# Since when is 'z' used to indicate plural?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 22, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422 "2003-04-22T20:51:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/1 "2003-04-22T20:51:14Z")

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I’m sorry, did I not get the memo on the rules of English grammatical form officially changing? Everywhere I look these days (oops, sorry- “dayz”), I see ‘s’ being substituted with ‘z’. It’s really juvenile. My intelligence is so insulted, it’s currently glove shopping.

And while we’re at it- not everything in this world is extreme (sorry, “X-treme”). X-this, x-that, X-YOU!

Okay, lame rant, but I’m just sick and tired of Z and X being so overused. They’re worth 10 points in Scrabble for a reason people!

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**Author:** ![The\_Composer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Composer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Composer)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/2 "2003-04-22T20:54:51Z")

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Xcuze me! I didn’t know zis type of zing would upzet you zo much!

😃

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**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/3 "2003-04-22T20:56:09Z")

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Slang roxorz your soxorz, d00d. Get used to it! 😃

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/4 "2003-04-22T21:03:38Z")

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“plz” for “please” bugs the hell out of me. Especially because the person using it is asking you a favor, isn’t that worth typing a few extra letters for?

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**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/5 "2003-04-22T21:05:21Z")

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u r g0nn4 ph44r tha l33tsp33k!

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**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/6 "2003-04-22T21:05:55Z")

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yo, chill B.

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**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/7 "2003-04-22T21:08:31Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Morrigoon \*  
> And while we’re at it- not everything in this world is extreme (sorry, “X-treme”). X-this, x-that, X-YOU!

Hey! X-YOU TOO!

Pbbblt! 😉

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**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/8 "2003-04-22T21:20:06Z")

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Since alwayz.

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**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/9 "2003-04-22T21:32:00Z")

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yeah, at least 3 or 4 yearz now.

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**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/10 "2003-04-22T21:38:51Z")

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:rolleyes: Uh oh :o

[daizysdesign **z**](http://www.daizysdesignz.com) :smack:

Does this mean I’m off your **X** mas card list? 😃

Daizy

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**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/11 "2003-04-22T21:58:53Z")

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Look, if you played scrabble and got caught with a Z or X at the end of the game, you’d know why the society of lame scrabble players is attempting to subvert the language in this way. Any other qz?

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**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/12 "2003-04-22T22:18:02Z")

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//|-|@7’5 //|^0ng? (@n’7 |-|@n|)13 1337 5p3@|\<? 101! |)00|) i |-|@\>\<0|^3|) j00 b0\>\<0|^!!!111!1

:d+r:

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**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/13 "2003-04-22T23:16:50Z")

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Becuz it’s cool,yo! and I can prove dis! cuz it’s cool, and yo!yo!YO!YO!YO!!!  
And it’s the iggidy miggidy, ship shapp paddywack thing for da teenZ for da lamb and otha Coo groupz to do! YO!

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**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/14 "2003-04-23T01:14:20Z")

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/me attempts to read **Cleo’s** text, can’t understand the leetspeak and dies.

IDBB

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**Author:** ![teleute12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@teleute12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teleute12)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/15 "2003-04-23T02:39:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> //|-|@7’5 //|^0ng? (@n’7 |-|@n|)13 1337 5p3@|\<? 101! |)00|) i |-|@\>\<0|^3|) j00 b0\>\<0|^!!!111!1

Attempting to translate:

_What’s wrong? Can’t handle leet speak? LOL! Dude, I haxored you[r?] boxer!(!!!)_  
The fact that I was able to make sense out of that, scares me.

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**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/16 "2003-04-23T03:06:59Z")

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Exsqueege me, but I saw this use of “z” at least 7 years ago.  
Get your skater on, dood.

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**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/17 "2003-04-23T03:40:38Z")

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When Punkz Like da Back Street Boyz and Limp BizKut started out selling Hooked on Phonikz you foolz!!

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**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/18 "2003-04-23T03:51:46Z")

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One could argue that people who use /z/ as a plural are merely trying to make English spelling better reflect the phonology of the language. Providing, that is, that /z/ is only used in those instances when the /z/ sound is final instead of the /s/. As I think that people who use that sort of spelling tend to be blithering idiots, I’ve never bothered to check.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/19 "2003-04-23T04:07:22Z")

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Plz, u ppl have 2 get with the timez. Ive seen the lite. Im not wasting ne more keystrokez!

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**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/20 "2003-04-23T04:18:14Z")

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omg shut up u meanie! u r infranchinginbling 0n /my rite 2 not kn0VV h0VV 2 spel!

IN SHOT, U SUK! DONT MAK /ME RUIN YU OUTA TWON!!11

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