Today’s Question:

Did John Wayne ever serve in the military?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams

Join Our Mailing List!

Get weekly column reminders
Subscription Information

Recent Additions:

Is it true an elephant never forgets?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Are cats and dogs really color-blind? How do they know?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Did dinosaurs have a separate brain in their behinds?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Can a nuclear plant withstand a direct hit by a tornado?
By Cecil Adams
What is it about pigeons that enables them to survive in cities?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
In a right-handed world, why is a man's billfold pocket on the left side?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Did a French vaudeville star once specialize in trained flatulence?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
In Spanish surnames, why is the 2nd-to-last surname the "real" name?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Will alcohol in cupcakes make you drunk?
By Cecil Adams
What's the origin of the suit designations on playing cards?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
How are dances written down and passed along?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Why is Death Valley a national monument rather than a national park?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Can artists live in Ireland tax-free?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Did the railroads leave Oklahoma because it wouldn't allow liquor sales on trains?
By Cecil Adams
Why are barns red? Why is New York called the Big Apple?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Is The Wizard of Oz a satire of the French Revolution?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Why must you alternate plus and minus when inserting batteries?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Rico
Why did mystery writer Agatha Christie mysteriously disappear?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
Did the Australian army once wage war on emus?
By Cecil Adams
Do nickel-cadmium batteries develop "charge memory" if not fully discharged?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Advertise on the Straight Dope! Your direct line to thou- sands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope? Write to: sdsubscriptions@cln.com.

Copyright 1996-2010 Creative Loafing Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No material contained in this site may be republished or reposted without express written permission. The Straight Dope is a registered trademark of Creative Loafing Media, Inc.

Other Creative Loafing Media, Inc. sites:

Creative Loafing Atlanta | Creative Loafing Charlotte | Chicago Reader | Creative Loafing Sarasota | Creative Loafing Tampa | Washington City Paper