# Since when is 'z' used to indicate plural? **URL:** \ **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:** 2
**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/21 "2003-04-23T04:27:14Z")
Perhaps I should elaborate on my rant. It was intended for companies which use X and Z in product/event/company names as a lameass attempt to “relate” to their intended customer base. Here’s an example of a completely gratuitous Z: Disneyland just rolled out a new dining program (extremely unpopular with employees) called “Star Dinerz”. WTF? Since when is anything about eating the same crap for twice the price worthy of a Z? Since when is an employee cafeteria Z-worthy? ---
**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, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/22 "2003-04-23T04:41:19Z")
Disney is just reaching out to all the Wigger Youth in america. Basically, the z or x means that they are extreme, quite possibly to the nth or tenth degree. So I’d suggest that you disengage with the playa hatin’! Word out. ---
**Author:** ![Teegus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Teegus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teegus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/23 "2003-04-23T05:33:33Z")
X is only worth 8 points. Qand Z and the 10 pointerz 😛 :d&r: ---
**Author:** ![Teegus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Teegus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teegus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/24 "2003-04-23T05:35:59Z")
oops… Q and Z **are** the 10 pointerz teaches me to post when half asleep and that preview is my best friend ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/25 "2003-04-23T06:27:02Z")
It is part of phonetically correcness that is going on, like sk8ter boi. My Brooklyn College Diploma is from “City Vniversity of New York”. Where in the hell is that? Why don’t we rag on printers that replace ‘U’ with a ‘V’, like they never heard of Webster’s. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/26 "2003-04-23T14:05:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by teleute12 \* > \*\*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. \*\* It’s even worse that I didn’t use a translator to write that. ---
**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, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/27 "2003-04-23T14:34:13Z")
At least one other stupid trend is finally finished. Namely, putting an “i” or “e” in front of your company name to indicate that you are cybercool, with random capitalization, and using single letters to represent certain words. That is sooooo 1990z. A store that takes your pizza order by telephone becomes EPizza. Order pizza off the web: IPizza Eburgers. IphoneU. UCMe. E-renovationS. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/28 "2003-04-23T14:54:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Plz, u ppl have 2 get with the timez. Ive seen the lite. Im not wasting ne more keystrokez! \*\* That’s it. I’m never playing Literati with you ever again! 😛 [sub]Speaking of which, where have you been?![/sub] Robin ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/29 "2003-04-23T14:59:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cleophus \* > \*\*It’s even worse that I didn’t use a translator to write that. \*\* What scared me is that I didn’t need the translation to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/30 "2003-04-23T15:00:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FranticMad \* > \*\*A store that takes your pizza order by telephone becomes EPizza. > Order pizza off the web: IPizza > Eburgers. IphoneU. UCMe. E-renovationS. Etc. \*\* You mean, of course: Eburgerz E-rennovationz and IPissa. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/31 "2003-04-23T15:35:32Z")
I did an inventory in a supermarket this morning. Among the cereals, I spotted a product named “Dinosaur Ballz” and that’s the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/32 "2003-04-23T15:42:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LouisB \* > \*\*I did an inventory in a supermarket this morning. Among the cereals, I spotted a product named “Dinosaur Ballz” and that’s the truth. \*\* Is that related to the other giant-lizard-themed cereal, “Dragon Ballz?” 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/33 "2003-04-23T16:04:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morrigoon \* > \*\*Disneyland just rolled out a new dining program (extremely unpopular with employees) called “Star Dinerz”. WTF? Since when is anything about eating the same crap for twice the price worthy of a Z? Since when is an employee cafeteria Z-worthy? \*\* I imagine that Disney is attempting to be urban and edgy (two other overworked words). I just have to keep reminding myself that a language generally evolves toward simplicity (like taking the “u” out of “honour”). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/34 "2003-04-23T16:14:54Z")
Yea, the “z” part I think is more rap than l33t – actually more grafitti-tagger, come to think about it, I seem to recall instances of "BoyZ’ all the way to the 80s. Still, really, really daft when used by commercial entities in a pathetic attempt at hip. That management of the Disney employee cafeteria is not a hip, radical, h4x0r, or Xtreme endeavor is just a fact they should live with. ---
**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/35 "2003-04-23T17:41:33Z")
That’s just it though, isn’t it? “Z” went out with the 80’s (80z). Using a z in your name today is tantamount (in my mind, at least) to calling yourself “mondo cool”(yes, I’ve heard that in radio ads in the last 5 years), or something bad “grody”. Capacitor: there’s at least a historical argument for that - if you look at ancient Roman buildings (bvildings ;)), you’ll see that the letter “u” hadn’t developed yet, and at one time they actually DID use v in both situations. It’s kind of like how the letter ‘s’ evolved from looking more like an ‘f’. That said, using such a “gimmick”, and I firmly believe it’s a gimmick, in order to make an institution seem more venerable is equally lame. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/36 "2003-04-23T18:40:14Z")
So how the hell do you spell “uvula” in latin? Another of those things I don’t get worked up about. I’m a geezer so I’d just look foolish trying to be hip so anything I did would sound like “radical.” I can just make out l33tsp33k but am not fluent, I didn’t take “dork 101” in college. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/37 "2003-04-24T05:16:07Z")
I’ve heard that ending a word with the letter “z” is used to denote something of dubious legality: for instance, a website that offers downloads of programs that it does not have copyright to would refer to its content as “sofwarz”. So if Disney is offering “Dinarz”, perhaps the food has been stolen from Knott’s Berry Farm. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/38 "2003-04-24T07:55:03Z")
I keep expecting a post by my namesake **shadez** ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/39 "2003-05-04T01:01:52Z")
Vvvla But it’s probably different than that Like monstrohipposesqvipaedaphoozamickmackpaddywackgiveadogabonethisoldmaniscominhomeandtheboyzarebackintownsohideyourselfawayandcarryonmywaywardsonbecauseimarocketmanandidontwannabeacasualtyofsocietybecauseifimacasualtythatwouldshowyoutheshapeofmyheartandthegroundiddieonwouldbedirtyanddontyouforgetaboutitwhileirideonthecrazytraintosharethelandanditstheendoftheworldasweknowitandifeelfinebecausetheskeletonsofsocietyareinmyclosetandimcleaninoutmyclosetbecauseitsdirtyandiwannarockandrollallnightandpartyevarydayandthatwouldmakesomespaceandallthethingsshesaidarerunninthroughmyheadandheyimscreamingwhenyoumeanwashedawaydoyoumeanwashedawayfrommemmmmmmmm Bonus points if you catch the song lyrics hidden in there! ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422/40 "2003-05-04T09:45:29Z")
At least no-one pluralises words with apostrophe-z. They don’t, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-is-z-used-to-indicate-plural/170422.md?page=3)