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. The Chicago Reader's 1986 trademark filing for the name "Cecil Adams" states that "Cecil Adams does not identify any particular individual but was devised as a fanciful name."Ed Zotti is Adams' current editor.

The column has since been syndicated in 31 newspapers in the United States and Canada and is available online. Billed as the "World's Smartest Human", Adams responds to often unusual inquiries with abrasive humor (often directed against the questioner), and at times exhaustive research into obscure and arcane issues, urban legends, and the like. On more than one occasion, Adams has been forced to retract or modify an answer when confronted by "the Teeming Millions" (Adams' term for his readers), often claiming overwork and staff shortages. On rare occasions, Adams has made appearances on the Straight Dope's Message Board.

A subsidiary column concerning questions of local interest in Adams's home city of Chicago has been added.

Adams states that he has "never been photographed" and while there is at least one photo captioned with his name, the image is of Ed Zotti, who currently fulfills Adams's publicity engagements. Previous editors include Mike Lenehan and Dave Kehr.

In his columns, Adams has revealed a few details of his personal life, including the existence of a Mrs. Adams (the FAQ section on his website states that chance references to "Mrs. Adams" may refer to his mother), that he has a brother-in-law, and that he has either children or dwarves as helpers. He has a brother. He is an accomplished traveler, and currently resides in Chicago's 47th Ward. He is also left-handed and may be balding and colorblind. He mentions having taken a class with Northwestern University English Professor Bergen Evans, mentions once working as an electrician's apprentice, and a railroad machinist's helper. He also mentions attending a Catholic school. He is of Irish descent, and relaxes with Pink Floyd and Baileys.

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