# Scots dopers: How fake is Scotty's accent on Star Trek? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164 "2008-07-11T18:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/21 "2008-07-11T22:59:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sir Rhosis] I recall watching an absolutely captivating movie from Scotland a few years back which (iirc) concerned a middle-aged drug addict falling in love with his counselor and trying to keep a young addict from going down the same road he had traveled (can’t recall the title of the film). Even though it was in English, I was glad the damn thing was subtitled as I only understood about every fourth word. Sir Rhosis [/QUOTE] It’s not the film you watched, but I watched Bill Forsythe’s \*Gregory’s Girl \* on DVD last year (his _Local Hero’s_ a favorite movie of mine, natch), and had to turn on the subtitles to understand the dialect. After watching the movie, I discovered (via scenes from the original release in the Special Features) that the version I couldn’t understand without subtitles was dubbed to make it more understandable. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/22 "2008-07-11T23:33:57Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] I humbly submit, that had he picked Canadian, Star Trek would never have become the phenomenon it did. Aye Cap’n - I dinna ken fix these engines! vs. Hey you hoser - how aboot giving me some more time to fix this, eh? [/QUOTE] Everyone knows that all _good_ engineers are Germans. \*Captian, you haf a problem. Zee first is zhat zee engine is shit. Zee second is that it is a German National Holiday vhich means for me, I have a four day weekend. Beam me down to zee Canary Island, sank you very much. \* Now, if Scotty were Japanese. _Rook, Captian, Deed Gorzirra piss in this or whut? I drank too much sake an’ woke up in a Vegas Horogram. Wifa Was Wegas! Anywhooo, You ore fooked!_ What if Scotty were Jamaican? _What’s the worry, mon? We are not in the gravitational pull of any planet and if that happens, we will do a mass beaming of our staff down to safety. Smoke a spliff and lighten up, mon._ What if Scotty were a Redneck? \*Welll, SHEEEEE-IT, Cappy. You done blown the flux capacitor like I said you would. Now’s I can fix it. Alls I need is some duct tape, wire, tobacco, a potatoh, and a case of Coor’s. Maybe two cases. \* ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/23 "2008-07-12T01:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] I humbly submit, that had he picked Canadian, Star Trek would never have become the phenomenon it did. Aye Cap’n - I dinna ken fix these engines! vs. Hey you hoser - how aboot giving me some more time to fix this, eh? [/QUOTE] “Holmes, I need warp now!” “Ooh, you see what they did here, eh?” (shakes head in sorrow) “It’s all gonna come out, yeah, take it all out.” ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/24 "2008-07-12T01:45:21Z")
I’m English but born in Scotland, and James Doohan’s Scottish accent always sounded authentic to me. It sounded kind of rural, not at all like Glasgow or Edinburgh or wherever. But it did sound Scottish, to me, and I’m sure to other Brits. I think that that is pretty good going for a Canadian actor. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/25 "2008-07-12T01:57:56Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Yeah, that too. In any case he isn’t due to be born for a couple of hundred years, in the town of…well, that’s a matter of some controversy in the real world. [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/08/02/20050802scotty.html](http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/08/02/20050802scotty.html) [/QUOTE] You gotta fight! …for your right! …to Scoooooootty! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/26 "2008-07-12T02:02:17Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] He sounds at least as Scottish as Jean-Luc Picard sounds French… [/QUOTE] [Hijack {but the OP’s been answered}]Was Picard’s English accent/French name and upbringing ever explained? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/27 "2008-07-12T02:05:30Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] I wish I could see what Craig is doing on his sober-Craig chat show. He was funny when he was doing his stand-up as Bing Hitler.Very self-destructive though. [/QUOTE] There are clips on YouTube, but also some [RealVideo at CBS](http://www.cbs.com/latenight/latelate/comedy/). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/28 "2008-07-12T02:08:11Z")
The Hundred Years War was finally resolved. The Last Black Prince (Edward XVIII) won the 5th Battle of Crecy, and France was subsumed into the Anglo-Pakistani Empire. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/29 "2008-07-12T02:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I really recall the Glasgow accent to be relatively mild compared to a city like Edinburgh or a town like Sterling. [/QUOTE] My experience was exactly the opposite. Most Edinburghers spoke what I thought of as a “refined” (sorry about the choice of words) brand of Scottish English. I had no problems understanding the average Edinburgher. Glaswegians, on the other hand, were all over the place, with much stronger and musical accents than Edinburghers. I kinda thought Edinburgh accent:Glasgow accent as London accent:Birmingham accent. Personally, I love the Glaswegian accent. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/30 "2008-07-12T03:44:13Z")
