# Why do Zs represent sleeping/snoring? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2002, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404 "2002-04-02T16:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/1 "2002-04-02T16:17:51Z")
It’s a well known symbol, but it must have some origin? Where did it come from? Why Z, and not X or Q? (Yes, “catching Xs” may sound strange to you, but it wouldn’t if it was the norm, now then, would it?) ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/2 "2002-04-02T16:27:59Z")
Snoring, when executed by an experienced practitioner like myself, has a sort of throaty “ZZzzzz” sound to it. If I were to start making “QQqqqq” sounds in my sleep, my gentler half would probably be reaching for the phone to call 911 (I hope). 🙂 So why Z and not S? Probably because “SSsss” was already spoken for by the Snake People. Also, it’s a little too sibilant for something that actually sounds more like “ZZNOOORRRACHBBBB” :o z-z-z-z-z ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/3 "2002-04-02T20:31:54Z")
Note that Zzzzzzzzzzzz = sleep is a Western convention; Japanese _manga_ often indicate snoring by showing an “air balloon” (like a word balloon without words) coming out of the sleeper’s nostril. ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/4 "2002-04-02T20:58:47Z")
onomatopoeia ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/5 "2002-04-02T22:45:41Z")
Ace beat me to it: Zzzzz’s are an onomatopaeic (sp?) representation of the sound made by the action of snoring. Other examples of onomatopoeia include buzz, whoosh, woof, tinkle etc. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/6 "2002-04-02T23:31:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kambuckta \* > \*\*Ace beat me to it: Zzzzz’s are an onomatopaeic (sp?) representation of the sound made by the action of snoring. Other examples of onomatopoeia include buzz, whoosh, woof, tinkle etc. \*\* Onomatopoeic, sez the dictionary. But I agree on the explanation. 🙂 Imho, the best & most contemporary example is “to click”. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-zs-represent-sleeping-snoring/101404/7 "2002-04-02T23:50:47Z")
Because Q’s would be too hard to pronounce.