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Question for the trivia minded

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(@just-a-surveyor)
Posts: 1945
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Today's episode is about the letter Z.

Why do we here in America pronounce Z as Z'ee?

And the British pronounce it as Zed??ÿ

I do not have a clue.

 
Posted : September 24, 2018 4:33 pm
(@paden-cash)
Posts: 11088
 

Actually here in the United States we are the only ones to pronounce the letter Z as zee.?ÿ All other English speaking countries (there are more than just the UK) pronounce Z as zed.?ÿ This is probably a derivative of the Greek letter "zeta" and later French "zede".?ÿ The UK just kind of morphed it into zed.

Some scholars that dwell on such things attribute our "zee" to the American "Alphabet Song" (copyright 1835).?ÿ Rhyming with B, C, D, E, G, T and V made the "Zee" a little more rhythmic.

Tomorrow we should discuss petrol, benzene and gasoline.... ??ÿ

 
Posted : September 24, 2018 4:48 pm
(@richard-imrie)
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And us British specialise in not using it.

 
Posted : September 24, 2018 4:50 pm
(@just-a-surveyor)
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Well I'll be.....that was fast, as for being correct or not I don't know but it seems logical.

And yeah I knew about those other countries that mispronounce Z but I do so love picking on the British as they are always so proper. Not like us colonials at all.

 
Posted : September 24, 2018 4:55 pm
(@jimcox)
Posts: 1951
 
Posted by: Just A. Surveyor

... Not like us colonials at all.

and there was I thinking you 'merkins threw off the shackles of colonialism in 1776

 
Posted : September 24, 2018 6:52 pm
(@just-a-surveyor)
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Posted by: jim.cox
Posted by: Just A. Surveyor

... Not like us colonials at all.

and there was I thinking you 'merkins threw off the shackles of colonialism in 1776

I am fond of watching Top Gear & Grand Tour with Clarkson, May & Hammond and I find it amusing that Clarkson often refers to us Americans as colonials.?ÿ

We 'merkins did in fact throw off those shackles but through skillful political manipulation we merely exchanged masters.

But by God we have lots of guns. Merica baby.

 
Posted : September 25, 2018 2:17 am