Zzzzzzz

[LeedsRhinos]

Why does Zzzzzzzz depict sleep in books & comics

[Quizmonster]

It's just a representation of the sound of deep, regular breathing - maybe even the beginnings of snoring - that one makes while asleep.

[New Forester]

I'd always thought it was an attempt at spelling a snore. How else would you spell that? Noises often have unexpected written representations, and they are surprisingly different in different languages. For example French water goes "plouf" not "splash".

[Quizmonster]

How about 'nnngggrrrhhh...ssshhppplll.....nnngggrrrhhh', New?

[Scarlett]

Similarly a "tut" is written in comics as "tch". I never understood how I was supposed to pronounce that when I was 10!

[IndieSinger]

I had a similar problem with "tsk", Scarlett!

New Forester - the point about other language's versions of sounds is really interesting to me. Did you know french dogs go, "Oua, oua" and french sheep go "B�"? And the ducks go, "coin-coin"!

[Lotus]

In Russian, the dogs go 'gaf gaf', and the sheep go 'be-e-e' and the frogs go 'kvaaa', and the ducks..the ducks omit a rather horrifying 'krya krya' noise :) How strange that the same noise would be so different in different countries. I wonder how ducks go in China?

[IndieSinger]

On a plate, served with pancakes.

[bernardo]

I remember being told by my French teacher at school (a few months B.I.) that French football commentators use the English word and shout "Cornère!" whenever there is a corner, otherwise it would sound as if they were quacking. (The French word for "corner" also being "coin")

[Jade123321]

i'd assume that it's somebody trying to attempt the sound of a snore, but i'm not totaly sure.

[Lotus]

Lol, plate, pancakes, plum sauce - yummm :)