Who is the author of the Cecil Adams columns?

Factual Questions
1

Who is the author of the Cecil Adams columns? I did a search of this forum and was surprised to find no answer. This is not an ATMB question because I really don’t have a question about any relations to this message board. Not really a question for “Comments on Cecil” because there’s not a whole lot I question. It’s not an IMHO, because I’m not looking for guesses.

I know that he recruits help from time to time. The smartest man in the world can’t do everything himself. So there must be some people out there with real life knowledge of him.

I love Cecil, and I am the first to turn all school-girlish giggly whenever he comes in and visits with his thoughts/contributions. But I am trying to hold this forum up to it’s reputation by asking for a factual answer.

2

Cecil Adams writes his columns, of course. Any other answer on these boards would be blasphemy.

Since he started his column in 1973 he has had several “editors” who have helped him with his column. The current “editor” is Ed Zotti.

That’s the closest you’re going to ever get as an “official” answer from the Chicago Reader or anyone else on these boards.

3

The business about ignorance notwithstanding.

4

You’ve answered your own question. Cecil does most all the work, but when it suits there are a large number of trusted folks who help out on selected topics by digging up research, finding elusive journal articles and books, and making calls and breaking balls.

As far as giving out personal details about Cecil, I can speak with confidence that no one who knows is going to post here, so I don’t see this thread going anywhere, sorry. To be allowed to know who Cecil is, you have to sign an NDA that is about 8 or 9 pages long, notarize it, and provide a (small, but not unsubstantial) bond. The jokes about signing your soul over are just that, but that’s not say it didn’t happen in the past…

5

Cecil Adams wrote them of course, just as George Eliot, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Ellery Queen, Richard Bachman, Lemony Snickett, wrote their works.

6

http://www.ipass.net/whitetho/edcecil.htm

7

::sigh::

My first inclination is to move this to ATMB, but that will only cause more grief than it’s worth. So, …

Here’s a link to a page written by one of our oldest and most valuable(and astute, and…) posters to this board, whitetho, who, parenthetically, is one of the few posters to have ever caused Cecil(praise be his name) to consider that he might have made a mistake in a column, generating a code-phrase known to many of us

.

Whitetho’s thread is one of the older ones still available on the board.

While I think that a factual answer to the OP’s question is unlikely, have at it.

Note* brazil84 has already linked to Mr. White’s page. Thanks.

8

The first link is returning ‘Link not found’.

9

Use the one in post #6; it goes to the same place. Samclem’s link coding was incorrect.

10

It might also be mentioned that, although some have speculated that Cecil is a composite character and that the columns are written by a consortium of SDSAB members, this is not correct. Although SDSAB members and others may assist with the columns, substantive contributions by them are credited by name or board alias. (Cecil is not, however, above strealing an occasional joke. :wink: )

11

Is this saying that there really is one person writing Cecil Adams’ Straight Dope Columns (and I know he attributes most of his answers to experts) and one person writing under his User Name in the SDMB?

I am surprised by that if so.

12

Who is the author of the bbs2k SDMB posts?

Really, complaining about pseudonyms here is pretty damn weird.

13

This subject has been covered so many times without resolution even I’ve given upon it.

You’ll never get the who but the how might help a little. With respect to Una Persson, who partially addresses this question in her post #4, there is a more comprehensive description in post #2 here. Where the Cecil figure gets a mention you should use your own judgement as to who, either singular or plural, actually performs his tasks.

14

That’s just ridiculous. Why is the Chicago Reader so obsessive about this?

15

We’d tell you, but first you have to sign an NDA that is about 8 or 9 pages long, notarize it, and provide a (small, but not unsubstantial) bond.

16

You might want to explain what an “NDA” is: a “non-disclosure agreement”.

17

I’m going to point you to a thread from many years back where I posted something that I considered “interesting”:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=75222

And here is a working link to the Usenet thread in question, for you to draw your own conclusions.

18

Because the staff wishes to perpetuate a myth, or a belief, which is long past its sell-by date.

It’s supposed to amuse the readership.

19

The columns have been written by Ed Zotti, now aged 56, since 1978. Before that they were written by Mike Lenehan and Dave Kehr (the same guy who reviews movies). Pay no attention to the mandatory denials which will follow.

20

I conclude, from that link, that Zotti asked for info on a scientific topic. My memory is that he’s done leg-work like that for Cecil quite a few times. But I could be wrong.