Data/Dr. Soong= Canadian?

[Too Much Fun]

So I've been re-watching TNG and catching little details I never noticed before (as evidenced by my thread about Spock possibly getting married). I'm currently on season 4 and just noticed Data commanding the computer to initiate an emergency plan in "Clues" and pronouncing 'Z' (as part of the plan name) as "ZED".

This is, of course, a pronunciation that is unique to Brits and Canadians. Could this be a 'clue' to Soong's nationality? Since Soong clearly did not have a British accent in his TNG appearances, we can eliminate one of those as his possible nationality!

Okay, to be honest, this probably wasn't done intentionally, but I still think it's a neat idea. I just wonder why Spiner, who is not Canadian himself, said the letter like that. Just something to think about.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Maybe it was just standard procedure when talking to the computer. Kind of like how we use 'military'-style terms for certain letters, like Alpha, Beta, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, etc.

 

[Trekker4747]

^ Maybe it was just standard procedure when talking to the computer. Kind of like how we use 'military'-style terms for certain letters, like Alpha, Beta, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, etc.

Could be, but "Zulu" is the word for "Z" in the phonetic alphabet.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well, who wrote this episode? Maybe *they're* Canadian.

 

[Nardpuncher]

I'm Canadian, born in Ottawa on the 2nd of July at 12:42 A.M, so without daylight's savings time I'd have been born on Dominion day, I also served in the Canadian Army (never saw combat) and I hate saying "zed". I say "zee"
The reason I mentioned that crap about when and where I was born and all that is because I know some Canadian will come along later and say I'm not a real Canadian for saying "zee". It's happened before.

 

[DevilEyes]

So I've been re-watching TNG and catching little details I never noticed before (as evidenced by my thread about Spock possibly getting married). I'm currently on season 4 and just noticed Data commanding the computer to initiate an emergency plan in "Clues" and pronouncing 'Z' (as part of the plan name) as "ZED".

This is completely new to me. As a person whose first language is not English, I've always been taught that "ZED" is how it is supposed to be pronounced.

Which is probably why an android would pronounce it that way...

 

[iguana_tonante]

This is completely new to me. As a person whose first language is not English, I've always been taught that "ZED" is how it is supposed to be pronounced.

Which is probably why an android would pronounce it that way...

There is a difference between American (US) English and British (and Commonwealth) English.

In Europe they usually teach British English, so I was taught "zed" too. I was also taught to spell "flavour", "behaviour" and "neighbour", automatic spell-checkers be damned!

 

[DevilEyes]

This is completely new to me. As a person whose first language is not English, I've always been taught that "ZED" is how it is supposed to be pronounced.

Which is probably why an android would pronounce it that way...

There is a difference between American (US) English and British (and Commonwealth) English.

In Europe they usually teach British English, so I was taught "zed" too. I was also taught to spell "flavour", "behaviour" and "neighbour", automatic spell-checkers be damned!

I was also taught differences between British and American English in school, although the emphasis was on BE; and at the university it was 50%-50% BE and AE. But I've never been told before that Americans say "zee". You learn something new every day.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I was also taught differences between British and American English in school, although the emphasis was on BE; and at the university it was 50%-50% BE and AE. But I've never been told before that Americans say "zee". You learn something new every day.

Well, I work in cosmology, so I heard "z" pronounced quite often (it's the symbol used in formulae for the value of redshift), so the difference was more readily apparent.

My faculty also try to make me use AE, but they will take my superfluous "u" from my cold, dead fingers.

 

[TheQman]

This is completely new to me. As a person whose first language is not English, I've always been taught that "ZED" is how it is supposed to be pronounced.

Which is probably why an android would pronounce it that way...

There is a difference between American (US) English and British (and Commonwealth) English.

In Europe they usually teach British English, so I was taught "zed" too. I was also taught to spell "flavour", "behaviour" and "neighbour", automatic spell-checkers be damned!

I was also taught differences between British and American English in school, although the emphasis was on BE; and at the university it was 50%-50% BE and AE. But I've never been told before that Americans say "zee". You learn something new every day.

And I am the opposite, I am a native english speaker, AE that is. I have never before heard of 'ZED'.

Like you said, you learn something new all of the time.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

As an American, the only "zed" I ever heard of, except from Canadians, was this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Zedd

Now I will crawl away in my much-deserved ignominy.

 

[Thor Damar]

As an American, the only "zed" I ever heard of, except from Canadians, was this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Zedd

Now I will crawl away in my much-deserved ignominy.

Ye gods I remember that guy.

I've got that line from the first episode of Stargate Atlantis running though my head now.

Mckay: [he is talking about the ZPM] Zed-P.M.
O'neil: What?
Daniel Jackson: Zee-P.M. He's Canadian.
O'neil: (to Mckay)I'm sorry

 

[DevilEyes]

As an American, the only "zed" I ever heard of, except from Canadians, was this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Zedd

Now I will crawl away in my much-deserved ignominy.

How about this Zed?

http://content6.flixster.com/photo/60/78/51/6078512_tml.jpg

Spoiler: Pulp Fiction

Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.

 

[Trekker4747]

I never understood saying "zed", why does "Z" need the hard "D" sound added to it?

How do they pronounce a word like "zebra" do they say "zedbra"?

 

[Start Wreck]

I never understood saying "zed", why does "Z" need the hard "D" sound added to it?

Perhaps to more easily distinguish the sound from C ("see").

How do they pronounce a word like "zebra" do they say "zedbra"?

No. How do you pronounce "horse", "aichorse"?

 

[iguana_tonante]

I never understood saying "zed", why does "Z" need the hard "D" sound added to it?

Perhaps to more easily distinguish the sound from C ("see").

Probably. Besides, the name of the letter is not necessarily the sound they represent.

How do they pronounce a word like "zebra" do they say "zedbra"?

No. How do you pronounce "horse", "aichorse"?

 

[Doug Otte]

I never understood saying "zed", why does "Z" need the hard "D" sound added to it?

Perhaps to more easily distinguish the sound from C ("see").

How do they pronounce a word like "zebra" do they say "zedbra"?

No. How do you pronounce "horse", "aichorse"?

I think I got a little snot on my keyboard just now.
Doug

 

[Nowhere Man]

As an American, the only "zed" I ever heard of, except from Canadians, was this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Zedd

Now I will crawl away in my much-deserved ignominy.

How dare you, I know you didn't, I'm going to throw up now.

 

[alte]

Re: Data/Dr. Soong= Canadian...Take Off, Eh...!

If there was any doubt before...

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^^ Pretty good work


I think we Americans changed it to "zee" so it would match the alphabet song better.