I don’t understand the anger, though - folks who _are_ convinced it’s purely a pen name should understand that a person writing under a pen name needs to keep consistent about the fiction of the name. What good is a pen name if one keeps switching back to one’s real name within the same use context? This holds true with newspaper columnists, book authors, and radio and TV personalities. I swear, some people probably keep a basket of bricks to hurl through their TV every time “Elton John” is mentioned, screaming “That’s not his real name!” > > So Cecil is Cecil, Ed is his editor, and I am their assistant. So, Cecil is real and you really are a female. Gotcha ya, little Virginia! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/38 "2011-09-02T03:13:15Z")
> [@Zhen\_ka](#): > > So, Cecil is real and you really are a female. Gotcha ya, little Virginia! Sucked you back in, did we? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/39 "2011-09-02T03:28:30Z")
> [@Zhen\_ka](#): > > …and you really are a female. Gotcha ya, little Virginia! Oh, nice. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Zhen\_ka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zhen\_ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhen_ka)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447/40 "2011-09-02T04:38:25Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Sucked you back in, did we? 😃 Just don’t like the coy bullshit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cecil-and-una-married/594447.md?page=3)