# Reading Spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 29, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521 "2003-08-29T21:52:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/1 "2003-08-29T21:52:21Z")
Lately, I have been having immense problems with the triple-click mode of seeing what’s in a spoiler box. I recall someone explaining an alternative way to “reveal spoilers” but all I can remember of it was that it involved the word “left.” Would anyone care to spell that out again? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/2 "2003-08-29T21:54:03Z")
Hold down the CTRL key while left-clicking. A spoiler for your convenience. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/3 "2003-08-29T23:42:55Z")
Alternatively, click at one end of the spoiler and hold down the left mouse-button. Then drag the cursor across the body of the message. This is the method I always use. ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/4 "2003-08-30T00:43:03Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Q.E.D._ > Hold down the CTRL key while left-clicking. This method doesn’t work in Mozilla Firebird 0.6 or Konqueror 3.1.3, at least on my computer running Linux. The triple-click method mentioned by the OP does work, however. I haven’t tried CTRL-left clicking in Mozilla under Windows or Safari under Mac OS X. Could some kind Dopers provide more data points? ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/5 "2003-08-30T01:15:11Z")
CTRL+Left-click does not work with Mozilla 1.3.1 in Windows. Triple click does work. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/6 "2003-08-30T01:22:34Z")
And to further add to the browser-spoiler roundup: The drag, etc. thing doesn’t work in Opera 6.x but hitting Control-G changes the page so it’s readable (and Control-G to back the way it was). Big Hint to OPs: state the browser(s) you’re using. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/7 "2003-09-02T02:42:28Z")
As another Doper once suggested, you could try pressing Command-A (or whatever does Select All on your computer). While it highlights all the text on the page, it also instantly highlights all the text in every spoiler on the page. ---
**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:** [September 3, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/8 "2003-09-03T16:47:37Z")
> [@](#): > > As another Doper once suggested, you could try pressing Command-A (or whatever does Select All on your computer). Command-A for Mac, Control-A for PC. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-spoilers/198521/9 "2003-09-03T23:08:05Z")
Ah, thanks.