. . .ever said “That’s the stupidest question I ever heard!”
Or is this the first?
Is what the first?
Every once in a while, at the end of one of Cecil’s columns, there is a section called “Questions we’re still thinking about”. This is close to what you’re asking for. Here’s one of them:
I don’t know how to find all of them except by Googling on “Questions we’re still thinking about” and “Straight Dope” (or maybe “Cecil Adams”).
Wagner is right. He does collect stupid questions at the end of articles once in awhile.
He says this very often, but is far too professional to ever publish it.
Legend has it that somebody once told Cecil that “love means never having to say you’re sorry,” to which the Omniscient One replied “that’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.”
I don’t know if Cecil has ever ranked a single question as “stupidest” but he’s used some colorful language to express his opinion.
“If ignorance were cornflakes, John, you’d be General Mills.”
Well, since Cecil is travelling backwards in time, he’s comparing the questions he gets to questions he hasn’t been asked yet.
You should hear what he says off the record, or on the phone sometimes. I’ll refrain from quoting.
Ooooo! I like this one.
Move to CoCC/SR.
Thanks, I knew he must have been tempted at times. Sorry for placing in the wrong category.
And Washoe, Ryan O’Neal actually comes close to saying that to Barbra Streisand in “What’s Up Doc?” (1972)
RufusButterworth, I’m pretty sure that Washoe knows perfectly well that Ryan O’Neal said that to Barbara Streisand in What’s Up, Doc?. Washoe was joking. You’re new here, and I don’t think you understand the concept of being wooshed yet.
Understood, Wendell. As I recall, Washoe was a “talking” chimp, so I should have known better. 