Hurm

[bcholmes]

Does one say "Poppy Zed Bright" or "Poppy Zee Bright"? Is that a choice the speaker makes, or is the pronunciation determined by the named person?

(I confess, when I want to screw with people's brains, I sometimes say things like "Zed Zed Top", but it's clearer to me, in that case, what the correct pronunciation is).

Comments

[griffen.livejournal.com]

*twitch* The first time I heard someone say "Zed" instead of "Zee," I could not figure out what they were saying. I can get it, now, but it still sounds wrong to my ears.

So for me, it has to be Poppy Zee Bright. Not Zed. Never Zed.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

I say Poppy Zee, but I'm American. As for ZZTop, they are American and ought to be Zee Zee, but I try to go by where the person is from, not where I am from.

I don't know where Poppy Z is from, and I don't really read her.

N.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

In general, I think people get to make their own choices about things like "How will I be referred to?". There are some default assumptions, and people might choose to change them for their own cases; for example, bell hooks is certainly free to use nonstandard capitalization for her own name, but I'd really rather she didn't do it to my name.

There will be localized variations that are generally accepted in those areas, and they might seem odd to those not from such an area. I don't think it's incumbent on anybody to know all of them and to express preferences -- in fact, I'd say it's not possible to do so. I think you have to consider the context and any stated preferences, and do your best to be understood by the listener while conforming to whatever rules the holder of the name has laid down. For Canadians talking to Canadians about Canadians, I'd recommend "Zed", but otherwise, play it by ear.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I tend to assume that names are defined by the named person. Since she's American, I would pronounce it "Zee".

You know, I always do a complete double-take when machines say "zee". A lot of the automated phone systems I call say "zee". The car we rented on the weekend had one of those GPS units that talk to you, and it said "zee". I keep wanting to call up the person who programs them and tell them they're doing it wrong.

It's an odd thing to be protective of.

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

That's my answer too. Off the top of my head I can't think of anyone who has a letter Z pronounced 'Zed' in their name.

On an almost-related topic, I've been caught off guard by a few of the street-name mispronunciations by the TTC's stop announcement voice.

[gwenners.livejournal.com]

I have only heard "Poppy Zee Bright," rather than "Poppy Zed Bright." Then again, all of my sources were American.

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

I'm British, the last letter of the alphabet is Zed. So, Poppy Zed Bright, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it 'Zee' in that context. However, the band are Zee Zee Top, I've tried saying Zed Zed Top and it just doesn't sound right, even to my ears.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

it's Zee. That's how Brite pronounces it, and I don't believe it even stands for anything, so for all intents and purposes, it's the word 'Zee', not the letter Z.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

My inner mind always translates it all to "Poppy the Bright" anyway...

[australian-joe.livejournal.com]

I say "Poppy Zee Bright" because I understand it as a brand/proper name deliberately pronounced that way. And that's how I hear everyone here say it - exactly like "Zee Zee Top", for that matter.

I think we also sing Sesame St songs with a "zee".

[morganxpage.livejournal.com]

Poppy Zee Brite. She's American, afterall. :)

~Morgan

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I would go with the pronunciation being determined by the named person. (That said, I have never corrected someone who can pronounce my name the way it's culturally intended with the wonky blended pronunciation that I use.)

[boywhocantsayno.livejournal.com]

I don't know where Poppy Z is from

New Orleans.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

And if you grew up in Australia, Zee would sound just as weird.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

PZ Myers, while he pronounces it PeeZee, seems to be more than okay with Richard Dawkins (and by inference, myself, and other native Zed speakers) calling him PeeZed.

ETA: That's not to say it's not Poppy Zee Bright, given the pun suggestions elsewhere in comments. I'm completely okay with calling each what they want.

pronunciation

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

i think pronunciation (like spelling) is determined by the named person. so it's "poppy zee bright" and "zee zee top" for me.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

How do you say "DMZ"?

[australian-joe.livejournal.com]

Hmm! It seems to depend.

If referring to the buffer zone between the Koreas - "Zee".

If referring generically, say to a computer outside a firewall - "Zed".

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

Or, pretty much anywhere else in the English-speaking world.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I call both those DeeEmZed.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

Sure. I was just pointing out it's not like there's some absolute principle you can apply to for the OneTrueWay to say the letter.

[australian-joe.livejournal.com]

8-)

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Zee is American, Zed is British.

If you watch "Zardoz", the main character is called Zed.
So, is PZB (not ERB or JMS or even REH) English or American?