Za

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A casual clipped name for pizza, the flat round baked dish of dough topped with cheese and other ingredients
2. Slang shorthand for pizza, the baked disc of dough covered with tomato, cheese and various toppings
3. Informal abbreviation referring to pizza, the savory Italian dish of baked dough with sauce, cheese and toppings

Etymology: Slang "za" is a clipped form of "pizza," which is the most common route for the word. The shortening follows the familiar pattern of informal English, where a long word is cut down to a quick syllable, and the result is a casual nickname for the food. A second, unrelated source produces the same sound. "Za" can also be an apheretic pronunciation of "exotic," meaning the first syllable has been dropped, so "exotic" becomes a word that sounds like "za." Related slang "zaza" is used for exotic marijuana, showing the same clipping at work in a drug-trade context. A third origin comes from speech that slurs a question. "Za" can be a clipped form of "wossat" or "what's that," where the initial "wh" or "w" sound and the rest of the phrase have been reduced to a single syllable. Because these three origins all produce the same sound, the spelling "za" hides several separate histories.

Synonyms: pizza