# Cecil Adams **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766 "2005-10-25T03:19:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doopliss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Doopliss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doopliss)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/1 "2005-10-25T03:19:26Z")
Why is Cecil Adams said to be the most intelligent person in the word? Is that based on his IQ, or is it only a publicity slogan? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/2 "2005-10-25T03:22:19Z")
Because he is. I mean… duh. ---
**Author:** ![Doopliss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Doopliss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doopliss)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/3 "2005-10-25T03:26:50Z")
I really would like to receive an _acceptable_ answer. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/4 "2005-10-25T03:36:59Z")
From the [Straight Dope FAQ](http://www.straightdope.com/faq/officialfaq.html): > [@](#): > > [ol] > [li]\*\*Who is Cecil Adams? \*\* [/li] > Cecil Adams is the world’s most intelligent human being. We know this because: (1) he knows everything, and (2) he is never wrong. > > [li]\*\*How do we know that Cecil knows everything and is never wrong? \*\* [/li] > Because he said so, and he would never lie to us. > > [/ol] And what the hell is _acceptable_? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/5 "2005-10-25T03:37:47Z")
Okay, a serious answer. (You won’t get many, by the way, although I notice you had the foresight to place this enquiry in GQ, demonstrating a commendable familiarity with this place for a new poster.) “Cecil Adams” is a composite of the various people that work as staff at the SDMB (mostly on a voluntary basis, of course), as, for example, administrators, moderators, ex-moderators and staff-report writers. That’s not to say that _all_ those who fall into these categories form part of the composite, of course. Some are not sufficiently qualified in terms of specialist knowledge. Others will no doubt provide links to the site where Ed Zotti is identified with “Cecil”. But whether it ever was the case, it certainly is no longer the case that Ed equals “Cecil”, in the sense of writing all his stuff. His major job vis a vis “Cecil” would be to ensure that a consistent style (the delivery in a relaxedly witty style of super-factual answers to off-beat questions) is maintained within an across all writings that appear under the name “Cecil Adams”. ---
**Author:** ![WonJohnSoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f17d59/32.png) [@WonJohnSoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WonJohnSoup)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/6 "2005-10-25T03:40:57Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Okay, a serious answer. (You won’t get many, by the way, although I notice you had the foresight to place this enquiry in GQ, demonstrating a commendable familiarity with this place for a new poster.) “Cecil Adams” is a composite of the various people that work as staff at the SDMB (mostly on a voluntary basis, of course), as, for example, administrators, moderators, ex-moderators and staff-report writers. That’s not to say that _all_ those who fall into these categories form part of the composite, of course. Some are not sufficiently qualified in terms of specialist knowledge. > > Others will no doubt provide links to the site where Ed Zotti is identified with “Cecil”. But whether it ever was the case, it certainly is no longer the case that Ed equals “Cecil”, in the sense of writing all his stuff. His major job vis a vis “Cecil” would be to ensure that a consistent style (the delivery in a relaxedly witty style of super-factual answers to off-beat questions) is maintained within an across all writings that appear under the name “Cecil Adams”. Wait wait wait. Cecil ISN’T a real person??? Then why didn’t someone didn’t just step up and take the fall for that sticky about politics at the top of the GQ forum? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/7 "2005-10-25T03:48:52Z")
> [@Doopliss](#): > > I really would like to receive an _acceptable_ answer. Well Cecil has certain physical abnormalities in the form of flippers instead of arms and legs, and very dry skin to be that require him to him to spend vast amounts of time in an indoor swimming pool filled with milk. Not wishing to waste his time idling he acquired a water proofed copy of the World Book encyclopedia and set his mind toward becoming the World’s most _knowledgeable_ man. Where does knowledge end and intelligence begin? Who knows? Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/8 "2005-10-25T03:50:27Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Okay, a serious answer. (You won’t get many, by the way, although I notice you had the foresight to place this enquiry in GQ, demonstrating a commendable familiarity with this place for a new poster.) “Cecil Adams” is a composite of the various people that work as staff at the SDMB (mostly on a voluntary basis, of course), as, for example, administrators, moderators, ex-moderators and staff-report writers. That’s not to say that _all_ those who fall into these categories form part of the composite, of course. Some are not sufficiently qualified in terms of specialist knowledge. > > Others will no doubt provide links to the site where Ed Zotti is identified with “Cecil”. But whether it ever was the case, it certainly is no longer the case that Ed equals “Cecil”, in the sense of writing all his stuff. His major job vis a vis “Cecil” would be to ensure that a consistent style (the delivery in a relaxedly witty style of super-factual answers to off-beat questions) is maintained within an across all writings that appear under the name “Cecil Adams”. This is quite incorrect. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/9 "2005-10-25T03:51:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > This is quite incorrect. Left out of the loop, I see… ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/10 "2005-10-25T03:53:59Z")
