NationStates Jolt Archive

If you were wanting to cultivate a convincing foreign accent, what do you think the best way to go about it is?

I was thinking watch lot's of movies, but that seems like a very Hollywood solution. Stupid TV-ruined brain!

If you were wanting to cultivate a convincing foreign accent, what do you think the best way to go about it is?

I was thinking watch lot's of movies, but that seems like a very Hollywood solution. Stupid TV-ruined brain!

Just imagine who my former English teacher would speak... perfect Southern German accent mixed with horrible English. That should do the trick nicely :D

go to the country or surround yourself with people of that sort.

go to the country or surround yourself with people of that sort.

Crap! Where am I going to find a bunch of twenty-something Scottish dudes in Chattanooga?

want a scottish accent? Watch Sean Connery films and mimic him

and make sure you say 'penis mightier and anal bum cover' and insult alex trebek(sp?):p

It's all part of my highly-unethical and silly scheme to pick up women in bars.

See, I'm Scottish and my roommate is English, and we met at the University of Dublin and decided to come tour the States before returning home. We started in Miami and have been slowly making our way to New York and popped by Chattanooga on the way.

EDIT: Also, Sean Connery's Scottish sounds different than other Scottish I've heard. I think.

It's all part of my highly-unethical and silly scheme to pick up women in bars.

See, I'm Scottish and my roommate is English, and we met at the University of Dublin and decided to come tour the States before returning home. We started in Miami and have been slowly making our way to New York and popped by Chattanooga on the way.

EDIT: Also, Sean Connery's Scottish sounds different than other Scottish I've heard. I think.


its easy to pickup women in bars...put a banana in your pants. They'll fall for that if they are drunk ;)

or...spike their drink and drag them out of the bar :p

its easy to pickup women in bars...put a banana in your pants. They'll fall for that if they are drunk ;)

or...spike their drink and drag them out of the bar :p

Man, I haven't had sex in like two months, I think I need to go for at least 6 before I start considering rape.

It's all part of my highly-unethical and silly scheme to pick up women in bars.

See, I'm Scottish and my roommate is English, and we met at the University of Dublin and decided to come tour the States before returning home. We started in Miami and have been slowly making our way to New York and popped by Chattanooga on the way.

EDIT: Also, Sean Connery's Scottish sounds different than other Scottish I've heard. I think.

Oh.... my.... god. You have no idea how old this is, do you?
My brother used to put a "von" in front of his last name and make up an relation with the Swedish royal family to impress shop assistants.
My other brother invented a science in order to claim to study it, it involved some behaviour studies and certain drugs.

The sad thing is, both schemes worked brilliantly. So I guess you don't need to go to much length for your accent, certain girls apparently want to fall for that kind of hoax.

Crap! Where am I going to find a bunch of twenty-something Scottish dudes in Chattanooga?

buy their souls and ship them!

look on ebay!!

Oh.... my.... god. You have no idea how old this is, do you?
My brother used to put a "von" in front of his last name and make up an relation with the Swedish royal family to impress shop assistants.
My other brother invented a science in order to claim to study it, it involved some behaviour studies and certain drugs.

The sad thing is, both schemes worked brilliantly. So I guess you don't need to go to much length for your accent, certain girls apparently want to fall for that kind of hoax.

It's also kind of a joke for our amusement. But yeah, I'm totally aware of the overwhelming precedence of this type of scheme.

Part of it, I think, would be the fun of going out of my way to get as close to an authentic accent as I can.

Then what happens is we accidentally hit on two girls from Britain. The hijinks ensue when we realize our scheme is particularly hollow versus people from the region.

Then they take us home anyway because we're so cute for trying.

My roommate often says he wishes he could live in my world, it seems very happy.

Oh.... my.... god. You have no idea how old this is, do you?
My brother used to put a "von" in front of his last name and make up an relation with the Swedish royal family to impress shop assistants.
My other brother invented a science in order to claim to study it, it involved some behaviour studies and certain drugs.

The sad thing is, both schemes worked brilliantly. So I guess you don't need to go to much length for your accent, certain girls apparently want to fall for that kind of hoax.

