Couldn’t believe it, but there it was, in today’s New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, #105 across. “Writer Cecil of ‘The Straight Dope’”.
Finally, a clue I know the answer to! 
Was the proper answer “EDZOTTI”?
Well, it’s not surprising, really. There just aren’t that many clues for “Cecil” (nobody’s seen Beany & Cecil on TV in a looooong time, and Cecil Cooper’s been retired from baseball for ages)! If there’s a better-known Cecil anywhere, I’m not aware of him.
The word to be filled in was Adams, not Cecil.
Wow, they chose Cecil instead of Sam or John. Go Straight Dope!
I think “Baseball’s Fielder” would make an okay crossword clue.
Iffy. He son is close to breaking into the majors and is one of the top 1B prospects in the game. Like his father…Prince Fielder is a LARGE HUMAN.
PRINCE is 6 letters, and CECIL is 5. I just think the “fielder” pun can be put to good use.
Maybe a few more people have heard of the Cecil who directed Bible epics…?
For Cecil, you could also clue “Seasick sea serpent”. But Adams, now… There are a heck of a lot of ways to clue Adams. Our own Cecil being picked for that spot is a significan honor.
Since you mentioned at one point you’ve had puzzles published in the NY Times, I was wondering if you had been responsible for it.
No, I haven’t published a new puzzle in the TImes (or anywhere else) for several years.
But editor Will Shortz tries hard to use fresher, more current pop culture references than his predecessors ever did. If a constructor sends him a puzzle with too many allusions to people like UTA Hagen and OLEG Cassini, it will be rejected . (How many people remember UTA Hagen, after all, as fine an actress as she may have been).
Yes, Cecil B. DeMille is more famous than the Great Cecil Adams, but that’s an entry that’s been done to death. Shortz (and most current puzzle editors) would much prefer to use more contemporary entries. Cecil Adams definitely qualifies.