[RogerButton33]

I know, but for someone not from these Isles it's a start, sort of a Scottish primer. How about Billy Connolly? I have friends who have no idea what he is saying. Never had a problem myself.

Yep, Billy is a classic representation of a Glesgah' accent.

[steevyjeors]

I've just typed "scottish accent" on youtube and... I found the vids from this guy.
His scottish accent

[ladleliDypenue]

According to Billy you speka Scottish by sticking your hands in your pockets when you speak and gesticulate with your feet.

So if you are asked if you know where the High Street is you can just say " aye, ah ken, it reet doon past the brae yuh knoww" during which you will have swivelled one foot to point in the direction of the High Street. See? Easy.

[Meowmeowz]

Try this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwm0l4hPToc

[nicktender]

Make sure to use the word "wee" alot.

[UtidaBrar]

First step: Ignore the English and Americans and what they perceive to be a "Scots" accent.

Being that I'm an Easterner (and have probably very little "Scot" blood in me) i don't speak with a Scot's accent. I do sound Scottish though... nae like a ned though.

Yes, we: the skirted, blood drinking, claymore swinging, haggis eating, bagpipe playing, ginger heided heathens from the North do speak English!

We are all incredibly civilized you know, TV's n' a'hin.

[perpelverw]

I have relatives from Elgin. When they start speaking fast (which is, most of the time), I have a hard time understanding them.

[Kolokireo]

.....they have a very funny way to say th "rl" like in world or girl.

True. Try asking a Scot to say 'burglar alarm' for hilarious results.

[cjOTw7ov]

True. Try asking a Scot to say 'burglar alarm' for hilarious results.

Haha, we actually say that quite normally.

We certainly don't say it "Burulgalar alarum"

[Rupeviv]

We certainly don't say it "Burulgalar alarum"

Then the population of Lesmahagow must have been humouring me all weekend.

[AblemTee]

Drink ten pints of Guinness and you'll be speaking the universal tongue...doesn't matter where you are in the world. Put a Chinese, Japanese, Irishman, Scot, American, Italian etc etc together with a keg and after ten or so pints they'll all be speaking/garbling the same sounds and somehow make sense of it.

Alcohol...the universal translator.

[viagradiscounttt]

I thought there were different versions of Scottish accent...like Edinburg accent and Glasgow accent and some other one? I don't know how dependable Monty Python is but the accent I heard on it had a lot of umlaut vowels and very snappy consonants

[fereupfer]

Haha, we actually say that quite normally.

We certainly don't say it "Burulgalar alarum"

I say burgulur alarum...

Billy Connelly is the best model for the West, and Trainspotting for the East.

[vosteglog]

I thought there were different versions of Scottish accent...like Edinburg accent and Glasgow accent and some other one? I don't know how dependable Monty Python is but the accent I heard on it had a lot of umlaut vowels and very snappy consonants

Yeah, just like every country there are differant varations of the accent. My family comes from Edinburgh, which is a much more subtle accent than the Glasgow or Northern accent.

[rusculture]

All useless advice so far.

What you want is this:

http://www.pagan.clara.net/rab.htm

Rab is the man.

[squicscor]

I say burgulur alarum...

Billy Connelly is the best model for the West, and Trainspotting for the East.

Heh, I remember eating at a Japanese restaurant in Glascow during the 2003 WKC trying to chat to the cute waitress and then realising I could not understand a single word she said...had to then talk to her in cantonese(yup, she was from Hong Kong).

[ceagsoosy]

Heh, I remember eating at a Japanese restaurant in Glascow during the 2003 WKC trying to chat to the cute waitress and then realising I could not understand a single word she said...had to then talk to her in cantonese(yup, she was from Hong Kong).

Was she talking cantonese in scottish accent?

[Seiblybiozy]

Edinburgh accent is quite sing-songy compared to the harsher gutteral-nes of the Glaswegian brogue.

My wife is from Ayrshire and it is even worse than Glaswegian especially when they go full throttle but you do get used to it and I Do get by when I am in Ayr. I have got so good that the locals don't usually know I am English until I ask for a pint of bitter ( which the Scots don't usually drink).

Funnily enough if you go very north in Scotland they tend to speak English quite purely and with very little accent at all.

I agree with whoever said 10 pints of grog - drink this much anywhere on the planet and you understand everything.

[QQQQQ-Trek]

Was she talking cantonese in scottish accent?

hehe, nah, thank god for that...her canto was spot on. I tend to change my accent depending who I talk to as well.

I agree with whoever said 10 pints of grog - drink this much anywhere on the planet and you understand everything.

I discovered that little pearl on my first trip to Japan. I was in some random bar in Kyushu, with 20 uni students and a shit load of Sake...an hour later we were having a deep meaningfull conversation with everyone nodding their heads in aquiescense...

All useless advice so far.

What you want is this:

http://www.pagan.clara.net/rab.htm

Rab is the man.

Bwahahahahahaaa...watching it now on youtuuuube.

[bingookenoo]

I should take a trip there once or so...I've only heard a genuine Scot speak once over the internet. And his accent wasn't too bad. I believe his accent was Edinburg. But other accents I heard I believe are sham...like the Fat Bastard from Austin Powers, and the janitor from Simpsons, and that guy who wears a kilt in Freakazoid...although I think Monty Python may be a rather reliable source. I don't think I've heard the uber gutteral accents