Cecil Adams is the pseudonymous author of "The Straight Dope", a popular question and answer column published in "The Chicago Reader" from 2 February 1973 to 2018. The true identity of Adams, whether a single individual or a group of authors, has remained secret. "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 the current editor of the column. Cecil Adams is affectionately known to readers and fans (and sometimes refers to himself) as Uncle Cece.