# The Straight dope: by Cecil Adams **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 24, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690 "2003-01-24T20:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Miss\_Magic8ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/1 "2003-01-24T20:09:32Z")
Well, I was at school today, doing an exam. After I was done failing it, I went to the library to pick up some light reading. Right next to the Faust that I had came looking for, there was a book. It said “the straight” and the rest was covered by the page of another book. I said to myself, " now isn’t that odd, Who would name thier book “the straight”? So, being the curious creature that I am, I took out the book to take a gander at it, and I almost dropped it! It wasn’t “the straight”, oh no, It was “the straight dope”. By Cecil Adams, no less. Now, you can’t believe how amazed I was that my library would have this book. So I took that out instead of the pride and the prejudice, which is just as well since I heard that it was boring. I opened up the inside, and it said that it was part of the “Terry Sheasgreen collection”. you know, on thos bookstamps you put on yourself? Well, it seems that he was a teacher at my school a while back, and when he died his will said he wanted all his books donated to my school. So just out of curiousety, does anyone know of him? I take it he died within the last ten years, and I’m pretty sure some of you have been around since then. And also, has anyone read this book? Is it any good? (I’m sorry, but I have to ask.) ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/2 "2003-01-24T20:20:42Z")
[Link to books](https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat) Straight Dope Books: Triumph of the Straight Dope The Straight Dope Tells All Return of the Straight Dope More of the Straight Dope The Straight Dope Know It All ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/3 "2003-01-24T20:31:39Z")
I think lots of us have read Cecil’s books (and are waiting for the long-overdue next volume… please have mercy on us, Father Cecil!). I like them all, but I think the first one (the one you have in your hands) is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/4 "2003-01-24T20:33:29Z")
All of the straight dope books are good. I have every single one of them and find them to be a great. You can take them anywhere, plop down and start reading on whatever page you flip too. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/5 "2003-01-24T20:35:07Z")
I just wanted to add that, if not for the books, I would never have found this place. I was bored one day, way back when, when I typed “straight dope” into a search engine. Lo’ and behold guess what popped up on my screen! I lurked for a long while and I finally registered and started posting my usual innane drivel. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/6 "2003-01-24T20:40:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miss Magic8ball \* > \*\*And also, has anyone read this book? Is it any good? (I’m sorry, but I have to ask.) \*\* Have you read any of the columns on-line? They’re kinda like that. Kinda. 😉 Make sure you tell your friends about the book so more people can be brought into the cult. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Magic8ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/7 "2003-01-24T20:45:11Z")
Heh. Cult. I read about 4 pages so far on felines and their nuances so far, and its looking good. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/8 "2003-01-24T20:47:37Z")
I forgot to add: “Pride and Prejudice” is definitely not boring. I think it’s hilarious. But it’s a comedy about love and marriage and society, and possibly the people who told you it was boring prefer comedies about people falling down stairs. Or maybe they couldn’t understand it well enough to get the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/9 "2003-01-24T20:52:25Z")
The Straight Dope books are awesome, blew my mind, changed my way of attacking facts and fallacies when I first came upon them in the '80s, and are, like many others here, the reason why I dwell upon this board. I’ve learned a lot through them. I’ve convinced others from the stuff within them. And I’ve come to know some fabulous people because of them and this MB. Read. Read, and enjoy, **Miss Magic8ball**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/10 "2003-01-24T20:58:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by porcupine \* > \*\*Make sure you tell your friends about the book so more people can be brought into the cult. \*\* And when you’re done reading the book, be sure to report back to us so we can teach you the secret handshake. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/11 "2003-01-24T21:49:14Z")
_sniff_ I’m so proud. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/12 "2003-01-24T21:56:16Z")
Um … maybe it’s just me, but does anyone here know exactly what this message board is about? ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/13 "2003-01-24T22:00:45Z")
It’s about 800 x 600 pixels … but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/14 "2003-01-24T22:03:40Z")
Sheesh. No offense, **MM8B** , but this is a lot like excitedly informing people that the _Lord of the Rings_ movies are actually based on a bunch of _books_. (Who’da thunk it?!) ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/15 "2003-01-24T22:03:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\*Um … maybe it’s just me, but does anyone here know exactly what this message board is about? \*\* ::raises hand excitedly:: Oh! Oh! I do! I do! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/16 "2003-01-24T22:08:05Z")
I think the reason she’s excited is the fact that she’s found the books in the pathetic room of media they call a Library. ---
**Author:** ![mudcrutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@mudcrutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mudcrutch)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/17 "2003-01-24T22:23:12Z")
Not just any ol’ library… a _school_ library. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/18 "2003-01-24T22:44:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\*Um … maybe it’s just me, but does anyone here know exactly what this message board is about? \*\* Uh…eradicating ignorance? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/19 "2003-01-24T22:53:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\*Um … maybe it’s just me, but does anyone here know exactly what this message board is about? \*\* Last I checked it was a free message board. But then again, I heard there were rumors of charging a $300 annual membership fee and signing a sworn allegiance to the Illuminati. Tripler And that’s not including the $5.00 “New Idea/Thread” fee. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690/20 "2003-01-25T01:03:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > \*\*I just wanted to add that, if not for the books, I would never have found this place. I was bored one day, way back when, when I typed “straight dope” into a search engine. Lo’ and behold guess what popped up on my screen! > > I lurked for a long while and I finally registered and started posting my usual innane drivel. \*\* \ A while back, someone posted a thread along the lines of “Do you have a Straight Dope twin?” Or kindred spirit, or some such title. Now after several weeks of arriving to thread and getting ready to post to see that Meatros has already posted my exact thoughts, I have come to the conclusion that we were separated at birth. It’s now undeniable. Incontrovertable. Every thought I’ve had has passed through Meatros’s mind. Every post he’s made has passed through my consciousness as well… _sniff_ Brother! If you ever need a kidney… just ask… \ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-by-cecil-adams/150690.md?page=2)