# what does "Straight Dope" mean ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891 "2006-05-23T13:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Minotaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Minotaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minotaurus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/1 "2006-05-23T13:32:15Z")
could anyone explaine ? - i see it have sxisted since 1973, but when was this message board created? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/2 "2006-05-23T13:39:40Z")
Well, it’s the name of a column by Cecil Adams, the world’s smartest human being, who answers various questions from readers. That’s what started in 1973. The term “Straight Dope” means “the true story.” I believe it originated as a racetrack phrase, probably in the 40s or earlier. The SDMB dates from 1999, though there was a similar board on AOL previous to that. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/3 "2006-05-23T13:49:26Z")
As a general term, the “straight dope” implies a story scrubbed free of bias, legend and speculation. It’s unadulterated fact, something you can count on… could take to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/4 "2006-05-23T19:44:41Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > As a general term, the “straight dope” implies a story scrubbed free of bias, legend and speculation. It’s unadulterated fact, something you can count on… could take to the bank. The irony of this all boggles my simple mind 🙂 (And I never had the $3 million I didn’t have, either) ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/5 "2006-05-23T19:49:21Z")
> [@Minotaurus](#): > > could anyone explaine ? > > - i see it have sxisted since 1973, but when was this message board created? Just how did you end up a member here, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/6 "2006-05-23T19:57:31Z")
The Online Etymology Dictionary says of _straight_, “Sense of ‘undiluted, uncompromising’ (e.g. straight whiskey, 1874) is Amer.Eng., first recorded 1856.” Their entry for dope includes " […] sense of ‘inside information’ (1901) may come from knowing before the race which horse had been drugged to influence performance." So when was the compound “Straight Dope” first used in print, I wonder? My dad used to call the same concept “the hot skinny,” which is WWII-era slang. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/7 "2006-05-23T19:59:36Z")
> [@Minotaurus](#): > > i see it have sxisted since 1973, but when was this message board created? Why in 1973 of course. With the help of Al Gore we created an enormous manual message board consisting of several million abacus tied together with wishes and shoestrings. Poor TubaDiva was run ragged having to sprint from abacus to abacus attempting to keep everything together, the poor thing. I hear she still doesn’t like to discuss it……. ---
**Author:** ![Minotaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Minotaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minotaurus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-straight-dope-mean/357891/8 "2006-05-24T00:03:58Z")
thanks for the answers