# Is Cecil's first SD article on the website? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 14, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161 "2010-12-14T20:45:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/1 "2010-12-14T20:45:19Z")
And if not, anyone know what it was about? I’m curious as to what matter of universal significance was the catalyst that began this great journey. Was it man searching for meaning in life? An explanation of some outre scientific principle? Or something about why dogs like to sniff crotches? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/2 "2010-12-14T22:00:53Z")
IIRC, it was something about the B side of records. It took a few years for the Straight Dope to really hit its stride. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/3 "2010-12-14T22:08:07Z")
[The First Straight Dope Column](http://www.straightdope.com/pages/faq/firstcolumn). ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/4 "2010-12-15T00:16:03Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > [The First Straight Dope Column](http://www.straightdope.com/pages/faq/firstcolumn). It’s interesting to read the little blurb about the Bryn Mawr Theater, a second-run theater that did land-office business with $0.60 admissions, and realize just how long before home theaters this column was written. Also, it took Cecil a while to hone his wit: > [@](#): > > Other neighborhood theater owners don’t follow the Bryn Mawr’s lead because they are greedy and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/5 "2010-12-15T01:45:24Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Was it man searching for meaning in life? An explanation of some outre scientific principle? Or something about why dogs like to sniff crotches? What’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/6 "2010-12-15T04:22:34Z")
Which was Ed Zotti’s first SD column? ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/7 "2010-12-15T06:35:50Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Which was Ed Zotti’s first SD column? I thought Ed and Cecil were the same person, or is that just a widely believed unverified rumor? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/8 "2010-12-15T09:15:43Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I thought Ed and Cecil were the same person, or is that just a widely believed unverified rumor? As I understand it, Ed is the second person to write SD as “Cecil Adams.” Also, there’s no Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/9 "2010-12-15T09:35:22Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > As I understand it, Ed is the second person to write SD as “Cecil Adams.” > > Also, there’s no Santa Claus. I thought Ed was the third editor. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/10 "2010-12-15T12:40:19Z")
Even then, Cecil’s notorious prophetic ability was evident: From column: “where do you think the American Redneck Association holds its meetings, for example?” From [this cite:](http://www.trademarkia.com/ara-american-redneck-association-74569923.html)On Tuesday, September 06, 1994, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for ARA AMERICAN REDNECK ASSOCIATION Column dated 1973, trademark registered 1994. Cecil nailed it _ **21 years** _ prior to it happening! ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/11 "2010-12-15T19:24:44Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > I thought Ed and Cecil were the same person, or is that just a widely believed unverified rumor? The latter. Those who insist upon pulling back the curtain, as it were, note that Ed is Cecil’s third editor. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/12 "2010-12-17T04:59:57Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > Even then, Cecil’s notorious prophetic ability was evident: > > From column: “where do you think the American Redneck Association holds its meetings, for example?” > From [this cite:](http://www.trademarkia.com/ara-american-redneck-association-74569923.html)On Tuesday, September 06, 1994, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for ARA AMERICAN REDNECK ASSOCIATION > > Column dated 1973, trademark registered 1994. > Cecil nailed it _ **21 years** _ prior to it happening! He’s not called The Perfect Master for nothin’! ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/13 "2010-12-17T07:11:30Z")
Interesting that Cecil was dispensing [del]insults[/del] witticisms from the beginning. My copy of _The Straight Dope_ (c. 1984, Chicago Reader) lists Cecil’s editors: [Mike Lenehan](http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/faculty/boa.aspx?id=62935) Dave Kerr Ed Zotti Cecil graciously acknowledges them in the dedication: “My thanks to Mike, Dave and Ed, who slaved over my copy as if it were their own…” ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/14 "2010-12-17T21:19:00Z")
Not to get all chicken-and-eggy here, but why did those first questioners write in if there was no column yet? Did the Reader run a blurb saying, “We’re planning this nifty column and if you send us a question we’ll send you a PL” for a few weeks beforehand? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/15 "2010-12-17T21:44:12Z")
I wouldn’t know the answer, but that’s one good guess; another is that people would just write in to the paper with questions, having no idea whether an answer was forthcoming. It seems kinda wacky to me (especially writing to the _Reader_), but I can easily imagine some few doing it. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/16 "2010-12-18T14:12:30Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Interesting that Cecil was dispensing [del]insults[/del] witticisms from the beginning. > > My copy of _The Straight Dope_ (c. 1984, Chicago Reader) lists Cecil’s editors: > > [Mike Lenehan](http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/faculty/boa.aspx?id=62935) > Dave Kerr > Ed Zotti > > Cecil graciously acknowledges them in the dedication: “My thanks to Mike, Dave and Ed, who slaved over my copy as if it were their own…” Second editor was Dave Kehr, who moved on to the NY Times: [Dave Kehr - The New York Times](http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/k/dave_kehr/index.html) … ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecils-first-sd-article-on-the-website/564161/17 "2010-12-18T16:26:16Z")
Apparently no further information exists about the third editor, who is believed to roam the underside of Chicago’s Els as a ghostly disreputable figure, asking tourists for spare change and answers to life’s ineffable questions. He has been arrested over 3,000 times but is always released back into the wild as no prisoner will share a cell with him. He is identifiable by the cartoon tattoos that cover his body, made by someone called “Slug.” Or perhaps depicting a slug. They are so poorly done that no one call tell which is true. He is not considered dangerous, except possibly to the truth. A Chicago legend, Mike Royko never did a column on him.