*takes notes*

on the other hand, would it help if you say you study medicine? docters are kind of sexy aren't they?

http://actors.ardenas-place.com/pictures/gc10.jpg

watching james bond movies helps, i mean you've got everything; Russian, Ukranian, English, Russian, uhhh Russian...oh nevermind...bad idea.

*takes notes*

on the other hand, would it help if you say you study medicine? docters are kind of sexy aren't they?

http://actors.ardenas-place.com/pictures/gc10.jpg

Learn some medical pseudo-babble and rehearse a good "I saved the patient from an incompetent doctor" story and I think you'll be a shoe-in!

Man, I haven't had sex in like two months, I think I need to go for at least 6 before I start considering rape.

I've went almost 20 yrs now with out sex. I need to do something badly

It's all part of my highly-unethical and silly scheme to pick up women in bars.

See, I'm Scottish and my roommate is English, and we met at the University of Dublin and decided to come tour the States before returning home. We started in Miami and have been slowly making our way to New York and popped by Chattanooga on the way.

EDIT: Also, Sean Connery's Scottish sounds different than other Scottish I've heard. I think.

But if you're scottish it can't be that hard to do the accent. Don't you have any relatives that were raised in Scotland you can imitate?

I've went almost 20 yrs now with out sex. I need to do something badly

Man, way to put me in my place!

I promised a friend who is a virgin if he hasn't lost it by 28 we'll hit Amsterdam.

But if you're scottish it can't be that hard to do the accent. Don't you have any relatives that were raised in Scotland you can imitate?

That's the elaborate hoax. I should have made that a bit more clear.

Learn some medical pseudo-babble and rehearse a good "I saved the patient from an incompetent doctor" story and I think you'll be a shoe-in!

well, i study medicine so i wont have a lot of trouble with that :)

*pulls out large medical dictionary and starts memorising the medical terms*

Man, way to put me in my place!

I promised a friend who is a virgin if he hasn't lost it by 28 we'll hit Amsterdam.

What a lovely birthday gift :D

That's the elaborate hoax. I should have made that a bit more clear.

Check the internet (sites like Amazon) for accent-learning cassettes, CD or DVDs, then get a cheap voice recorder and get to work. There's no shortcut if you want to do it right. Personally, I couldn't learn a foreign accent to save my life, but if you have the potential, a good program should bring it out.

well, i study medicine so i wont have a lot of trouble with that :)

*pulls out large medical dictionary and starts memorising the medical terms*

I bet I could concoct some wicked awesome mental hospital stories. Or I could wait till I'm working at one this summer and just tell true stories.

But c'mon, how awesome would it be to develop an authentic foreign accent to impress girls?

I mean, I could use my wits and personality, but what's the fun in that?

What a lovely birthday gift :D

Yeah, I figure if I'm not single me and the lady-friend will go get wicked high, and if I'm single, I'll help him pick out a hotty for his first go.

In Soviet Russia, accent cultivates YOU!

On a serious note, I can manage English/Scottish accents fairly well, and provided I dont have to say any complicated words I can be a fairly conviencing Russian.
Stereotypical French is fairly easy to, but I dont know enough French to make it really good.
My most popular accent is the 'Arab merchant', which isnt really specifically Arab, but a sort of wierd combination of Turkish and Indian accents. It is quite amusing though.

Oh, and I can impersonate an Orc/k fairly well to. Nothing throws off your opponents in a game like a nice syncronized 'WAAAAAAAGH!' from the entire team.

Check the internet (sites like Amazon) for accent-learning cassettes, CD or DVDs, then get a cheap voice recorder and get to work. There's no shortcut if you want to do it right. Personally, I couldn't learn a foreign accent to save my life, but if you have the potential, a good program should bring it out.

Thank you!

I'm thinking I could pull-off Scottish because I'm tall. That's it. I assume American girls will assume Scots are tall. My hair is dark and I've got a big nose, I could maybe pass for Jewish, but given I'm in the South that might not help my cause any.

