# Unca Cece?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unca-cece/62219>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 17, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unca-cece/62219 "2001-04-17T00:19:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unca-cece/62219/1 "2001-04-17T00:19:25Z")

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Where does the pet name Unca Cece for Cecil come from?

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unca-cece/62219/2 "2001-04-17T02:41:26Z")

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I think Cecil has used it himself is some of his columns.

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**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unca-cece/62219/3 "2001-04-17T12:44:34Z")

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This seems to go back to the early days of the column. The initial _Straight Dope_ book was first published in 1984. In the answer to the very first question appearing in this book, Cecil refers to himself as “Uncle Cecil”. On page 65, he writes “Take it from your Unca Cecil”. There are also references to “Cece” by various questioners.

I’d guess that the “Uncle/Unca” references originated with Cecil, while “Cece” came from the Teeming Millions. Eventually, the two were combined.