17 replies to this topic

[ghostrider]

I've always thought of Zagat's as a New York thing, though I have some inkling that they're a nationwide empire. Anyway, if this question needs to be moved, please do so.

Today I heard a TV newshead pronounce it Zaah-GAATZ (both "a"s rhyming with the "a" in "Gatling", accent on second syllable). That startled me, since I'd never heard that pronounciation before.

I have always said ZOG-otts, because that's the way it looks to me.

I have friends who say ZAY-gotts because they think it should be pronounced sort of like Zabar's. Clearly none of us really knows.

So, does anyone have a definitive answer, preferably with a citation?

EDIT: d'oh, I thought to google eGullet before posting, but not the Web itself.

Zagat's own website says:

za-GAT' ...rhymes with "the cat." 

That seems to imply that one should say Zuh-GAAT.

However the #1 Google hit is Barry Popik's website, which gives us:

A rhyme about how to pronounce the name “Zagat” was published in August 2005.

http://eater.curbed.com/
before i went to work there, someone told me this way to remember how to pronounce the family name. it’s so moving that i’ve never forgotten it:

he’s big, he’s fat
it’s warm where he sat
that’s tim zagat.

http://eater.curbed....5/08/closed.php

*It’s za-GAT, by the way; not ZAG-at and never Zagat’s.

I think I've got the second syllable down now, but none of this seems precise about the first. However, I can't argue with Zagat's own website, so from now on it's Zuh-GATZ.

Edited by ghostrider, 04 November 2005 - 06:41 PM.

[Fat Guy]

On the A&E Biography episode about Tim and Nina Zagat, there is a segment devoted to pronunciation of Zagat. Tim and Nina seemed to say it, as best I can recall (I don't have the tape with me right now), with the emphasis on the first syllable: ZAH-git. When I get home next week, if somebody reminds me, I'll try to pull those few seconds of audio from the videotape and post it here.

[BryanZ]

To the best of my knowledge, the proper way to say it is za-GAT. That's how everyone in the office says it and there's a poster that demonstrates the proper pronunciation on the walls.

[NYCCHEF]

I actually saw a Zagat billboard in Queens, and it said --"Zagat"- It rhymes with "The Cat"

[Megan Blocker]

I actually saw a Zagat billboard in Queens, and it said --"Zagat"- It rhymes with "The Cat"

This is correct! I went on a student trip to France with one of the Zagats' sons (many moons ago)..."Zuh-GAT" is the correct pronunciation, from the horse's (or the cat's?) mouth.

Edited by Megan Blocker, 04 November 2005 - 09:58 PM.

[ghostrider]

I actually saw a Zagat billboard in Queens, and it said --"Zagat"- It rhymes with "The Cat"

This is correct! I went on a student trip to France with one of the Zagats' sons (many moons ago)..."Zuh-GAT" is the correct pronunciation, from the horse's (or the cat's?) mouth.

That seems to be a pretty darned authoritative answer. Thanks, one less niggling thing to keep me up nights.

That's how they say it on 1010 WINS too, as I noticed yesterday. Synchronicity strikes again.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Tim Zagat was on CNN this week and when asked about the pronunciation of his last name, replied, "Doesn't matter. Just buy the book(s)." He grinned that Cheshire Cat grin of his (che.shire) ...

[raji]

When you pronounce our name, "put a little zing into it", but detractors maintain, "stress the first consonent".

[jimk]

If we want to be especially correct we might all make a note that there's no apostrophe-s at the end. It's Zagat. Not Zagat's. And if you buy an expensive suit, it's an Armani, not an Armani's.

Aong the same lines there's no apostrophe after Peter Luger, Dean and Deluca, Citarella or - this one kills me but I've heard it more than once - Blue Hill.

Another whole line of discussion could be devoted to the proper placement of the apostrophe ... "Olives" is an entirely different restaurant from "Olive's" (although last I time I checked even Todd English's place was misplacing the apostrophe on their credit card machine.)

I used to live in Vancouver and there was (or perhaps still is) a theme restaurant there called Brothers (all the servers dressed like monks - seriously). I made the mistake of eating there once and noticed that the signage, menus, receipts, name tags, napkins, etc. all used different variations of punctuation. Depending on where you looked, you were either eating at Brothers, Brother's, Brothers', or - my favorite - Brothers's.

Yeah I know - way too much time on my hands.

[menton1]

Another whole line of discussion could be devoted to the proper placement of the apostrophe ... "Olives" is an entirely different restaurant from "Olive's" (although last I time I checked even Todd English's place was misplacing the apostrophe on their credit card machine.)

Not to digress, but it seems that American culture is now evolving into improper usage of the apostrophe. "Closed Monday's" is common, as is Car's for Sale". Everyone must be sleeping through secondary school grammar these days!!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Everyone must be sleeping through secondary school grammar these days!!

and when I see words misspelled on CNN I am equally livid ...

[Megan Blocker]

While joining in your lamentation of the state of grammar in the modern age, I would argue that "Zagat's" isn't so much a misuse of the apostrophe (it does, accurately, reflect a possessive, as in the "Zagat Family's Guide") as it is a perversion of the actual title ("Zagat Guide"). It's not a grammatical issue - it's a case of mistaken identity!

Or something.

Anyhoo...I love this thread. You would not believe the debates I have heard over this one over the years. They're very common here in New York...

Edited by Megan Blocker, 08 November 2005 - 11:35 AM.

[ghostrider]

Actually, according to Zagat's (please note correct use of apostrophe) own website, it's Zagat Survey, not Zagat Guide.

But I wouldn't really know because, guide or survey, I don't own one.

However, I shall now never forget: rhymes with "the cat," not with "the cats."

EDIT: according to a page deeper inside Zagat's (please note further correct use of apostrophe) own website, it's Survey in the northeast, but Guide if you're on the West Coast or in London. At least that's the pattern I think I've discerned from quick glance. And I'm not inclined to pursue the distinction further.

Edited by ghostrider, 08 November 2005 - 10:43 PM.

[Jennifer Iannolo]

When I asked this question of Tim Zagat, his reply was: "Za-GAT, like Cat in the Hat."

[Megan Blocker]

Actually, according to Zagat's (please note correct  use of apostrophe) own website, it's Zagat Survey, not Zagat Guide.

Fair enough! Thanks for the detective work! I was at the office and unable to check my shelf to see what the actual title was...

Edited by Megan Blocker, 09 November 2005 - 06:56 PM.

[Fat Guy]

Actually it's one word these days: ZAGATSURVEY. If you look on the cover of the guides what you see is, for example:

ZAGATSURVEY®

2006
--------------
New York City
Restaurants

[KatieLoeb]

Did no one see the episode of Will & Grace where they mentioned the Fag-GOTS' guide?? I almost fell out of my chair laughing.

[Gifted Gourmet]

check this out for more info ..

http://eater.curbed.com/
before i went to work there, someone told me this way to remember how to pronounce the family name. it’s so moving that i’ve never forgotten it:

he’s big, he’s fat
it’s warm where he sat
that’s tim zagat.

*It’s za-GAT, by the way; not ZAG-at and never Zagat’s.

I like the poetry ...