# What is it about Scottish accents, anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285 "2003-01-13T13:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/21 "2003-01-13T16:51:18Z")
Gotta disagree with you, **Berk** - I found the ladies’ accents in Aberdeenshire quite enchanting. That goes for Inverness, Drumnadrochit, and Elgin as well. We did, however, have a cab driver in Aberdeen who had to talk for a good 10 minutes before I started being able to understand him. Luckily we had a friend from Manchester along who (somehow) understood him clearly and phrased his responses well enough that I could follow and participate in the conversation… ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/22 "2003-01-13T16:52:46Z")
So what do people in other countries think of American accents? Are they pleasing, grating, provincial, what? And how about Southern accents, ya’ll? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/23 "2003-01-13T16:59:47Z")
I like most of the American accents that I’ve heard just fine, particularly the slower, more drawling ones. (Sorry not sure where they are from - I’m assuming the South). However, they generally sound better if the person is softly spoken - I’m thinking Harrison Ford here. But I guess the same applies to most accents. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/24 "2003-01-13T17:16:15Z")
Mmmmm Sean Connery. I live to hear him say “f\*ck” ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/25 "2003-01-13T17:43:43Z")
Have you seen Sean Connery in a kilt? Mmmmmm baby…come to Mama. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/26 "2003-01-13T18:09:13Z")
MMMM, I love them too. I think it may be because of my grandmother. She died when I was quite young, but still managed to imprint upon me a love for all things Scots. Especially the men. My dad was in the Black Watch, and seeing all those handsome men in kilts when I was little probably helped too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/27 "2003-01-13T20:33:15Z")
I think it’s not just the accent, it’s the voice and the (in my case) man behind it. Scottish is good, but at the moment I’m dying for a certain Irishman to whisper in my ear again. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Benanuel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@Benanuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Benanuel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/28 "2003-01-13T20:36:28Z")
mmmmm, accents. \<---- was fascinated by her Scottish graphic artist when she first met him many moons ago. ---
**Author:** ![Peach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@Peach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/29 "2003-01-13T21:29:05Z")
okay. Ive got the hots for Billy Boyd who played Pippen in LOTR. He is from Scotland and I just might move there:o:D ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/30 "2003-01-13T21:36:11Z")
The Fife accent doesn’t really do it for me but Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, all nice. I don’t think I’m _quite_ as into Scottish accents as a lot of people I know are but maybe that’s just because I spend so much time in the country I’ve become overfamiliar with them. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/31 "2003-01-13T21:47:10Z")
Maybe it’s just me … Exhibit A: Billy Connolly Exhibit B: Mike Myers as his own Scottish grandfather in ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’ Everything is funnier if said in a Scottish accent. (The Scottish guy I met who sincerely described something as a ‘Jar of Pants’ (approximate American translation: ‘Pile of Shit’) didn’t help things either.) ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/32 "2003-01-13T22:25:32Z")
I will admit that I am a tad charmed with women who happen to have Scottish accents. My reasoning would be…I dunno…they just sound cute. :o ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/33 "2003-01-14T01:09:41Z")
Overall I like the UK accents. But I had a difficult time understanding a man in Glasgow who was trying so hard to give directions. I swear it sounded like he dropped all consonants. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/34 "2003-01-14T02:12:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cowgirl \* > \*\*Maybe it’s just me … > > Exhibit A: Billy Connolly > Exhibit B: Mike Myers as his own Scottish grandfather in ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’ > > Everything is funnier if said in a Scottish accent. > > (The Scottish guy I met who sincerely described something as a ‘Jar of Pants’ (approximate American translation: ‘Pile of Shit’) didn’t help things either.) \*\* What about Mike Myers as a monster with a Scottish accent in Shrek? He was just brilliant. I heard Mike did the whole soundtrack in plain English first but redid it with a Scottish accent after Shrek sounded too ordinary or something similar. Whatever it really worked. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/35 "2003-01-14T09:23:00Z")
Mike Myers’ Scottish accent is excruciating. I’ve heard much worse, but it just doesn’t sound right. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/36 "2003-01-14T16:44:47Z")
Hmmm… men with Scottish accents… men with Irish accents… :drool: Darnit! I’m supposed to be working, and now all I can think about is this guy I once met, who happened to play football for my University, and was a member of our Boat Club, at our end of term boat club dinner. He was Scottish. The dinner was black tie, so he was wearing a kilt… hmmm… Hey, maybe my SO will pick up that sexy Scottish accent now he’s doing a PhD in Edinburgh :Angua gazes dreamily into space: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/37 "2003-01-14T16:59:47Z")
**Ivylass** , you might want to pick up the movie “My Name Is Joe.” The accents are so thick there are actually English subtitles. The film itself is pretty grim, though. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/38 "2003-01-14T17:29:11Z")
Yes, Mike Myers’ Scottish accent is not like any Scottish person I’ve ever heard. The problem is that people in N America don’t get to hear honest and true Scottish accents very often (a real shame!) so our opinions are unfortunately often formed by Hollywood. So to our untuned ears he does sound Scottish. Actually, thanks for reminding me, **Mermaid** , I found his accent in Shrek kind of sexy. (But maybe it was the Canadian influence!) Trainspotting (the movie): incomprehensible to me until I went to England. But I can definitely see the appeal. Now _I_ can’t get back to work because I’m daydreaming about Ewan McGregor … _sigh_ … he’s so dreamy … ---
**Author:** ![kirk280980](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c77e96/32.png) [@kirk280980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk280980)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/39 "2003-01-14T22:49:23Z")
To quote Samantha, of Sex And The City fame: _“Just think, if his tongue can do that to his Rs, what could it do to me?!”_ Despite being three-quarters Scots (according to my calculations), the fact that I’ve lived in England most of my life means I’m not blessed with the gorgeous accent. Like others here, I go weak at the knees whenever I hear it. Even the Glasweigan accent, which some folks consider rather harsh sounding, is music to my ears. On a recent trip to the Orkney Islands, I was rather surprised to hear the accent some of the locals had. When I commented that it sounded like a combination of Scots, Welsh and Geordie rolled into one, my friend said he was thinking exactly the same thing. Really unusual, but definitely one of those accents you could happily listen to all day long. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285/40 "2003-01-15T01:13:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Siemsi \* > \*\*OH yea. Sexy Scottish accents. \*_ **melt, quiver, swoon** _ > > LOVE men who wear kilts. **drool** \*\* \*\* I couldn’t have said it any better myself. :: wistful sigh :: I’ll get to the Highlands one day. This I vow! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-scottish-accents-anyway/148285.md?page=3)