# Can I search for a phrase on the SDMB?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [December 9, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643 "2002-12-09T23:22:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643/1 "2002-12-09T23:22:13Z")

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When I try to do so it will only bring up threads that contain the individual words, which may be in the thousands. Using the AND modifier does not work.

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643/2 "2002-12-10T00:08:43Z")

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To the best of my knowledge that is, unfortunately, correct.

I’ll shoot this thread off to ATMB to see if someone better informed can help you out.

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**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643/3 "2002-12-10T00:11:26Z")

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Does putting it in quotes not work?

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**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643/4 "2002-12-10T00:16:31Z")

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Nope.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643/5 "2002-12-10T11:17:16Z")

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[http://www.boardreader.com/](http://www.boardreader.com/) can be searched for phrases. Put the phrase in quotation marks. Use the search term straightdope to limit the results to the SDMB.

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-search-for-a-phrase-on-the-sdmb/141643/6 "2002-12-12T01:23:58Z")

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N.B. Boardreader only crawls around here every month or so, so don’t expect to find anything very recent on boardreader.