# Cecil **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422 "2002-06-16T23:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/1 "2002-06-16T23:53:32Z")
I hope I am not crossing a line here, or violating some secret code, but, it says somewhere “…and occasionaly - cecil” when refering to people posting here. So I was wondering, does he? and if so, what name does he use? how often does he post? (I feel like I am in fight-club and am talking about tyler durden) Before I found the SDMB I knew nothing about ‘Straight Dope’ and therefore knew nothing about this ‘Cecil’ Guy. I still know nothing. I know I can probably find out a lot by “just read the site dude!” ing. but there is no harm in asking (is there?) England 3 0 Denmark ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/2 "2002-06-16T23:57:09Z")
He goes by Cecil Adams, his by-line is “the perfect master”. Feel free to do a search for his posts ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/3 "2002-06-17T00:07:09Z")
It just hit me like a brick thrown from a car - I did break one rule - my post was quite obviously a question, yet I posted it in MPSIMS. Followup burning question - Is Cecil cleverer than he thinks he is, or is he not as clever as he thinks he is? (In other words, is he arrogant or humble? I know he’s supposed to be very clever, but does he really know everything?) ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/4 "2002-06-17T00:18:13Z")
Cecil’s arrogant as all hell. The thing is, he carries it better than you and me. 😉 Cecil is the worlds smartest human being. I guess that says it all, right? Your question should be in ATMB, but here’s cool too. Trust me, if I shoot this to ATMB, the chances of him tearing you a new one go tenfold. Cecil 1 0 lobley ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/5 "2002-06-17T00:21:46Z")
And he’s not a real person. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/6 "2002-06-17T00:23:12Z")
But then, neither am I. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/7 "2002-06-17T00:24:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jinwicked \* > \*\*And he’s not a real person. \*\* Cite? Sure he is, just his name is not really Cecil Adams. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/8 "2002-06-17T00:29:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Cecil 1 0 lobley Damn. I hope it doesn’t go to penalties. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/9 "2002-06-17T00:37:55Z")
**Lobley** , It will no more go to penalties than would England’s last match against Denmark. Cecil is impossibly intelligent and can be impossibly arrogant. However, try as it might, his arrogance cannot surpass his intelligence. It’s sort of like infinity-1 vs infinity. Buy the books, look up old questions. Not only does Cecil know all, he tells all. (Even if I am about to have 3 times as many posts as him!) 🙂 CJ Bowing before the invocation of the name of the Perfect Master ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/10 "2002-06-17T00:40:20Z")
Well, yeah. He’s currently Ed Zotti. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/11 "2002-06-17T00:43:47Z")
Look ms. wicked, if the lightning strikes, don’t say I didn’t warn you. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/12 "2002-06-17T00:45:25Z")
Ok I am detecting a slight feather of hostility (I won’t name names) I am in too much of a good mood to argue. So I will just say to those who I have percieved to be insulted by me even questioning his intelligence that If you say Cecil is God then I will take your word for it. Good day. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/13 "2002-06-17T00:48:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, yeah. He’s currently Ed Zotti. So, who was he _before_? Jin, is this like the **Dreaded Pirate Roberts?** And, you do have a cite. Right? ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/14 "2002-06-17T01:15:55Z")
I have seen enough information to be convinced. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/15 "2002-06-17T01:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jinwicked \* > \*\*I have seen enough information to be convinced. \*\* Such as? Ed has said himself that he is not cecil. And it was said at one point, that whoever is cecil, only posts as cecil ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/16 "2002-06-17T02:00:27Z")
I too am unclear as to who exactly Cecil Adams is. Is it safe to say no one knows for sure? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/17 "2002-06-17T02:07:05Z")
Wow. Up until today, I always thought your name was “ **jiMwicked** ” , not **jinwicked**. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/18 "2002-06-17T02:10:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cainxinth \* > \*\*I too am unclear as to who exactly Cecil Adams is. Is it safe to say no one knows for sure? \*\* That would be safe to say ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/19 "2002-06-17T02:12:14Z")
I would submit that Cecil and the Reader entire would probably think the best way to figure out “who is Cecil?” is to buy and read all his books. Preferably several copies of each. 😃 Okay, the “several copies” thing is a joke; the “buy and read his books” part is not. Go, thou, to the nearest book seller and ask for Adams comma C. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422/20 "2002-06-17T03:02:34Z")
At the very least you will get good value for your money. And for the record:\* I\* am _not_ Cecil Adams, either. I am Spartacus. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil/114422.md?page=2)