Ask the Straight Dope

While few thrills in life can equal having Cecil simultaneously answer your question and make fun of you in his weekly column, he’s been on hiatus since 2018 . He still checks cecil@straightdope.com now and again, but for a quicker response we suggest the following:

1. Check the Straight Dope archive to see if your question has been answered before — just enter a few words into the search box on our home page. We currently have more than 3,300 answers online, with more added weekly.
2. Consider posting your query to the “ General Questions ” forum on the Straight Dope Message Board. Chances are the Teeming Millions (Cecil’s affectionate term for his faithful readers) can answer your question or at least point you in the right direction.
3. If you wish to comment on a past column, we strongly recommend posting a message to the “ Comment on Cecil’s Columns ” forum of the SDMB. Cecil’s minions patrol this forum regularly and Cecil himself occasionally drops in to favor his readers with bonus info.