Hehehehe /browse Amazon

Yeah, I figure if I'm not single me and the lady-friend will go get wicked high, and if I'm single, I'll help him pick out a hotty for his first go.

Hehe.... now that I think of it, it might be a nice present for my boyfriend. I should take him to Amsterdam and have a bit of fun... :D
Thanks for the idea.

Hehe.... now that I think of it, it might be a nice present for my boyfriend. I should take him to Amsterdam and have a bit of fun... :D
Thanks for the idea.

I'm so insanely jealous of him right now it's not even funny.

Do you have any cute single friends who live in Chattanooga? ;)

EDIT: Having just now noticed you're from Dublin, I find it rather unlikely you know anyone in my hometown. I also find it remarkably funny because the university I made up for me and my roommate to attend isn't even on the same island we're from. Go American geography!

But c'mon, how awesome would it be to develop an authentic foreign accent to impress girls?

an authentic foreign accent? ;)

an authentic foreign accent? ;)

Well, sure! There's the way I think Scottish people talk, and there's the way they actually talk. Ask an American to fake a British accent for you sometime, I'm pretty sure it'll be horrendous.

I'm so insanely jealous of him right now it's not even funny.

Do you have any cute single friends who live in Chattanooga? ;)

Sorry, no, I'm afraid I don't know anyone in that area...


EDIT: Having just now noticed you're from Dublin, I find it rather unlikely you know anyone in my hometown. I also find it remarkably funny because the university I made up for me and my roommate to attend isn't even on the same island we're from. Go American geography!

While the UCD, the University of Dublin, actually exists, you might impress the girls even more by claiming to have met at Trinity College. Some of them might even have heard of it ;)

Sorry, no, I'm afraid I don't know anyone in that area...



While the UCD, the University of Dublin, actually exists, you might impress the girls even more by claiming to have met at Trinity College. Some of them might even have heard of it ;)

Brilliant!

Now I'mma go read up on that so I can start crafting a convincing back story.

Maybe I should be an improv-performance artist...

Brilliant!

Now I'mma go read up on that so I can start crafting a convincing back story.

Maybe I should be an improv-performance artist...

I'd suggest picking a nice small Scottish town as well, and read up on it, so you can answer a few questions about your "home" ;)

So, Jon Sullburough and I have been attending Trinity College in your Connecticut, and we think it's quite stunning. Anyway, we transferred over together from UCD for a year to do sociological field-work on American single life. Do you have a few moments to speak with us, please?


ooh, it gives me chills to think about how well that would work. Even if it was just a device to talk to people for fun!

EDIT: Round and round we go, Google Earth, show me my home!...Comrie!
EDIT2: The demographic we're gathering right now is mid-sized Southern cities.

Brilliant!

Now I'mma go read up on that so I can start crafting a convincing back story.

Maybe I should be an improv-performance artist...

you should also study some kind of funny "improv"-act. last thing i heard, women liked humor.
damn your plan starts to sound really good.

If you were wanting to cultivate a convincing foreign accent, what do you think the best way to go about it is?

I was thinking watch lot's of movies, but that seems like a very Hollywood solution. Stupid TV-ruined brain!
You want an accent?
Get mightily drunk, slur your words and say you're from Georgia!:p

I'd suggest picking a nice small Scottish town as well, and read up on it, so you can answer a few questions about your "home" ;)

You seem like you'd be quite handy for improv-anywhere type pranks.

You want an accent?
Get mightily drunk, slur your words and say you're from Georgia!:p

Oh man, last time I got that drunk...

Either way, I grew up in the south and can't fake a Southern accent. Unless you mean the European Georgia.

Oh man, last time I got that drunk...

Either way, I grew up in the south and can't fake a Southern accent. Unless you mean the European Georgia.
Nope i mean American Georgia, my former next door neighbour was from the european Georgia so i know what that accent sounds like too.

Nope i mean American Georgia, my former next door neighbour was from the european Georgia so i know what that accent sounds like too.

Yeah, no good. I wouldn't mind learning Southern Gentleman, but...since I live on the Georgia border I think girls would be immune to it.