\ Let’s see what kind of response we can get from the fine folks in MPSIMS. Moving…now. \ ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/11 "2005-10-25T03:57:31Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Okay, a serious answer. (You won’t get many, by the way, although I notice you had the foresight to place this enquiry in GQ, demonstrating a commendable familiarity with this place for a new poster.) “Cecil Adams” is a composite of the various people that work as staff at the SDMB (mostly on a voluntary basis, of course), as, for example, administrators, moderators, ex-moderators and staff-report writers. That’s not to say that _all_ those who fall into these categories form part of the composite, of course. Some are not sufficiently qualified in terms of specialist knowledge. > > Others will no doubt provide links to the site where Ed Zotti is identified with “Cecil”. But whether it ever was the case, it certainly is no longer the case that Ed equals “Cecil”, in the sense of writing all his stuff. His major job vis a vis “Cecil” would be to ensure that a consistent style (the delivery in a relaxedly witty style of super-factual answers to off-beat questions) is maintained within an across all writings that appear under the name “Cecil Adams”. Blasphemy, I say, blasphemy! Cecil Adams IS a real person. mommy?! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/12 "2005-10-25T04:00:30Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Left out of the loop, I see… [Still hoping someone comes along to validate your skepticism](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5665836#post5665836), I see. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/13 "2005-10-25T04:17:25Z")
It’s serious stuff, **Doopliss**. Tabs are kept on apostates and renegades. Files can be brought up at the drop of a hat. Computers can be disab……………………………………………………………………………………………… ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/14 "2005-10-25T04:27:36Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Okay, a serious answer. (You won’t get many, by the way, although I notice you had the foresight to place this enquiry in GQ, demonstrating a commendable familiarity with this place for a new poster.) “Cecil Adams” is a composite of the various people that work as staff at the SDMB (mostly on a voluntary basis, of course), as, for example, administrators, moderators, ex-moderators and staff-report writers. That’s not to say that _all_ those who fall into these categories form part of the composite, of course. Some are not sufficiently qualified in terms of specialist knowledge. > > Others will no doubt provide links to the site where Ed Zotti is identified with “Cecil”. But whether it ever was the case, it certainly is no longer the case that Ed equals “Cecil”, in the sense of writing all his stuff. His major job vis a vis “Cecil” would be to ensure that a consistent style (the delivery in a relaxedly witty style of super-factual answers to off-beat questions) is maintained within an across all writings that appear under the name “Cecil Adams”. You are quite incorrect. The volunteers are mostly, if not entirely, moderating staff. If moderators or members of the SDSAB want to answer something, we do it as a Staff Report, not as one of Cecil’s Columns. Now, occasionally Cecil will ask for leads on information on a column he’s contemplating, but he’ll do most of the research and all of the writing himself. In short, don’t answer a question unless you know the answer. Lynn Administrator For the Straight Dope. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/15 "2005-10-25T04:49:53Z")
Cecil’s a big boy. I’m sure he’ll be along in a while to answer for himself. Even if he doesn’t do vanity searches, one of his acolytes will have tipped him off by now. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/16 "2005-10-25T04:58:11Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Cecil’s a big boy. I’m sure he’ll be along in a while to answer for himself. Even if he doesn’t do vanity searches, one of his acolytes will have tipped him off by now. If that turns out to be the case, then it’ll be his first MPSIMS post since [January 1st](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=294630). Even a Perfect Master should need to poke around in here a tad bit more often. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/17 "2005-10-25T06:01:23Z")
> [@Doopliss](#): > > Why is Cecil Adams said to be the most intelligent person in the word? Is that based on his IQ, or is it only a publicity slogan? Hubris. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/18 "2005-10-25T06:12:19Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Left out of the loop, I see… To add to what others have said, Cecil’s been writing his column since 1973. The SDMB has only been around since 1999. The SDSAB is also a fairly recent phenomenon. In the old days it was just Cecil and an editor. As for the OP, Cecil Adams is an office as well as a man, a bit like being the Pope or the Green Lantern. Being the worlds smartest human is part of that office. It’s a lot like Papal infallibility. It can’t be proven scientifically, you simply take it on faith. You’re free to disbelieve, of course, as long as you don’t mind roating in the fires of hell in the life to come. Note that Cecil will sometimes challenge readers with statements that seem to be “errors.” As the faithful know these so-called mistakes are merely tests of our fidelity and our ability to use our brain power in the noble if ultimately futile effort to become more like Cecil. He is the only person allowed to say “My post is my cite.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/19 "2005-10-25T13:22:16Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > You’re free to disbelieve, of course, as long as you don’t mind roating in the fires of hell in the life to come. > > Note that Cecil will sometimes challenge readers with statements that seem to be “errors.” As the faithful know these so-called mistakes are merely tests of our fidelity and our ability to use our brain power in the noble if ultimately futile effort to become more like Cecil. He is the only person allowed to say “My post is my cite.” There is a story that if we have used critical thinking and fessed up to our errors when they’re pointed out, then after we shuffle off this mortal coil we find ourself delivered to a beautiful place where surreal cartoons are real, where double-posts are self-correcting, and where final enlightenment of all things is possible and harmony amoung beings a result. Conversely, if we do not do these things, and even revel in our own ignorance, we find ourselves condemned to an ever-tightening downward spiral in a place where circumcision is blamed for all our ills, where falsehood parades as fact by intentioned obfuscation, and where nature’s simultaneous four-day cubic creation propels our lives inexorably timeward. _In the fullness of time, all things will be revealed_. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766/20 "2005-10-25T13:47:31Z")
[Tony Curtis] _I_ am Cecil Adams! [/Tony Curtis] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams/327766.md?page=2)