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The Spice Girls and British accents

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  • oldsakoldsak Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Elimination wrote: »
    Seol wrote: »
    It's zed in England, yes.

    Zed is also the standard in Canada, and most other ex-British colonies. It's only really the US that has the weird spellings and saying in english.

    My understanding is that Canada is the exception, in that Canadians are more likely to follow American standards than those followed in the rest of the Commonwealth.

    oldsak on
  • Page-Page- Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Canadians who watch a lot of American TV might pronounce it zee instead of zed. Officially it's zed, and that's what we learn in school (and the Canadian Sesame Street).

    Page- on
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  • SaraLunaSaraLuna Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    As an American, the only time it is appropriate to use the "zed" pronunciation is when referring to the Rush song yyz.

    SaraLuna on
  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Page- wrote: »
    I like troll people by pronouncing it Dragonball Zed.

    Because that's what it says on the tin.

    Jay-Zed.

    Rhesus Positive on
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  • LewieP's MummyLewieP's Mummy Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Also, can anyone tell me why in US programmes, like CSI, when there's an English character they always have a posh English accent, never a Brummy, a Scouse or a Manc?

    LewieP's Mummy on
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  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    It costs money to put subtitles in.

    Rhesus Positive on
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  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited April 2011
    LewieP's Mummy wrote: »
    Also, can anyone tell me why in US programmes, like CSI, when there's an English character they always have a posh English accent, never a Brummy, a Scouse or a Manc?

    Whenever Britons do an American accent, it's always Californian.

    FyreWulff on
  • Lord YodLord Yod Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    LewieP's Mummy wrote: »
    Also, can anyone tell me why in US programmes, like CSI, when there's an English character they always have a posh English accent, never a Brummy, a Scouse or a Manc?

    Most Americans are probably unaware that there's more than one accent over there.

    Lord Yod on
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  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Shogun wrote: »
    what a good thread

    also the correct answer is that none of them are hot

    Ginger was fit as shit in the 90s.

    Less so now. Now she looks like a Bratz doll that's been left too near a fire.

    ben0207 on
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Esh wrote: »
    Seol wrote: »
    It rhymes. Plus the Spice Girls are from that strata of British society that doesn't care about standards, or class, or rudimentary little things like being correct.

    What about Posh?

    She's about as posh as...as...

    Similes fail me. She's the opposite of posh.

    V1m on
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Gaslight wrote: »
    OK, if "Zed" is standard in England and someone is used to hearing that I can see how they'd be confused.

    As for me, I've gone my entire life in the US without ever hearing anybody say anything but "Zee", so I was mystified about what the issue is. It may be a bit of a regional thing, but I can assure you that "Zed" is definitely not the standard in the US. I was only vaguely aware that the "Zed" version even existed, and assumed that if anybody used it they must be, I don't know, pocket-protector-wearing science wonk types or something.

    So this thread is a curious learning experience for a lot of us, it seems. Glithert, you keep on drunk-posting!

    So what you're sayin is that in the US, zed's dead?

    V1m on
  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    V1m wrote: »
    She's about as posh as...as...

    Similes fail me. She's the opposite of posh.

    Posh is as posh as McDonalds is a restaurant.

    BlindZenDriver on
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  • Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited April 2011
    LewieP's Mummy wrote: »
    Also, can anyone tell me why in US programmes, like CSI, when there's an English character they always have a posh English accent, never a Brummy, a Scouse or a Manc?

    What? You have more than one accent over there?
    :P

    Bionic Monkey on
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  • Centipede DamascusCentipede Damascus Ho! Ho! Ho! Drink Coke!Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    LewieP's Mummy wrote: »
    Also, can anyone tell me why in US programmes, like CSI, when there's an English character they always have a posh English accent, never a Brummy, a Scouse or a Manc?

    Whenever Britons do an American accent, it's always Californian.

    It's not even Californian. Whenever there's an American on Doctor Who, they always have this weird jarring flat accent that doesn't sound like anywhere at all. Yes, Captain Jack included.

    Centipede Damascus on
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  • Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited April 2011
    But Captain Jack grew up here. His accent isn't fake.

    Bionic Monkey on
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  • TheOrangeTheOrange Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Farscape used to annoy the shit out of me because of that damn hidden 'R' that they say after EVERYTHING.

    "Hey, I asked Moya'r' and she like the Idea'r'"

    TheOrange on
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    V1m wrote: »
    Esh wrote: »
    Seol wrote: »
    It rhymes. Plus the Spice Girls are from that strata of British society that doesn't care about standards, or class, or rudimentary little things like being correct.

    What about Posh?

    She's about as posh as...as...

    Similes fail me. She's the opposite of posh.

    That was a joke. :P

    Esh on
  • President RexPresident Rex Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    TrippyJing wrote: »
    Honestly speaking, I was introduced to Zed through Stargate Atlantis.

    "We'll need the Zed-Pee-Em"
    "The what?"
    "The Zee-Pee-Em...He's Canadian."
    "I'm sorry."

    President Rex on
  • GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    TheOrange wrote: »
    Farscape used to annoy the shit out of me because of that damn hidden 'R' that they say after EVERYTHING.

    "Hey, I asked Moya'r' and she like the Idea'r'"

    It was obviously set in northern Maine.

    GoodOmens on
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  • MrIamMeMrIamMe Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Australia its completely interchangeable.

    School teaches Zed, tv shows its Zee (due to the numerous shows the US has on our tv).

    MrIamMe on
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