While traveling through about a dozen European countries, the only person I met whose English was damn near unintelligible to me because of his accent was a Glaswegian, and I’m including many people who spoke English as a second or third language. I had no trouble whatsoever understanding anyone in Edinburgh. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/31 "2008-07-12T04:47:55Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] [A typical Glaswegian, yesterday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k7VoFiagfs) (video) [/QUOTE] Thank you! I’ve never heard of Rab C. Nesbitt before but that justifies upgrading from dialup even more than that a fast connection is now cheaper. ETA: My daughters think David Tennant makes an ugly woman (see the Davina bit). I direct them back to their Monty Python collection and point out the extent their grandmother (on my wife’s side) looks like Terry Jones. Thank GOD my wife doesn’t take after her mom. By comparison, Tennant’s not bad. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/32 "2008-07-12T07:13:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] [Hijack {but the OP’s been answered}]Was Picard’s English accent/French name and upbringing ever explained? [/QUOTE] It’s been fanwanked that Picard learned English from a British-born tutor, and so picked up his English accent. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/33 "2008-07-12T09:26:10Z")
As an Englishman: - I say old chappies, we have a slight problem here\* _And what may that be old fellow_ _Well it appears this here thingy has given up the ghost, what_ _Oh never mind, put the kettle on, we’ll have a nice cup of Earl Grey until some kind fellow happens along to sort it out_ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/34 "2008-07-12T17:01:15Z")
I’m sure it’s better than Walter Koenig’s Russian accent. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/35 "2008-07-12T17:06:40Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] My experience was exactly the opposite. Most Edinburghers spoke what I thought of as a “refined” (sorry about the choice of words) brand of Scottish English. [/QUOTE] The “refined” accent that you are talking about is probably the Morningside accent, which is the equivalent of RP in Scotland. It isn’t really representative of Edinburgh accents at all, which can be as incomprehensible as Glaswegian. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/36 "2008-07-12T17:10:24Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] I wish I could see what Craig is doing on his sober-Craig chat show. He was funny when he was doing his stand-up as Bing Hitler.Very self-destructive though. [/QUOTE] He had a very moving talk about the media’s coverage of Britney Spears, and how he feels terrible for her considering his own background. [Official CBS posting of the segment on YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bbaRyDLMvA), so it shouldn’t be country-limited. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/37 "2008-07-12T17:30:34Z")
[QUOTE=Capt. Ridley’s Shooting Party] The “refined” accent that you are talking about is probably the Morningside accent, which is the equivalent of RP in Scotland. It isn’t really representative of Edinburgh accents at all, which can be as incomprehensible as Glaswegian. [/QUOTE] You’d know better, of course. And I know there’s rough accents in Edinburgh (just like there are in London, plus I understand the book Trainspotting was mimicking a certain Edinburgh accent and, lord knows, it took several days to get accustomed to reading it–I just didn’t encounter that accent in my times in Ediburgh), it’s just that in my day-to-day activities in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, Glasweigian accents seemed, on the whole in the central part of the city, stronger than the same in Edinburgh. I didn’t find much, if any, “Scottish RP” in Glasgow. But perhaps I just had an anomalous experience? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/38 "2008-07-12T17:32:07Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] He had a very moving talk about the media’s coverage of Britney Spears, and how he feels terrible for her considering his own background. [/QUOTE] Thanks for posting that **Ferret Herder**. It’s good to see he is doing well, because at one point he was really caning it - even by Scottish standards. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/39 "2008-07-12T17:46:24Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] You’d know better, of course. And I know there’s rough accents in Edinburgh (just like there are in London, plus I understand the book Trainspotting was mimicking a certain Edinburgh accent and, lord knows, it took several days to get accustomed to reading it–I just didn’t encounter that accent in my times in Ediburgh), it’s just that in my day-to-day activities in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, Glasweigian accents seemed, on the whole in the central part of the city, stronger than the same in Edinburgh. I didn’t find much, if any, “Scottish RP” in Glasgow. But perhaps I just had an anomalous experience? [/QUOTE] There’s a large class element (for want of a better phrase) to the accents. In my experience Glasgow is much less class-conscious than Edinburgh - it’s entirely possible that you could have met far fewer “working class” Edinburgh folk than the equivalent in Glasgow. And you are correct about the dialect in Trainspotting. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164/40 "2008-07-12T17:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] He sounds at least as Scottish as Jean-Luc Picard sounds French… [/QUOTE] Did Picard (Stewart) ever speak a single line of French during the entire run of the show (movies included)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-dopers-how-fake-is-scottys-accent-on-star-trek/456164.md?page=3)