The Straight Dope 03/02/2007

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 03/02/2007

Dear Cecil:

I saw this as a joke somewhere, but it got me wondering what the answer
was. Why is the alphabet in that order? Who decided A was the first
letter, B was the second, and so on? --Eric S., via e-mail

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Cecil replies:

You missed the point of the joke, sport. Let's take it from the top: Why
is the alphabet in alphabetical order? Ignoring the smart-ass element,
we may restate this as: Why is the alphabet in any (never mind some
particular) prescribed order? Obvious (to me) answer: to make it easier
for kids to memorize. It's working, too. Notwithstanding its inscrutable
origins, ABC order as we know it now has survived more or less intact
for upwards of 3,000 years.

The alphabet used in English, and with some variations in most other
European languages, comes from Semitic speakers who adapted it from
Egyptian hieroglyphics about 4,000 years ago. The rudiments of modern
alphabetic order first appeared about 600 years later in Syria. With
minor changes in letter order at each step, the alphabet passed from the
Semites (including the Canaanites, Hebrews, and Phoenicians) to the
Greeks to the Etruscans to the forebears of the Romans to us. As for the
identity of the sage who first ordered it, and why that order, your
guess is as good as mine.

There's no obvious reason ABC is better than any other order. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/070302.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

In light of the now-withdrawn book on how O.J. would have killed his
ex-wife and friend if he were the killer, an interesting question came
to mind. What happens if a person confesses to the crime after they have
been found not guilty?--Michael

SDSTAFF Bricker replies:  

In the United States, an acquittal serves as an absolute bar to subsequent
reprosecution for the same offense. This known as the double jeopardy
rule, and derives from the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 
which reads in part: "  nor shall any person be subject, for the same
offence, to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." So leaping to your
feet moments as soon as you're pronounced not guilty and shouting, "You
fools! I did it after all!" is reasonably safe. Still, you should be
aware of some nuances to this general rule.

An acquittal bars reprosecution not only for the offense but for related
subsidiary crimes. That is, if you're acquitted of murder in the shotgun
death of your unfaithful spouse, you can't be hauled in for a new trial
for assault with a deadly weapon, or even for discharging a firearm
inside city limits. If, however, you chose to testify in your murder
trial and lied, your subsequent confession of guilt may open you up to
perjury charges. 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mjeopardy.htm

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 12/25/1992

Dear Cecil: 

Why can't Prince Rainier become a king? You will probably find this
question really stupid, but no one can tell me. --L. Cord, New York 

Cecil replies:  

If you've been reading this column long, L., you know that stupid is
not a major disqualifier, questionwise. All we ask is a certain redeeming
whimsicality, under which heading you're in like Flynn.  

The short answer to your question is that the male heads of the
ruling Grimaldi family have styled themselves princes for something like
700 years, and it would be a little presumptuous for Prince Rainier to
give himself a promotion now. The long answer is that prince is the
title traditionally given to the head of a vassal state, that is, one
under the protection of and hence subordinate to a larger and more
powerful ruler.  

That pretty much describes the case with Monaco. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_322.html

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