ZED not ZEE...

[Daz_Hockey]

Hi everyone,

just a quick point thats probably gonna mess all this colour v color aurguement up a little bit, I'm from Southampton (pronounced as one word without the H) I've just come back to england from canada and the us, and it's much more complex than zed - zee, here in Hampshire we never use our H's (just like a lot of the us), but generally when people in north america say "just like the british", they tend to stereotype us with a middle-class accent (you will not believe how many ppl thought I was an aussie) remember guys, there's 3 countries in great britain, wales, england and scotland and we all speak differently, even within england I can pinpoint the area most ppl say is british (about 50 miles), but Canada does remind me of home a lot, in a good way, the money's easy to remember, the shape of each coin pretty much reflects it's uk value and ontario's got skill managing to put not 1 but 2 english flags onto their flag, class, but I did find that canadians seem to know more about the outside world than ppl in the US

 

[Summer]

The idea of what most Americans think is a "British" accent generally comes from what is known as "BBC English" - that accent that used to be the only one you'd ever hear on BBC television shows or the World Service broadcasts which basically did originate way-back-when in the speech of a particular 50-mile patch of England, so basically you're right.

But there are some of us who are more aware of the difference between various accents there (sometimes through having British friends from various parts of the country) and even that there's a difference between accents within the other parts of the UK. Like how the English spoken in Glasgow will sound markedly different that heard in Edinburgh, or other regional differences.

(Not to mention that being able to stream the various BBC radio stations online is immensely helpful in this!)

 

[Nascar_James]

Re: RE: ZED not ZEE...

u kno i asked my class mates this question and half of them think zee is the last letter of the alphabet sad realy

You must live in the West Island section of Montreal, right? Lots of Americans living there, so that would probably explain them using ZEE.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

Yeah that's true, bleedin BBC.....it's suprising how many ppl recogniese my accent, it's mainly due to the fact that Benny Hil comes from about half a mile away, I got loadsa free drinks from new york to LA for that one

but also, I dont understand how ppl cannot tell the difference betweena canadian and US accent, they are very different, but just dont try to buy tickets to a hockey game anywhere in north america with the surname Hockey...... :evil:

 

[Summer]

Yeah that's true, bleedin BBC.....it's suprising how many ppl recogniese my accent, it's mainly due to the fact that Benny Hil comes from about half a mile away, I got loadsa free drinks from new york to LA for that one

Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, LOL.

but also, I dont understand how ppl cannot tell the difference betweena canadian and US accent, they are very different, but just dont try to buy tickets to a hockey game anywhere in north america with the surname Hockey...... :evil:

Well, it's because there isn't just *one* Canadian accent or *one* American accent. Some Canadian accents and American accents are virtually identical. Others differ greatly. The speech of Cleveland, where I live now is pretty similar to that of parts of Ontario, and the accent of the area where I used to live (about three hours' drive away) is even more similar to it. Than again, it makes sense considering that the U.S.-Canadian border is close by. When I listen to someone from anywhere around the Lake Erie shoreline or close by such as Toronto and its environs, they sound 99% the same as my next-door neighbor.

 

[Bebda]

Though I am American, I also would find it rude if someone asked me who I voted for. However, I would probably be up for some kind of a debate but i think asking me the question start out would be a bit too blunt. Meh...maybe that's splitting hairs.

I would also like to say that some Americans(midwesterners like myself) say pop instead of soda. But I think there are very few of us.

I had no idea that Canadians or any English speakers for that matter said Zed instead of Zee. However I was reading this quote by a Canadian on Stargate Atlantis and I had no idea what it meant until I looked it up further. Just goes to show you there is so much out there we don't know about cultures who may be our 'nextdoor neighbors.'

 

[thecdn]

Re: RE: ZED not ZEE...

Just goes to show you there is so much out there we don't know about cultures who may be our 'nextdoor neighbors.'

That's 'neighbours' :wink: The letter 'z' is part of my userid and when I call the help desk with a problem I always pronounce it 'zed.' There is a pause and then they repeat the id back saying 'zee.' I say yes, 'zed.'

I know, I'm bad

 

[SixWheels]

Re: RE: ZED not ZEE...

The problem with Z is that I have never heard of a Zedbra always a Zebra.. And a lot of the time it's just easier to use american "slang" .

Please allow an English person to put an English perspective on the English language.

