Eastern Canadian Superiority Complex

[c9]

Something that annoys me about Toronto: A lot of people say zee instead of zed.

Comments from Canadians agreeing with saying zee will be attacked with no mercy. :)

Comments

[jpman.livejournal.com]

I thnk that's all of Canada, not just an eastern Canada thing.

[c9.livejournal.com]

I didn't say Eastern Canada though. And I find it more prevalent here than in KW, Ottawa, Halifax, and Fredericton. Haven't spent enough time in the west to judge.

[sarah-sosiak.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I still say "zed", even after six years of indoctoration, people looking at me cluelessly and having to talk about the undo stack in a Windows product.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Indoctrination. :) I would come up with excuses to say it more if I were working in the US!

[sarah-sosiak.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the start of a new TypePad feature!

(Oddly, I've found that I say it more consistantly here than in Canada. I used to switch back and forth, now I zed exclusivley. Oh, also, I haven't stopped saying "washroom". I think "bathroom" sounds vulgar. And I still spell with all of my Us and extral Ls.)

[sisyphus238.livejournal.com]

I think the reason 'zee' is used here in the south is because of the "ABC" song that children learn the alphabet with…'zed' (which I rather like) doesn't rhyme with all the other "…ee" sounds.

[c9.livejournal.com]

"the south" LOL

I was always taught that song with zed as the ending. Damned American Sesame Street leaking across the border!

[saviolo.livejournal.com]

Just like back in high school when Rachel insisted it was "zee" because it rhymed!

-Daniel

[c9.livejournal.com]

FOr a country that decided to use someone else's language, you sure did a piss poor job of it!! Bad spellings, bad pronunciations... :-)

[c9.livejournal.com]

Teehee -- if we're really going to start this debate with someone from the US, we're not going to win! It's not like Canadian English or Canadian French (the four variations!) are that much more pur laine... :)

[c9.livejournal.com]

True!

[thespos]

I now do everything I can to avoid the letter Z. I work entirely too much with UK and Canadian clients, and watch too much British television, that I am now completely goofed up whenever I encounter that bloody letter.

So I just say Z.

:-P

[c9.livejournal.com]

Do people sometimes think you've fallen asleep?

thespos: "...and that takes us right to section Z of the proposal."

Client: "Section what?"

thespos: "Z. Z! Zzzzz."

Client: "Hey, wake up! Lousy consultants... grumble mumble..."

[thespos]

Haha... well, if I ever have a Section Z of any proposal, do feel free to shoot me. :-)

[zedinbed.livejournal.com]

Wahhh!! You must be running into random Americans calling Toronto home. All my co-workers and family call it Zed (except my Mom that is).

Interestingly, Zed is the nickname I go by. :p

[c9.livejournal.com]

Naah, that wouldn't bother me, I'd just use zed a ton in conversation. These are born-and-bred Canadians who've lived here forever.

I bet your family has a lot of British influence in its spelling and language, right?

[zedinbed.livejournal.com]

Probably.

[rebelprince26.livejournal.com]

ok, i'm a stupid american and until i read the comments i was like, "what is zed?"

are you talking about the last letter of the alphabet? people pronounce it zed? that makes no sense! i have a master's degree, i KNOW!

[c9.livejournal.com]

Is your Master's in the alphabet??

Yes, zed is the last letter of the English alphabet. Is. Is!

[rebelprince26.livejournal.com]

no, my master's is in music. so i only know the alphabet up to the letter G. :)

[c9.livejournal.com]

Plus you know flat and sharp, which I don't. :)

[rebelprince26.livejournal.com]

i'm very familiar with flats, sharps, accidentals, and naturals! gosh, i miss music!

[(Anonymous)]

I have no idea what people say in Toronto, and I live here, and have not lived here previously, I can't even think of enough occasions where I've heard people say "z" to conclude there's a geographic pattern. I doubt you can either, unless you work at Post's Alpha-Bits plant or something.