# Cecil - baby prodigy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 6, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106 "2003-02-06T02:06:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cplschnapps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b487fb/32.png) [@cplschnapps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cplschnapps)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106/1 "2003-02-06T02:06:38Z")

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While surfing the SD archive, I came across a column called “Did Queen Victoria really say We Are Not Amused…” in which Cecil stated that “we (royal we) did not arrive until 72 years after she checked out” It was bylined Cecil himself, not SD staff. Since Vicky died in Jan 1901, that means Cecil was born in 1973. However, today’s (5 Feb) column was a rerun (Quicksand) dated May 1973. Was Cecil really writing the SD at the age of 5 months?

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**Author:** ![cdhostage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@cdhostage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdhostage)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106/2 "2003-02-06T02:54:30Z")

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Methinks a random number was inserted.

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**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106/3 "2003-02-06T03:33:07Z")

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The first Straight Dope was published in 1973. Hence the slogan: “Fighting ignorance since 1973 (It’s taking longer than we thought)”

There’s some neat stuff in the FAQs on the homepage.

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**Author:** ![cplschnapps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b487fb/32.png) [@cplschnapps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cplschnapps)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106/4 "2003-02-06T04:44:09Z")

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Yes, of course Sugaree is right. Still it was confusingly worded!

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-baby-prodigy/153106/5 "2003-02-06T07:53:59Z")

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I liked the 5 month old baby theory better myself. I mean, why not?