Zee PM or Zed PM, how do you pronounce it?

[walterIsTheMan]

And actually, according to wikipedia, alumium came first and he changed it to aluminum four years later. Then it became aluminium, even here in the states that version was predominant. Then the guy who discovered how to make it cheaply using electricity used the -um spelling in a handbill for his new process and it sorta stuck.

I know Alumium came first, what I meant was that between "Aluminium" and "Aluminum", aluminum came first.

[Skydiver]

I think everyone playing here needs to step back and remember that this thread is a bit of a cultural exchange, not a matter of vital importance.

[skritsys]

Funny, I always thought you addressed a superior officer as SIR YES SIR. not by rank.

[Caylynn]

Funny, I always thought you addressed a superior officer as SIR YES SIR. not by rank.

Yes, you address a superior officer as "Sir" or "Ma'am", but when talking about a fellow officer in the third person, you would refer to them by rank. So when my husband talks to me about his CO, he refers to him as "Colonel Lastname". Similarly, when one of his subordinates refers to him, it's as "Major Lastname".

Also, when addressing a subordinate, it's usually standard to refer to them by their rank, then their lastname. So hubby would refer to the junior officers in his unit as "Captain Lastname" or "Lieutenant Lastname". (Pronounced "Leftenant", of course, here in Canada.)

Also, if hubby was introducing *me* to his superior officer, he would say "Colonel, this is my wife Caylynn." If he was introducing me to a subordinate, he would say "Leftenant, this is my wife Caylynn".

[skritsys]

it's all brass to me.

[Caylynn]

This whole thing about leftenant seems to have gotten us sidetracked. Many online sources will tell you that what I say about "ltenant" is correct. If it's not then I apologize, but don't pull the old "you weren't in the Royal Navy so how would you know" trick, because many individuals in this thread have been criticizing American-English without ever having taken an American-English class.

Well, I'm inclined to trust my husband's first-hand experience with the Royal Navy, as opposed to some "random" website, unless it's the official website of the Royal Navy itself.

My husband was actually invited to dinner at one of the Royal Navy bases when he was in the UK. The officer who was escorting my officer told the base CO that a "Canadian Captain" would be coming for a visit. Well, my husband is army, but the base CO assumed that this Canadian Captain was a naval captain, equivalent to the army rank of Colonel. Needless to say, he was a bit surprised when this army captain shows up! (The equivalent of the Naval Lieutenant rank.)

So, you can see why I am going to believe what my husband tells me about forms of military address in the UK, since he was actually there, and dealt with officers in all branches of the UK military.

[skritsys]

Most of my understanding comes from my family. Half of my family was in the military at some point. US military that is.

[walterIsTheMan]

Well, I'm inclined to trust my husband's first-hand experience with the Royal Navy, as opposed to some "random" website, unless it's the official website of the Royal Navy itself.

My husband was actually invited to dinner at one of the Royal Navy bases when he was in the UK. The officer who was escorting my officer told the base CO that a "Canadian Captain" would be coming for a visit. Well, my husband is army, but the base CO assumed that this Canadian Captain was a naval captain, equivalent to the army rank of Colonel. Needless to say, he was a bit surprised when this army captain shows up! (The equivalent of the Naval Lieutenant rank.)

So, you can see why I am going to believe what my husband tells me about forms of military address in the UK, since he was actually there, and dealt with officers in all branches of the UK military.

I can respect that, which is why I said if my information is incorrect then I apologize. What frustrates me is that after I apologized, alyssa said

You need to admit defeat on your 'l'tenant' business. You've been told by someone who knows.

Is that not what I had done in my post reply to you? Had I not said that if my information was incorrect then I apologize? When I pointed this out, she overlooked what I said in favor of criticizing me

Glad to see that, as always, you're reading everything someone else says before replying.See, this is more attitude. Really. Cut the attitude, because I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticing it. all this 'sigh' and rolling of eyes. Please....

She completely ignored what I had said. If she wanted to comment on my attitude thats fine, but then she should continue to respond to the rest, and to read. I then again pointed out that she had not read what I said, and she replied

More to the point, for you to insist that in Australia and Britain we say 'l'tenant' when you've been told over and over by those who live in both countries that we don't, is really a sign of arrogance. I'm serious.

Again, had we not already established that I made it clear if my information was incorrect then I apologize? How was I insisting anything when I admitted my info may be wrong several posts earlier? But she still was ignoring that so that she could attack me.

Plus, was it not her that suggested that I should "admit defeat"? Does not "admitting defeat" mean giving up and moving on? Yet when I tried to move on, she responded with

You argue the point and then when someone in Canada comes back and tells you once and for all that you were wrong, you're suddenly all "we're not talking about lieutenant" and changing the subject.

She wanted me to give up because people had told me I was wrong. Then she yells at me for giving up because someone told me I was wrong.

Do you now understand my frustration? I apologize Caylynn if I have inadvertantly insulted you, I was merely growing frustrated that I was being attacked when my posts were not even being read by the attacker, and I may have taken that frustration out mistakenly on those who did not deserve it.

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

Let's put an end to this.
If you speak English it's Zed.P.M.
If you speak American it's Zee.P.M.
END OF STORY!!!

[Lexa Jayde]

Let's put an end to this.
If you speak English it's Zed.P.M.
If you speak American it's Zee.P.M.
END OF STORY!!!

i am australian and i say zee and i say tomaytoes... i am strange i know.....

[alfirin_kirinki]

Although I am not army, navy or air force person I like to add my two cent and say you are correct I remember writing an English essay where I wrote Lieutenants, my English teacher corrected me and told me it’s Leftenants.

Well, your teacher was wrong. It's always spelled Lieutenant, regardless of how it's pronounced.

If you were writing colloquial/characterised speech, then you might write Leftenant to capture the speaker's voice, but you wouldn't use it in formal language, such as an essay.

And as an ex-member of the British Air Training Corps, whose uncle was an Army Cadet and whose supervisor at work is an instructor in the Sea Cadets - both of which are youth organisations directly linked to their respective military forces - I can add that all British forces say 'Leftenant' and you would be yelled at for saying it 'Like a bloody Yank!'

[Chrysalis]

i am australian and i say zee and i say tomaytoes... i am strange i know.....

I have American friends who spell things the English/Australian/Canadian way, because they've read novels from one or more of those countries and like the way words look.
Also, one of my friends in the US calls her mum 'mum' instead of 'mom'. Apparently it annoys her.. Maybe that's why she does it!!

[Lexa Jayde]

I have American friends who spell things the English/Australian/Canadian way, because they've read novels from one or more of those countries and like the way words look.
Also, one of my friends in the US calls her mum 'mum' instead of 'mom'. Apparently it annoys her.. Maybe that's why she does it!!

that is sooo cool... i call my mom... mom... hell i even spell it the same, but i am greatly influenced by American culture and i love america... (been there three times and i am 19)

[chipmandoo]

I am english, so I say Zed, but It doesn't really bother me either way (I think english people are more used to dialects as we import alot of US TV)

I prefer it when english characters (and other countries) are allowed to act like english people, so trousers instead of pants, zeds instead of zees and cups of tea all round

[Major Gambit]

David Hewlett was asked this question at the LFCC last November. IIRC he said that they're letting the characters pronounce it the way they would depending on which country they're from. So, the Americans say zee pm, the Canadians zed pm (with McKay being the exception)

Mckay says ZED