I have recently become alarmed by the creeping disappearance of the "s" in American English. (I know.. too much time on my hands)...We've long been aware of the substitution of "z" in such words as 'fantasize', 'recognize' and 'lobotomize' in which the conventional (British) spelling uses an 's'. That never bothered me much, as it appeared to be a rather endearing trait, like a toddler's lisping of newly-learned words. After all, American is still an evolving offspring of the Mother Tongue and small changes in pronunciation and spelling are to be expected and even encouraged.
But when an entire letter is replaced, it's just wrong. Why has a word like "boys" been replaced with the vulgar "boyZ"? When did "nuts" become "nutz"? And, for godsake, why? Why are Americans turning their backs on their esses? What has that sweet little curvy letter done to be relegated to the back of the buz?
I beg you, fellow Gatherers, help stop this insidious invasion of the rampaging zzz's... we must band together to save our collective esses!
Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
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Comments: 33
t'was ever thus.. not making it right, but making it to some extent inevitable.
Greek did away with an entire letter, the digamma, without even a diacritical mark to show what happened.
Okay, I think I am compozed enough to compoze now.
I agree with you that this is truly a conspirazy aimed at obliterating the smooth and erotic curves of the ess and replacing it with the zee...a much more angular and azexual monogram.
Is this a Chriztian fundamentalizt conzpiracy? They want to eliminate zex from our vocabulary, you know. It's nazty, and it's againzt Biblical teachingz. Guilt..that is the important thing. Nobody should be enjoying themzelvez!
Arize...um...arise, all you secularists! Tell those idiotz that you reject all their manipulations. Sex...including the erotic ess...is fun!
s**t, f**k, *ssh*le, and ***-****
I don't agree with the trend of making it up to the Z by giving it S's place. After all, I don't want to be Zandra, but maybe we could take pity on Z by letting it help out Q!
People with eSSeS in their names...........Sandy, Sandra, Shannon.....letS come together and form our own Society of eSSes for the maSSeS.......!!!!
Okay, seriously, what can we do to show proper respect for the letter zee without abusing the letter ess? Dannielle probably has zhitload of zees in her treazure chezt that we can zprinkle around. But we need to have a clear plan before we begin zprinkling them. Any zuggeztionz?
Okay, ZeriouZly now....proper reZpect for the Z.....hmmmm......? (head Zcratching.....).........dunno
Ok...wait............
Zneezzzzzzzzzing would work..........I'll have to try it next time I go into my repeat zneezzing fitz
Off to finiZh and eat Zupper and then watch LoZt
Z
Z
I'm really gone now.......see y'all mañana.........
Z.
Amasing how such topics as this will get all the comments! Good writing anyway.
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, and stay out of my booze.
Or is it zleepy? Or szleepy? Szszleepy?
Jackie and Kathryn... I haven't had anything against boyz nutz in years, much to my regret.
Ruth, you are one hyszsterical dame.
Dame Hannah,
Though I appreciate your campaign to maintain the integrity of the (American) English language I want to raise one little - trifling really - point.
Is there no place in your lexicon and world view for sub-cultural appreciation? The replacement of the S by the letter Z, I would argue, is mostly an urban, hip hop phenomenon. I think these musician, artists and urban poets should be celebrated in their quest for individuality and style.
If, on the other hand, you mostly dislike the use of cute misspellings for the sake of marketing and kitsch, for instance: using the term "mixed nutz" instead "mixed nuts" on a can of Planters, then I can agree.
I still haven't decided where I stand on the use of kw instead of qu as seen on convenience store signs. Kwik Stop, Kwiki Mart...etc.