# Zorro must be pissed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** ukraine-invasion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892 "2022-03-11T12:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/1 "2022-03-11T12:39:40Z")
The letter “Z” is cropping up on a lot of things lately, evidently as a pro-Ukraine Invasion thing in Russia. I’ve seen two articles about it so far, reporting on its showing up everywhere (including an Olympic gymnast’s uniform), and speculating on all the things it might stand for. Stephen Colbert even mentioned it in his monologue (Colbert had played the letter “Z” for some Sesame Street thing) > **[Why Is The Letter 'Z' On All Those Russian Tanks?](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/russia-ukraine-letter-z-tanks_n_6228f8a7e4b09cbab2e11a35)** > > The symbol emblazoned on Russian military convoys in Ukraine has now taken on a life of its own. > **[The letter Z is becoming a symbol of Russia's war in Ukraine. But what does...](https://www.npr.org/2022/03/09/1085471200/the-letter-z-russia-ukraine)** > > It has become a symbol of the Russian invasion, painted on military vehicles, printed on T-shirts and widely distributed through social media in support of Moscow's war. > **[How the letter 'Z' became Russia's pro-war symbol | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/03/08/z-symbol-russia-ukraine-black-pkg-newday-vpx.cnn)** > > The letter "Z" has been a symbol of Russian support in their invasion of Ukraine. But what does it stand for? CNN's Phil Black discusses. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iss3IZZsXbE/maxresdefault.jpg "McDonald's Exits Russia As World Pummels Putin Economically | Stop Trying To Make 'Z' Happen") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iss3IZZsXbE) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/2 "2022-03-11T14:36:58Z")
Ironic, because the movie _Z_ is highly critical of generals. > **[Z (1969 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_(1969_film))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > Z is a 1969 Algerian political thriller film, directed by Costa-Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Semprún, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. The film presents a thinly-fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of the democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963. With its dark view of Greek politics and its downbeat ending, the film captures the director's outrage about ... ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/3 "2022-03-11T16:14:18Z")
There is a movie called “World War Z”. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/4 "2022-03-11T18:17:05Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ve seen two articles about it so far, reporting on its showing up everywhere (including an Olympic gymnast’s uniform), and speculating on all the things it might stand for. Stephen Colbert even mentioned it in his monologue Markings are normal for military vehicles, but the Z things all appear to be sloppily hand painted. It’s like all Russian vehicles lined up on the Ukrainian border and people went up and down the line with cans of whitewash, slapping Zs everywhere. Seeing how they messed up almost everything else, it was probably supposed to be an N but the top guy looked at the message sideways. And damn right Zorro would be pissed. His Z was elegant and looked exactly the same each time. His estate should look into lawsuit possibilities. His reputation is clearly being tainted by association with the invasion. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/5 "2022-03-11T18:36:20Z")
Zorglub must be pissed off too… Wear a “Z”? check Aggressive dictator? check Controlling medias? check ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/6 "2022-03-11T18:44:20Z")
Seconding el Zorro being pissed. I would if I was him. And the letter Z is not even in the cyrillic alphabet, the sound “z” like in pizza is written [ц](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tse_(Cyrillic)) (more or less, accents vary and local varieties abound). Still GRRR! in the name of el Zorro. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/7 "2022-03-14T07:00:31Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > And the letter Z is not even in the cyrillic alphabet, the sound “z” like in pizza is written [ц](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tse_(Cyrillic)) Cyrillic also has “[З](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ze_(Cyrillic))” (not to be confused with the number 3 or the letter Э), which appears to be the equivalent of the Greek Z letter – even in about the same position in their respective alphabets. The whole Cyrillic alphabet is basically just the Greek alphabet with some variations and additions. > **[Ze (Cyrillic)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ze_(Cyrillic))** > > Ze (З з; italics: З з or З з; italics: З з) is a letter of the Cyrillic script. > It commonly represents the voiced alveolar fricative /z/, like the pronunciation of ⟨z⟩ in "zulu". > Ze is romanized using the Latin letter ⟨z⟩. > The shape of Ze is very similar to the Arabic numeral three ⟨3⟩, and should not be confused with the Cyrillic letter E ⟨Э⟩. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zorro-must-be-pissed/960892/8 "2022-03-14T15:21:13Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Seconding el Zorro being pissed. I would if I was him. And the letter Z is not even in the cyrillic alphabet, the sound “z” like in pizza is written [ц](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tse_(Cyrillic)) Very few English-speakers would refer to the sound in “pizza” as “the sound ‘z’”. And this is especially odd, given that the much-revered leader of Ukraine has a name starting with Z (at least, when Latinized). If anything, I’d expect the letter to be used in support of him.