Ok, But Who is Zed?

Posted
by Christine
29 May 2003 @ 7am

I was talking with Mike on the phone last night, and he told me all about this cool animated desktop background that he found which displays streaming letters - just like when they are watching the Matrix in the movie. I thought it sounded really cool and I wanted to check it out, so…
Me: Cool! Where did you find it at?
Him: (as I heard it) TheMatrix dot SourceForge dot Net.
Me: THE Matrix?
Him: No, THE Matrix.
Me: Huh? THE? Or Z as in zebra?
Him: Z as in Zebra. ZedMatrix dot SourceForge dot Net.
Me: What? Wait? Zed or Z? I’m so confused!
Him: Zed.
Me: But I thought you said Z?
Him: I did. But they call it Zed in Europe. Well, in England at least. But it’s Z. ZMatrix dot SourceForge dot Net.

Is that true? Do they really pronounce “Z” as “Zed” in England? And if they do - what’s up with that? Why? Why do we say “Zee” instead of “Zed” over here on this side of the pond? I’m determined to get to the bottom of this…

And I still think he was just making it up to mess with me. What is real?

Posted by
Brian
29 May 2003 @ 9am

It’s true. The British say “zed” for the last letter of the alphabet. So do the French, for that matter.

Posted by
Ginger
29 May 2003 @ 9am

I can’t speak to the French, but my experience is that the Brits call a Z a “zed” too. I’ve always wondered if it isn’t related to the Greek letter zeta.

Posted by
Christine
29 May 2003 @ 9am

I think they do it just to confuse the Americans. It’s “zee”! Everyone knows that! (Although isn’t it zota in Spanish?)

Posted by
Natalie
29 May 2003 @ 9am

My husband’s English and yes, they do pronounce it ZED. Also, instead of saying “ach” for the letter H they pronounce it “haych”.

I don’t get it. They’re a bunch of freaks.

Posted by
Brandy
29 May 2003 @ 10am

I was just coming to add that bit about H and “haytch”. The pronunciation that really threw me for a loop during my first trip to London was paster for pasta (pah-sta). Some friends kept mentioning paster, and my first thought was pasteurized milk. I finally had to ask, and one of them said, “Why do you say pasta, there’s no h in there for the ah sound.” So I said, “and there’s no r in it either.” Then we just laughed and I went on happy that I finally understood what they meant.

Posted by
Sheana
29 May 2003 @ 10am

Zeta in Spanish and, if you can believe it, just a kind of “zzz” noise in Russian

Posted by
Bea
29 May 2003 @ 10am

It’s pronounced “Zed” here in Canada too. They even say it in the “I Am Canadian” commercial…

Posted by
Kat
29 May 2003 @ 10am

My ex-boyfriend is Canadian & he says “zed” even though he’s from Ontario and doesn’t even speak French.

Posted by
Matt
29 May 2003 @ 10am

I’ve been using that animated desktop for a few days now. Coolest thing ever.

Posted by
susannah
29 May 2003 @ 11am

there is no spoon. (or “z” as the case may be.)

Posted by
Mike
29 May 2003 @ 11am

Oh, and I forgot to mention it last night - Zed is the name of Rip Torn’s character in Men In Black. Agent J, Agent K, Agent Z(ed)… get it?

That’s who Zed is.

Posted by
Shelagh
29 May 2003 @ 12pm

The only say “pah-stah” for pasta down south, us northerners know how to speak properly and call it pasta, Ay oop, ecky-thump, tha’ knows!

Posted by
Anonymous
29 May 2003 @ 12pm

Yes, it’s true — they do say “zed” in Britain. As they do in most British-influenced Commonwealth countries (like Canada, and the one I’m from). I would venture to say that “zed” is the older pronunciation than “zee”, but I’m not absolutely sure. In any case, I think more and more people are starting to say “zee” — it’s that all-pervasive American influence that’s taking over the world!

Posted by
Kelly
29 May 2003 @ 1pm

God, yes. “ZED” all the way, here in Canada.

Posted by
Cherry
29 May 2003 @ 1pm

In Ireland we say “zed” too. & “haych” instead of “aych”.

Curiouser & curiouser..

Posted by
stacey
29 May 2003 @ 2pm

“Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead.”

from Pulp Fiction

Posted by
Richard Giles
29 May 2003 @ 7pm

We use Zed in Australia as well. In fact I think the U.S. is the only place Zee is used. Hellishly confusing for a young tacca that grows up watching Sesame Street and then goes of to school for the first time.

Posted by
laserone
30 May 2003 @ 2pm

In Canada they say z as “zed”.

wxyz = “double-you, ex, why, zed”

I had trouble wrapping my head around that, too, when I first met my husband (who is from Canada).

Posted by
Dania
31 May 2003 @ 6pm

I’m a “zed” girl too…people make fun of me for saying it down here, sounds funny if I say “zee”

Posted by
Jay Allen
1 June 2003 @ 10am

Christine, thanks to the Brits former worldwide colonization, almost every single English speaking country in the world says “zed”. Also, ESL (English as a Second Language) speakers also say zed because British english is often taught internationally.

If it weren’t for the widespread infiltration of American entertainment (movies, television, etc) keeping Americanisms in the international vernacular, I think that we would all be saying “Taking the piss”, “riding the lift”, calling green onions “spring onions” and eggplants “aubergine”. Also, we would definitely not use the words fanny or bottom in polite company…

Posted by
Charles
24 June 2003 @ 11pm

I am a Canadian and pronounce z as zed. I work as a customer service rep, who deals with American, and have to remind myself to pronounce it zee. I even get yelled at, by customers, if I pronounce it zed. I also spell honour with a ‘u’ and spell cheque, instead of check.

Posted by
Ashutosh
9 December 2003 @ 7pm

Indians pronounce “z” as “zed” too. Probably because they are influenced by British English. But they pronounce “h” as “ach” and not “hayche”

Posted by
SOCAL CANADIAN
18 December 2003 @ 12pm

Ignorant Americans have trouble understanding things from away.
Eh
Bee
Sea
Dee
Ee
Eff
Gee
Aych
Eye
Jay
Kay
Elle
Em
Enn
Oh
Pee
Que
Are
Ess
Tea
You
Vee
Double-you
Ecks
Why
Zed
Now I know my ABC’s. Next time will you sing with me.

Posted by
Amer
5 June 2004 @ 3pm

Posted by
Mr. Meat
29 November 2004 @ 3pm

Let’s get two things straight:

1. It’s ‘aitch’, not ‘Haytch’.
2. It’s ‘Zed’, not ‘Zee’.

Uneducated people pronounce H and Z the incorrect way in Australia, although North American “speak” is infecting our lives more and more due to the amount of bollocks exported TV we get.

And another thing: no one drinks Foster’s either!

- Mr. Meat.

Christine ™ aka Big Pink Cookie To Make a Short Story Long…

Ok, But Who is Zed?

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