The Straight Dope
Cecil Adams' archive of exhaustively answered daft questions, invented decades before you could just ask the internet.
Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.
How to get the most from it
The Straight Dope sits in Curious Facts under Learn, filed as coffee break.
- Set aside five to fifteen minutes and give it your proper attention.
- It works on a phone or a desktop, so open it on whatever is nearest.
- It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
- No account needed — you can start without signing up.
- Go in expecting something funny, brainy and nostalgic.
About this category: Records, comparisons, scale demonstrations and weird knowledge. The category most likely to produce a sentence beginning "did you know".
Good for
- Filling a coffee break properly
- A reliable laugh
- Giving your brain a workout
- A trip back to the older internet
- A quiet break at your desk
- Killing time on your phone
- Trying it with zero commitment
The Straight Dope: quick answers
Is The Straight Dope free?
Yes. The Straight Dope is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account to use The Straight Dope?
No. You can use The Straight Dope without signing up for anything.
Does The Straight Dope work on a phone?
Yes. The Straight Dope works on phones as well as desktop browsers.
Is The Straight Dope safe for work?
Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.
How long does The Straight Dope take?
We file it as "Coffee break": Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention.
More in Curious Facts
All 19 in Curious FactsReddit's fact firehose, where each post is one verified surprise with the source link attached underneath.
- <1 min
Live counters for population, emissions, water use and books published, ticking faster than is entirely comfortable.
- <1 min
A gazetteer of the world's odd corners — bone chapels, abandoned observatories, restaurants built inside caves.
- 1 hr+
Long, carefully researched articles on forgotten disasters, obsessives and near misses from history.
- 1 hr+
Same mood: funny
All funny sitesFlick the switch on. A small hand reaches out and turns it off again. That is the entire website and it is somehow enough.
One button, one random pointless website, no explanation offered or needed. The site that turned this whole genre into a genre.
Daily gift catalogue for things nobody needs, and the reason several of your friends own a novelty tap they never use.
- 10 min
Invented dictionary entries complete with etymology and a usage example, none of them real words. Several of them deserve to be.
- <1 min
Keep exploring
Category
Time and mood
Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.