We don't say Zed-bra even though the word begins with the letter 'zed', we say ze'bra, unlike Americans who say zee-bra.
Just because the letter 'z' (zed) begins the word 'zebra' does not mean it should be pronounced 'zedbra'. Take for example the word 'kindergarten', it begins with the letter 'kay' but is not pronounced 'kay-indergarten' and 'time' is not pronounced 'tee-ime' and 'ferry' is not pronounced 'eff-erry'.

It is heartening to learn from this forum that Canadians commonly use correct spellings of words such as 'colour' and 'flavour' instead of the butchered language so often refered to as 'American English'.

 

[SixWheels]

A term my friends like to nail me on is when I say laundry machine. It seems like no one I knows calls the machine that washes your clothes (aka washing machine) a laundry machine. Please tell there is someone else out there who says the same as I.

Here in england we say 'washing machine', but if we don't have one at home we would go to a 'launderette' to get our clothes clean.

 

[SixWheels]

Re: RE: ZED not ZEE...

I remember saying to an American "I'm sorry?" instead of "what?". They truly didn't get the politeness, finally I had to go "huh" so they would finally realize I didn't hear them.

But all the others, yes I comply.

Indeed, the "I'm sorry?" response would be understood perfectly well in England, however, the correct response really ought to have been "Pardon?"

 

[SixWheels]

I use the correct spelling of all the words mentioned. :wink: One thing that most Americans, and some Canadians do that annoys the hell out of me is is the negligent use of "there" and "their", or "to", "too", and "two". The same people confuse "you're" with "your". I know, bitch bitch....... :wink:

A very interesting point.

Here's a grammatically correct sentence for you...

You're going to get there using your car, not theirs, as using theirs would take too long due to it only having two wheels.

 

[Carmoral]

i remember first going shopping with my hubby, he said we need some dish soap, and i was like huh? then realised he meant washing up liquid, and (exscuse spelling if wrong) rootabager, what we call a swede, does anyone know where that word comes from?

 

[Carmoral]

ok, found the correct spelling, rutabaga, but pronounced rood-a-bager from what i can tell when hubby says it.

 

[allansplace]

practise makes practice

Being a Canadian English teacher in South Korea, I get this all the time. "Excuse me, Allan, you spelled 'practice' wrong." "No, I didn't. I'm not Amerian - I'm Canadian. 'Practice' is a noun, as in, "A doctor has a practice in town." 'Practise' is an action, as in, "Did you practise telling me I cannot spell?"
I'm constantly inundated with American style English even being half-way around the world. Yet, I still say "half-way around" instead of "half-way round", as the Brits would say. Round in my mind means circular - like this debate - as in, going around in circles. Nonetheless, fun!
BTW no1special, I have always said "different from" rather than "different than". Is "different than" not an Americanism? Just curious. It seems to me I heard it in an Alan Jackson (country) tune once. "...the difference in Iraq and Iran..."
Allan

 

[allansplace]

Indeed, the "I'm sorry?" response would be understood perfectly well in England, however, the correct response really ought to have been "Pardon?"

...or "Pardon me?"

 

[TenPenny]

I have always said "different from" rather than "different than".

To me, 'different than' doesn't make sense. One thing is different from another; it differs from another. It doesn't differ than another.

It's like something I commonly see: 'between x to y'...as in, 'between 6:00 to 8:00'
should be between 6:00 and 8:00, or from 6:00 to 8:00, but not between..to..

 

[TenPenny]

It is heartening to learn from this forum that Canadians commonly use correct spellings of words such as 'colour' and 'flavour' instead of the butchered language so often refered to as 'American English'.

At least we know how to spell 'aluminum.'

 

[YukonJack]

For all those who stick to the idiocy of calling the last lettetr of the alhabet ZED, perhaps you will teach your kids to recite the alpabet as: aye, bed, ced, ded, etc,
just in order to rhyme with your idiotic ZED theme.

 

[#juan]

At least we know how to spell 'aluminum.'

Maybe, maybe not....:lol:

Aluminium is the correct spelling | WebElements Chemistry Nexus

 

[VanIsle]

For all those who stick to the idiocy of calling the last lettetr of the alhabet ZED, perhaps you will teach your kids to recite the alpabet as: aye, bed, ced, ded, etc,
just in order to rhyme with your idiotic ZED theme.

This is Canada Jack and we have always pronounced and spelled the last letter of the alphabet as ZED. If you don't like it - go back to your home country or the country you seem so fond of on the lower half of North America.