# What's so special about Zulu? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-special-about-zulu/176346 "2003-05-20T16:49:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-special-about-zulu/176346/1 "2003-05-20T16:49:11Z")
The Zulu are a nation living in southern Africa, right? Nonetheless I’ve heard Central European Time being referred to as “Zulu Time”. Probably it’s not that bad a term because calling the time zone Central European all over the hole length of the meridian would appear somewhat neo-colonialist, but OTOH there are plenty of nations living in CET, so why was “Zulu” picked? Besides, they made it into the international spelling code (you know, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and so on). OK, choice isn’t all that broad for Z, but one doesn’t hear too much about the Zulu so it’s not the most obvious pick. Are there any historical or other reasons why the term came into these usages? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-special-about-zulu/176346/2 "2003-05-20T17:25:04Z")
I’m sure to get swamped with simulposts, but: [http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/MAEL/ag/zulu.htm](http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/MAEL/ag/zulu.htm) > [@](#): > > The world is divided into 24 time zones. For easy reference in communications, a letter of the alphabet has been assigned to each time zone (less the letters “I” and “O”). The “clock” at Greenwich, England is used as the standard clock for international reference of time in communications, military, maritime and other activities that cross time zones. The letter designator for this clock is Z. > > Times are usually written in military time or 24 hour format such as 1830Z. To pronounce this, the phonetic alphabet is used for the letter Z, or Zulu. This time is sometimes referred to as Zulu Time because of its assigned letter. It’s official name is Coordinated Universal Time or UTC. Previously it had been known as Greenwich Mean Time or GMT but this has been replaced with UTC. By this map ( [http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/world\_tzones.html](http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/world_tzones.html) ) I see that I’m in **Romeo** time. [http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/MAEL/ag/phonetic.htm](http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/MAEL/ag/phonetic.htm) ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-special-about-zulu/176346/3 "2003-05-20T17:34:56Z")
[http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/MAEL/ag/zulu.htm](http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/MAEL/ag/zulu.htm) ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-special-about-zulu/176346/4 "2003-05-20T17:51:46Z")
More, related to your other question (why Zulu for phonetic alphabet rather than Zebra, Zaire, Ziggurat, etc.?): [http://www.rowan.addr.com/THE%20ROWANV7I1P3.htm](http://www.rowan.addr.com/THE%20ROWANV7I1P3.htm) > [@](#): > > At that time BZ was not rendered as “Bravo Zulu,” **but in each navy’s particular phonetic alphabet.** In the U.S. Navy, BZ was spoken as “Baker **Zebra**.” In the meantime, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had adopted English as the international air traffic control language. They developed a phonetic alphabet for international aviation use, **designed to be as “pronounceable” as possible by flyers and air traffic controllers speaking many different languages.** This was the “Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta?” alphabet used today. **The Navy adopted this ICAO alphabet in March 1956.** It was then that “Baker Zebra” finally became “Bravo Zulu.” ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-special-about-zulu/176346/5 "2003-05-20T18:22:24Z")
Hey, thanks guys! I’m a bit happier know, this mystery having been revealed fully to me. [sub]And even more - Zulu Time isn’t CET, it’s CET-1h[/sub]