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Why-Why-Zee or Why-Why-Zed?


Magnus
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-Zed because otherwise it would be confused with other letters like Vee or Cee.

 

Maybe 'Mericans are smarter than the average bear or something, but I personally don't ever confuse Z with V or C and don't know anyone who has.

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-Why do Americans view themselves as centre of the universe?? It's Zed. Everywhere except in US and only because Americans wanted to be different and changed it.

It is not Zed everywhere except the US. In China, despite the fact that British english is more often taught at the lower level (and American English at the higher levels), you'll rarely hear people say "zed". In most other languages, you get some different sounding name, though I'll admit that it sounds more like Zed than Zee (the reason being that the letter comes from Greek (Zeta), which, of course, shows why it's so stupid to say it's always been Zed.)

 

 

-Zed because otherwise it would be confused with other letters like Vee or Cee. Who cares how the alphabet "flows"?? It's not a poem..

 

Yes, somehow no one in America nor anyone who speaks American english throughout the world has ever had need to distinguish between V, C, or Z before (and how the hell does anyone mix up V and Z anyway?).

 

 

-YYZed!! There's a Geddy interview where the interviewer asks about YYZee and Geddy answers back and says YYZed..

 

We all know how Canadians say it, thanks.

 

 

-Oh ya and in canada we usually say Zee Zee Top. Because it's a proper name. Just like YYZ. The alphabet doesn't need to "flow" but sometimes it's nice if words do.. Especially ZZ top baby ;)

 

If they were Canadian, Americans would still call them Zee Zee Top because Zed Zed Top sounds stupid, as even you seem to concede.

 

Letters are generally simple sounds, with only one initial and/or final (other than "double u"). Making a letter into a word sounds out of place to speakers of modern English.

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-Why do Americans view themselves as centre of the universe?? It's Zed. Everywhere except in US and only because Americans wanted to be different and changed it.

It is not Zed everywhere except the US. In China, despite the fact that British english is more often taught at the lower level (and American English at the higher levels), you'll rarely hear people say "zed". In most other languages, you get some different sounding name, though I'll admit that it sounds more like Zed than Zee (the reason being that the letter comes from Greek (Zeta), which, of course, shows why it's so stupid to say it's always been Zed.)

 

 

-Zed because otherwise it would be confused with other letters like Vee or Cee. Who cares how the alphabet "flows"?? It's not a poem..

 

Yes, somehow no one in America nor anyone who speaks American english throughout the world has ever had need to distinguish between V, C, or Z before (and how the hell does anyone mix up V and Z anyway?).

 

 

-YYZed!! There's a Geddy interview where the interviewer asks about YYZee and Geddy answers back and says YYZed..

 

We all know how Canadians say it, thanks.

 

 

-Oh ya and in canada we usually say Zee Zee Top. Because it's a proper name. Just like YYZ. The alphabet doesn't need to "flow" but sometimes it's nice if words do.. Especially ZZ top baby ;)

 

If they were Canadian, Americans would still call them Zee Zee Top because Zed Zed Top sounds stupid, as even you seem to concede.

 

Letters are generally simple sounds, with only one initial and/or final (other than "double u"). Making a letter into a word sounds out of place to speakers of modern English.

 

-well I didn't say it's always been Zed but I seem to remember something about Americans changing it to Zee as one of many ways to disassociate themselves from British language. I'm no history buff though so I may be wrong on that.

 

-Vee and Cee can easily sound Zee.. especially on a radio transmission where it may be important

 

-the point of the thread seems to be to figure out the proper pronunciation.. I guess you're saying it would be YYZed then..

 

-for a Canadian it sounds silly to say Zee. except for ZZ top for some reason. Z-28 is always Zed. it sounds funny for me to say Zee-28.. or YYZee. because I am... CANADIAN!! ;)

 

-sorry if anyone took offense to my "center of the world comment". I think I just watched a Michael Moore doc or something before I posted that lol

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<!--QuoteBegin-The Owl+Nov 2 2007, 05:45 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (The Owl @ Nov 2 2007, 05:45 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I am a Zee person as well.

 

Can't it be both? Because technically it's the same. Still the last letter of the alphabet. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->

In that case, I'll start saying "Zed Zed Top" will I? <!--emo&:LOL:--><img src='http://www.therushforum.com/html/emoticons/laugh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='laugh.gif' /><!--endemo-->

 

It is Y-Y- Zed, as that is the way they pronounce it. I heard Geddy with my own ears call it this on the Moving Pictures and Signals tours.

