# Can I get a lesson in how to search the archives?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 19, 2000, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804 "2000-11-19T02:30:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804/1 "2000-11-19T02:30:04Z")

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Somebody just asked the question “why are cocktails called cocktails?” I knew that the question had been answered, but I was unable to find it when I searched. What am I doing wrong?

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**Author:** ![gillygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@gillygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gillygirl)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804/2 "2000-11-19T02:34:03Z")

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I just went to the search dealie and typed “cocktail” and switched the search to “any date” and I found a bunch of hits.

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**Author:** ![DoZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@DoZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoZ)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804/3 "2000-11-20T00:51:43Z")

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The key is that “Any Date” is not the default any more.  
It was changed to “Last 5 days” to reduce the default overhead.

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804/4 "2000-11-20T21:41:04Z")

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Thanks for your replies, but when you click on the _Search the Archives_ link on the home page, there is no line for dates. Is it better to not use that particular link?

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**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-lesson-in-how-to-search-the-archives/41804/5 "2000-11-20T23:23:24Z")

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I think that there is some confusion about which search you are referring to. First, there is the Archive search on the Straight Dope home page, which covers Cecil’s Straight Dope columns, Mailbag Answers and Staff Reports. Second, there is the search function on the Straight Dope Message Board.

I’m assuming that you are talking about the Archive search on the SD homepage.

I searched on the Archive search and found Gaudere’s masterful Mailbag article [What’s the origin of “cocktail”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcocktail.html), which is the article I assume you were looking for.

Unfortunately, for some reason, in the listing that came up when I searched for cocktail, the article was titled _Don’t forget to participate in the [http://www.straightdope.com/user-survey/](http://www.straightdope.com/user-survey/)_. Perhaps the powers that be can correct the index listing.