THe letter 'Zed'

[Captain Sensible]

Does anyone know what the reasons for the differing pronunciation of the letter zed/zee between the Americans and the British are?

Is it bloody mindedness, evolution, local conditions or what?


Anyone know the history behind it?

 

[Mobbs]

I presume the Americans changed it because they couldn't work out a better way to make that alphabet song rhyme.

*shield screen from wife*

 

[Hurricane75]

Well Americans like to pronounce things exactly how they sound.

Zee is a better pronunciation than Zed. Why the "D"? there is no need for that. At least Zee is closer to how you pronounce it when saying a word.

 

[Zombie]

Originally posted by Hurricane75
Well Americans like to pronounce things exactly how they sound.

Huh?

Zebra is pronounced Zeb-ra, not Zeee-bra.

 

[Hurricane75]

Americans pronounce the letter "E" eeeee and pronounce it (zee) zeeeebra. They pronounce it exactly how they say the letter.

 

[Mobbs]

Yeah, they're a bit wacky like that!

 

[Mooster7]

Makes some sense. I didn't know that other English-speaking brethren went through so much trouble to throw an 'ed' on the end of a 'z'. The Germans call the letter 'tset.' Then again, they pronounce the letter 'y' as 'oepsilon.'

To me, "Zed" is a hick hillbilly sort with a banjo in one hand, his sister in the other and chewing tobacco juice dribbling down his beard and onto his overalls.

This is all small potatoes though. It's the French who make hell out of things. In the overly elaborate French script, Homer Simpson says, "Diouxieu!"

Peace,

 

[Hurricane75]

Originally posted by Mooster7
It's the French who make hell out of things. In the overly elaborate French script, Homer Simpson says, "Diouxieu!"

Peace,

 

[Mobbs]

Originally posted by Mooster7
This is all small potatoes though. It's the French who make hell out of things. In the overly elaborate French script, Homer Simpson says, "Diouxieu!"

LOL

 

[Captain Sensible]

Thanks for all the info guys, but it still doesnt answer my original question. Does anyone know?

 

[Mobbs]

What was the question again?

 

[Captain Sensible]

Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer
What was the question again?

Thanks Major.

 

[Mobbs]

I was just talking about this thread and my wife reckons we should call them Zedebras.

 

[Zombie]

Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer
I was just talking about this thread and my wife reckons we should call them Zedebras.

OK and we will call horses aichorses, snakes essnakes, polar bears peeolar beears and cats seeats.

 

[Yianni]

These two guys were playing Scrabble, and one of them was stuck with these letters in his hands

I Z A T I O N

And the word STANDARD was already on the table. The guy stuck with the Z suddenly had the idea for 'American Spelling', gets Triple Word Score plus Triple Letter Score on the Z which gives him 43094 points for the word, calls game over, and it's been the same ever since.

Or that's what I heard anyway.

 

[Mobbs]

Originally posted by Zombie
OK and we will call horses aichorses, snakes essnakes, polar bears peeolar beears and cats seeats.

LOL yeah, why weren't you there to argue for me at the time!

 

[Portia]

Originally posted by nicko18
i like the american pronunciation. the alphabet song rhymes.

i dont however like american spelling. far too many zed's make a mockery of the 10 points assigned to it in a game of scrabble.

You're just a sore lozer.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Originally posted by nicko18
i like the american pronunciation. the alphabet song rhymes.

Zed rhymes if you sing "Now I know my alphabet" instead of "Now I Know my A-B-C".
I know, believe me. I hear the bloody song about 40 times a day. It is very popular across the 4-Y-O demographic in our house.

 

[Yianni]

Originally posted by localyokel
Zed rhymes if you sing "Now I know my alphabet" instead of "Now I Know my A-B-C".
I know, believe me. I hear the bloody song about 40 times a day. It is very popular across the 4-Y-O demographic in our house.

Yes, but what about the very important addendum of "Next time won't you sing with me". You can't ask that next time won't you sing with Med!

Unless perhaps your name was Jed, in which case it would work perfectly.

 

[knuckles]

In Pulp Fiction the guy with the Harley was called Zed. His key ring said "Z". But we are not know if his name was Zacariah, and he was called Zed based on his initial. In that case the Americans say Zed also. Sounds a lot cooler than being called Zee.


After he finished pounding, it was his turn.

Zed's dead babe. Zed's dead.

 

[*Paul*]

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzed.html

Next question is: Why mm/dd/yyyy ?

 

[Mobbs]

Originally posted by *Paul*
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzed.html

Next question is: Why mm/dd/yyyy ?

Thanks Paul!

That date one is even wackier.

 

[Sydneyfan]

Originally posted by *Paul*
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzed.html

Interesting stuff, now if you excuse me I'm just gonna head off to catch some Izzards ..... Zzzzz

 

[Yianni]

Originally posted by *Paul*
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzed.html

Next question is: Why mm/dd/yyyy ?

Because 11-9 wasn't catchy enough..