 

Incidentally, the only ones who pronounce it Zee are Americans or those taught English by an American.

Of course, we have to be different. Everyone else is on the simple metric system, but we're still stuck trying to figure out how many cups are in a gallon. Ugh.
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Here's what it comes down to: how do Canadian pilots pronounce it? I don't assume they necessarily say "zed" as the international language of aviation is American English (really pisses off the French as, in all fairness, the French did more to pioneer aviation than any other people, Wright brothers notwithstanding). I guarantee you the American pilots say "zee," but how about Canadian pilots? (I don't care what a steward or airport announcer says). So any Canadian pilots here who can clear this up?

 

And re how Geddy says it, he mis-pronounces "Barchetta" so he's lost his claim to be the standard by which all words must be pronounced (besides, he's Canadian so of course he might say zed, just as I'll continue to say zee no matter. I'll also continue to say "Bar-CHe-ta" when referring to the Rush song, and "Bar-Ke-ta" when referring to the beautiful Ferrari 166MM, as the Italians do). Now Alex is a pilot, has nobody heard how he pronounces it?

Edited by Rutlefan
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People generally say place names in their own language anyway. No one likes the kid who went to France for a semester and then calls Paris "Paree".
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I've heard Canadians who say "zee".

 

What's interesting is that both 'zed' and 'zee' come from British derivation of the Greek letter 'zeta'. Somewhere along the line, the 'zee' followed British colonists to America, but then fell away from the rest of the English speaking world.

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/i-grek/, /i-grek/, /zed/

 

 

Merci pour votre attention.....

 

 

;) ;) ;)

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The biggest question would be- is there an interview with Geddy, Alex or Neil where they pronounce it?

 

It should really be whatever the artist names it.

 

I don't know, but Geddy once said in an interview from around 1979 or so, when asked why he and Alex didn't write the lyrics:

 

"Duh, because we don't talk so good!"

 

So, take how Geddy pronounces it with a grain of salt. ;)

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The biggest question would be- is there an interview with Geddy, Alex or Neil where they pronounce it?

 

It should really be whatever the artist names it.

 

They say it "zed". Geddy has introduced the song this way: This next song is where we come from. It is y-y-zed.

 

I wonder how Neil says it, though. From what I understand, he demanded the American spelling for Vapor Trail(s).

Edited by LedRush
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From what I understand, he demanded the American spelling for Vapor Trail(s).

 

I would guess that has something to do with the post-9/11 context that flows through that album.

Edited by KenJennings
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So, I have no problem with the fact some people call the letter "Zee" and others call it "Zed." But I do have a question for the people who grew up in Zed countries: Did you guys learn the rhyming alphabet song when you were little?

 

Heh, I think I just answered my own question. When I went looking for a video of the song I found this one that says Zed. But it doesn't rhyme that way!

 

http://youtu.be/LtFXYvNIxws

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So, I have no problem with the fact some people call the letter "Zee" and others call it "Zed." But I do have a question for the people who grew up in Zed countries: Did you guys learn the rhyming alphabet song when you were little?

 

Heh, I think I just answered my own question. When I went looking for a video of the song I found this one that says Zed. But it doesn't rhyme that way!

 

http://youtu.be/LtFXYvNIxws

 

When I've heard the alphabet song with a "zed" in China, it usually didn't have the l-m-n-o-p mushed together, instead putting l-m-n together.

 

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Here's what it comes down to: how do Canadian pilots pronounce it? I don't assume they necessarily say "zed" as the international language of aviation is American English (really pisses off the French as, in all fairness, the French did more to pioneer aviation than any other people, Wright brothers notwithstanding). I guarantee you the American pilots say "zee," but how about Canadian pilots? (I don't care what a steward or airport announcer says). So any Canadian pilots here who can clear this up?

 

And re how Geddy says it, he mis-pronounces "Barchetta" so he's lost his claim to be the standard by which all words must be pronounced (besides, he's Canadian so of course he might say zed, just as I'll continue to say zee no matter. I'll also continue to say "Bar-CHe-ta" when referring to the Rush song, and "Bar-Ke-ta" when referring to the beautiful Ferrari 166MM, as the Italians do). Now Alex is a pilot, has nobody heard how he pronounces it?

 

Not meaning to argue you or anything but If Geddy said Bar-Ke-ta, he may have been kidding around.. He does that.

 

And why does everyone assume Red Barchetta is inspired by a Ferrari? Or did I miss a Peart interview where he said that it was..?

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And why does everyone assume Red Barchetta is inspired by a Ferrari?

 

Because it's a reasonable assumption to make.

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