Lets talk English English!

[Berethond]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

Yes, some British people, particulary to the North are rather akin to that kind of pronunciation. `Zee` is more American I think

As a Northern lass I do not speak `English-English` myself but speak the Geordie dialect`

*snip*

Regional accents are great fun with American tourists. I live in the South Wales Valleys, and although I don't have the accent, people are easily thrown by "arright, butt?" (Butt being short for butty, i.e a friend).

How strange.
I do the exact same thing to British tourists in California.

 

[RootbeerJello]

Me mate owes me about twenty quid for groceries from the shop earlier this week.

I love the word quid, reminds me of squid and I constantly get this image of a guy pulling out a writhing mass of tentacles from their coats and counting out the desired amount.

0_o I've spent the last twenty minutes trying to think about something other than that image. It's not working.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

Um Canadians too, it's only americans that say zee. Well as a general language rule at least, I seem to be the odd one out here because I say zee anyway.

 

[Joshimodo]

Languages and accents are NOT the same thing.

 

[littlerob]

Midlands dialect is awesome, even if I don't really have much of an accent myself (I'm a lot more BBC english, really). I'm from Derbyshire (pronounced 'Daaabysher'), and there are a few corkers.

Looks a bit black o'er Bill's mothers - it looks like it might rain
Canner - can not
Shanner - shall not
Wunner - will not
Dunner - do/does not
Cunner - could not
Put th'wood in' th'yole - close the door
T'int'in't'in (or sometimes "t'innerin't'in") - it isn't in the tin
Ayup miduck - hello
Pu' 'gogglebox on - put the television on
en'ye'en'ye'on'yer'an'yer - you haven't got any (fags, usually) with you, have you?

I could go on for hours...

 

[Joshimodo]

Regional accents are great fun with American tourists. I live in the South Wales Valleys, and although I don't have the accent, people are easily thrown by "arright, butt?" (Butt being short for butty, i.e a friend).

Besides a thick Scottish accent, little more confuses tourists than Welsh accents (especially if from somewhere like the Rhondda or Merthyr) and phrases.

"Oi butt, I'll 'ave 'ew."
"C'mon 'en, I will fhackin' slam 'ew now son."

 

[AdhesiveTape]

"Zed" just doesn't fit into the alphabet song! Let's have no hard feelings over the "zee" versus "zed" thing!

 

[AWC Viper]

Pip pip Cheerio and all that.

 

[Rob Shogun]

Also, I don't know how it is in the rest of the world but here in Britain the word Glass is not just a thing it is also considered a doing word.... for example: "If that twat over there in the shitty tracksuit looks at my woman one more time I'm gonna fucking glass the ****"

 

[effilctar]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

We pronounce it "zed" and as it is our language I believe we have a right to pronounce it that way. Speaking as a multi-linguist, zed is very close to what's used in any language derived from Latin, which English derives from.

 

[effilctar]

Why not say "British" english or "proper" english. English english just makes you sound like an uneducated twit.

Because a truly educated person would know that referring to any form of English as "proper" is like looking at several piles of feces and claiming one is better smelling and tasting then the rest, and although it may be true, in the end it's still crap.

British English IS proper English. It's in the bloody name.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

I want to get this out right away, I'm an American. I also have some self-respect so I don't use or will ever speak with an English accent.

That said, I have a fondness for hearing someone speak English English. I really enjoy hearing a dirty-mouthed chap, or better yet a chapette, curse up the room. I'd go even as far as saying that I have a extensive, but unpracticed, English English vocabulary.

So Escapists, lets hear your best English English!

By the way, what the hell is a tosser? I've heard it in English English a few times but for the life of me I can't figure out what it means.

If you need some help: http://www.effingpot.com/index.shtml

Actually Tosser refers to the term salad tosser which is a vulgar reference to anal sex.

 

[Nickolai77]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

We pronounce it "zed" and as it is our language I believe we have a right to pronounce it that way. Speaking as a multi-linguist, zed is very close to what's used in any language derived from Latin, which English derives from.

Hmm interesting point.

You would expect that English words and prounciation would be more "orginal" and older than American-English. However, that's not really the case. The American's use the word diaper, which meant the same thing as it did in Tudor England, while the American's kept that word, we later replaced it with the word "nappy". Similary the American's spell labour "labor" and miss the u out again in worlds like colour. If you read Englsh Documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, they tended to use American spelling, and again, with i imagine the publication of Samual Johnsons English Dictonary, we added the "u" to words like colour and labour later on. American English is how English used to be spelt.

God i feel like Stephen Fry now..

 

[effilctar]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

We pronounce it "zed" and as it is our language I believe we have a right to pronounce it that way. Speaking as a multi-linguist, zed is very close to what's used in any language derived from Latin, which English derives from.

Hmm interesting point.

You would expect that English words and prounciation would be more "orginal" and older than American-English. However, that's not really the case. The American's use the word diaper, which meant the same thing as it did in Tudor England, while the American's kept that word, we later replaced it with the word "nappy". Similary the American's spell labour "labor" and miss the u out again in worlds like colour. If you read Englsh Documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, they tended to use American spelling, and again, with i imagine the publication of Samual Johnsons English Dictonary, we added the "u" to words like colour and labour later on. American English is how English used to be spelt.

God i feel like Stephen Fry now..

Let's just drop all this controversy and talk proper Old English:

Aela Earendil, engla beorhtast. Ofer Midangaerd Monnum sended.

 

[martin's a madman]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

I know Canadians do!

 

[atol]

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels has some crazy English English in it, so much so that they put up subtitles during a couple parts.

That pisses me off, along with the subtitles in train-spotting for the American version.

WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE. In fact we don't just speak the same language we speak real English. It probably is not much better in any way but I would at least feel less bias against Americans if they stopped this sort of thing. Sorry for the Brit rant, just needed that off my chest.

What they were speaking was not 'real English'. I wouldn't be surprised if some low-class brits couldn't understand them.

 

[helloeveryone]

In the spirit of asking questions, do english people actually say "zed" instead of "zee" when they're talking about the letter "z" or is that just jokingly?

It's a joke. We say zee.

I also greatly enjoy the British accent.

Most(see:all) British people say zed

By the way, what the hell is a tosser? I've heard it in English English a few times but for the life of me I can't figure out what it means.

As far as I'm aware, a "tosser" is the same thing as a "wanker".

Bah, I thought the Brits were craftier then that. I was expecting something outlandish .

Surprisingly enough almost all British insults involve masturbation, I think it's something they are obsessed with as a culture.

Side note I had a teacher named Mr. Wanker

the only british insult that involves wanking is tosser

 

[Jemal]

By the way, what the hell is a tosser? I've heard it in English English a few times but for the life of me I can't figure out what it means.

As far as I'm aware, a "tosser" is the same thing as a "wanker".

Bah, I thought the Brits were craftier then that. I was expecting something outlandish .

Surprisingly enough almost all British insults involve masturbation, I think it's something they are obsessed with as a culture.

Side note I had a teacher named Mr. Wanker

bloody briliant, mate! Best side-note ever. *lol*