I've never heard anyone from the US pronounce it "Zed", only people from the UK and Australia. It's always "Zee".
And it's been with everyone I've ever heard, "4-4-Oh".
Overmod No one I ever met in the United States said 'zed'. That's a Britannicism seen in other ex-Dominions like Oz or EnZed. It's 'ex,wye,zee' here and long may it stay so; let the French keep their ygrec and such. And where I come from, Chesterfield is a coat. And within my living memory people also called that article of furniture a 'divan' or 'davenport' -- more regional fun.
No one I ever met in the United States said 'zed'. That's a Britannicism seen in other ex-Dominions like Oz or EnZed. It's 'ex,wye,zee' here and long may it stay so; let the French keep their ygrec and such.
And where I come from, Chesterfield is a coat. And within my living memory people also called that article of furniture a 'divan' or 'davenport' -- more regional fun.
We knew someone from Chicago who called it a "Dufoe". I remember asking her how it was spelled. Some old lady in a movie called the couch/sofa a "Dufoe", and I cracked up laughing. It was embarrassing.
Nothing to add here except I've rarely enjoyed a thread here as much as this one. Having lived in some of the places mentioned and run into some of the variations in language, not too much surprises me anymore. I do have to say that when I lived in Australia, it took me awhile to figure out what a Manchester sale was at the local department store.
Big Al
2010Challenger I've never heard anyone from the US pronounce it "Zed", only people from the UK and Australia. It's always "Zee".
I first heard it pronounced "Zed" from my opposite numbers at Canadian Customs at Pigeon River, ON many years ago when I worked as a seasonal inspector with INS at Grand Portage MN.
So how is the band ZZ Top announced?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
When I first moved to Toronto, I was at a friend's house. His wife asked if I wanted to sit in the Lay-Zee-Boy chair. I asked, "Since this is Canada and all, shouldn't it be Lay-Zed-Boy?" She was not amused but her husband was.
"While nothing in that movie even vaguely resembled real life for anyone, "
I used to eat breakfast in the diner. It was in Hawthorne on Hawthorne Blvd. Seemed all too real to me! A few years after the movie they tore it down and built an AutoZone there.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.