'za ...wha?

If I may, can I respectfully request a group resistance to the abbreviation " 'za " for pizza ?

I mean, I've never really heard anyone actually use this in a spoken conversation as in " Malnati's has the best deep dish 'za" or " I can't believe how much they charge for a thin crust 'za in New York", or - god help us - "Gotta get me some Spacca 'za", right?

And, while I can ROTFLMAO with the best of them, where is the typing economy of hitting Shift-Apostrophe-Z-A instead of P-I-Z-Z-A ? To save, what, a single keystroke?

Nope, I'm sorry, but "'za" is silly, not at all clever, and a phonetically awkward term and while - granted - this may not be an issue worthy of the General Assembly at OWS, I really felt I had to say something.

I feel better now - thanks.

Relax. It's only a "word" so Scrabble players don't get stuck with a high-scoring tile in their final rack, like qi. Please don't go after it... we need it!

First we need to stop using the term "pie" to describe pizza. Anyone with even a slight knowledge of cooking should know that unless your pizza is from the likes of Giordano's, it's a tart and not a pie.

Sorry, I've been using it (occasionally at least) since the early '90s, to me the usage has nothing to do with my typing ability.

SSDD

Calling pizza "za" is probably one of the most a**holish things a person could do.

I am in full support of your resistance movement.

'za = pizza
'wich = sandwich
'let = omelet
'stry = pastry
'zel = schnitzel
'got = escargot
'ton = beef wellington

It all makes perfect sense to me

=R=

@OP: you had me at hello.

Cannot stand when people call it za

cito wrote:Calling pizza "za" is probably one of the most a**holish things a person could do.

Possibly exceeded only by calling sandwiches "sammies".

I can not stand za either. Keep it for scrabble okay but nothing else. Isnt pizza easy enough to say? It certainly rolls off my tongue.

I personally can't use the word za (no apostrophes necessary) in anything but a tongue-in-cheek manner, but it's perfectly cromulent word, though not part of my natural lexicon. I have, however, heard it in the speech of others since at least the 90s. That said, I call pizza "pie" all the time.

'za nothing ... I was raised to always order "abeets with scamotz"

Binko wrote:it's perfectly cromulent word

Well played, sir/madam!

nsxtasy wrote:

Binko wrote:it's perfectly cromulent word

Well played, sir/madam!

On the history of " 'za" referring to pizza: This was New England college slang in the 1970's. Am also recalling classmates referring to their parents as " 'rents". That fit, somehow.

I agree that this was tiresome, even for an undergrad eager to fit in with the peer group. I'm happy to take the pledge, gpconco.

However, as a former French major, I'd like to propose an alternative from the world of verlan, a system of slang based on inversion. Pizza thus becomes "zapiz." Catchy, n'est-ce pas?

Josephine wrote:However, as a former French major, I'd like to propose an alternative from the world of verlan, a system of slang based on inversion. Pizza thus becomes "zapiz." Catchy, n'est-ce pas?

My suspicion is that this approach works best with multisyllabic words...however, would that require converting "oy" to "yo"?

Siun wrote:'za nothing ... I was raised to always order "abeets with scamotz"

have to check ... " a pizza with Scamorza " ?

gpconco wrote:

Siun wrote:'za nothing ... I was raised to always order "abeets with scamotz"

have to check ... " a pizza with Scamorza " ?

I grew up in Bridgeport CT where pizza was spelled "apizza" and pronounced "abeets" - the "scamotz" referred to mozzerla but I assume it originated from "scamorza" Similar to New Haven apizza, we did not assume our pies (definitely called pies btw) came with cheese beyond Parmesan so you had to specify. Of course there were no white sauces within miles.

Abeets with scamotz had to be said with a bit of attitude to order properly ... The older waiters at Sallys in New Haven used to recognize the request when I later lived there.

I never heard 'za used until the late 80's when an Ivy League fellow was talking about Sallys and Pepes ... It just seemed so wrong.

Living near North Park College around 1993, there was a jont on Kimball just north of Foster called Wizard of Za. It was our go-to delivery. Most memorable was a choice of sauce - regular, sweet, or spicy.

I do find the abbreviation irksome, but the clever use in the title allowed me to forgive in that case.

Love za', its ok with moi.

I haven't used either "za" or "rents" since I finished college, 25+ years ago. It may be a campus culture thing, an attempt to create an adult-opaque argot. I'm surprised it's stayed unmutated to this day, expecting other variations like "Pete" or perhaps the translation from greek, "Rocky" (now we're getting into the range of Cockney-level obfustication)

Is "sangwich" OK?

"We were headed to the Jewels cuz Dominick was closed and we stopped over by dare for a sangwich"

no.

How should I correct Grandpa? He's been saying it that way since 1932.

kenji wrote:How should I correct Grandpa? He's been saying it that way since 1932.

Send him back to Lon Gisland.