Straight Dope
Encyclopedia
The Straight Dope is a popular question-and-answer newspaper column published in the Chicago Reader
, syndicated in thirty newspaper
s in the United States
and Canada
, as well as being available and archived at the Straight Dope website.
meaning roughly "the honest truth" and covers many subjects, including history
, science
, old wives' tale
s, urban legend
s and invention
s. The column appears under the tagline
"Fighting ignorance since 1973 (it's taking longer than we thought)." First published by the Reader in 1973, the column is written by Cecil Adams
and illustrated by Slug Signorino
.
has published a children's collection in the Adams style, Know It All.
briefly aired a show based on the column called The Straight Dope, hosted and co-written by comedian Mike Lukas.
The Chicago Reader
The Chicago Reader is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded in 1971 by a group of friends from Carleton College...
, syndicated in thirty newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as being available and archived at the Straight Dope website.
Newspapers
The column derives its name from the American idiomIdiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
meaning roughly "the honest truth" and covers many subjects, including history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, old wives' tale
Old wives' tale
An old wives' tale is a type of urban legend, similar to a proverb, which is generally passed down by old wives to a younger generation. Such "tales" usually consist of superstition, folklore or unverified claims with exaggerated and/or untrue details. Today old wives' tales are still common among...
s, urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
s and invention
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
s. The column appears under the tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
"Fighting ignorance since 1973 (it's taking longer than we thought)." First published by the Reader in 1973, the column is written by Cecil Adams
Cecil Adams
Cecil Adams is a name, possibly a pseudonym, designating the American author of The Straight Dope, a popular question and answer column published in The Chicago Reader since 1973. Ed Zotti is Adams' current editor....
and illustrated by Slug Signorino
Slug Signorino
Slug Signorino is an illustrator and designer most notable for his cartoons in The Straight Dope, a nationally syndicated weekly newspaper column that he has illustrated since 1975. He lives and works in La Porte, Indiana.-External links:* *...
.
Books
To date, Adams has published five collections of his columns, and his "assistant" Ed ZottiEd Zotti
Ed Zotti is credited as being the "editor and confidant" of Cecil Adams, the pseudonym of the writer of the nationally syndicated column The Straight Dope...
has published a children's collection in the Adams style, Know It All.
Television
In 1996, the A&E NetworkA&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
briefly aired a show based on the column called The Straight Dope, hosted and co-written by comedian Mike Lukas.
See also
- Urban legendUrban legendAn urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
- Snopes.com
- FactCheck.org
- The Skeptic's Dictionary
- MythBustersMythBustersMythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
- List of common misconceptions
External links
- The Straight Dope
- The 1996 Series at IMDB