# Origin of the Phrrase "The Straight Dope"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-phrrase-the-straight-dope/172070>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 30, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-phrrase-the-straight-dope/172070 "2003-04-30T03:14:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jodocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@Jodocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodocus)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-phrrase-the-straight-dope/172070/1 "2003-04-30T03:14:36Z")

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What is the origin of the phrase “the Straight Dope?”

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-phrrase-the-straight-dope/172070/2 "2003-04-30T03:25:36Z")

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Straight is slang for accurate.

Dope is (or was–it is not often used that way, now) slang or information.

The Straight Dope is slang for “accurate information.”  
There have been a few threads on the topic in **General Questions** , (although searching for them is a bit problematic given the currency of the phrase on this Message Board).