You seem like you'd be quite handy for improv-anywhere type pranks.

Hehe... I've been known to pull a few pranks in my time. Nobody in my little German hometown will ever forget that 1st of April when some friends and I started the demonstration for "Religious Freedom for Woodworms!!!" :D

I'm getting a bit old for it now, though. ;)

Hehe... I've been known to pull a few pranks in my time. Nobody in my little German hometown will ever forget that 1st of April when some friends and I started the demonstration for "Religious Freedom for Woodworms!!!" :D

I'm getting a bit old for it now, though. ;)

You're never too old for improv-pranks.

One we're planning is to make t-shirts with "Free Hugs" written on them, to wear when the guys who say everyone is going to hell come to campus. We're pretty sure this will make them look pretty stupid, because nothing makes you look like an ass more than yelling about people going to hell with someone in a "Free Hugs" t-shirt standing across from you...giving out free hugs.

I'm also now considering the possibility of studying American singles' life doing this very thing. Approaching them as a foreigner and doing personal interviews. Hot damn that would be some exciting research! (For real, I'm serious.)

You're never too old for improv-pranks.

One we're planning is to make t-shirts with "Free Hugs" written on them, to wear when the guys who say everyone is going to hell come to campus. We're pretty sure this will make them look pretty stupid, because nothing makes you look like an ass more than yelling about people going to hell with someone in a "Free Hugs" t-shirt standing across from you...giving out free hugs.

Oh, I love that "Free Hugs" thing!! I miss hugs a lot here, ok I got my boyfriend, but Germans (at least in my age group) tend to hug a lot more than the Irish.... :(

I want a hug, now.

I'm also now considering the possibility of studying American singles' life doing this very thing. Approaching them as a foreigner and doing personal interviews. Hot damn that would be some exciting research! (For real, I'm serious.)

It might be very interesting. Make sure to publish the results here, I'd love to read them.

Ahhh accents

I guess I'm lucky (or unlucky depending on your point of view) I'm rubbish at learning languages but I am one of those people that will pick up the accent of whoever I'm talking to. This can get me in trouble because sometimes people think I'm making fun of them when I'm really not.

I've found the best way to intentionally learn how to speak with a particular accent is to listen. And I don't mean just conversation listen I mean really listen. Think about how they actually pronounce the words as they are speaking, a film will do for this but stick to one accent. For instance there is a VAST difference between Edinburugh and Glasgow accents. A true strong Glasgow accent is hard even for native British to understand. I'm good with accents and even I have trouble with my friend from central Glasgow and he's speaking ENGLISH (technically). I've also been trying to learn Japanese for a long long time (Im crap at learning languages remember) and I can now tell the difference between Kyoto, Tokyo, Kumamoto and Okinawa accents, Okinawa is the easiest because it's very different to the others. Hard to explain how though in text so I'm not going to try.

But yes, accents - think about how vowels are pronounced in a variety of different words and take note of which consonants are dropped and when - I think that is the key to being able to imitate.

It might be very interesting. Make sure to publish the results here, I'd love to read them.

After doing a bit of research, my story is eerily plausible:
http://americas.sas.ac.uk/

If I ever did this study, I'd be sure to mention it here. Seems a bit much for undergraduate studies, but as a post-bach it might be just the thing...

I'd have to figure out what the hell I was trying to prove by posing as a foreigner, but hey! That's what pure research is about!

As to hugs, I don't get many here, I feel ya. Americans are not real big on hugs. It doesn't help I live a 5 hour drive from my nearest family.

Ahhh accents

I guess I'm lucky (or unlucky depending on your point of view) I'm rubbish at learning languages but I am one of those people that will pick up the accent of whoever I'm talking to. This can get me in trouble because sometimes people think I'm making fun of them when I'm really not.

I've found the best way to intentionally learn how to speak with a particular accent is to listen. And I don't mean just conversation listen I mean really listen. Think about how they actually pronounce the words as they are speaking, a film will do for this but stick to one accent. For instance there is a VAST difference between Edinburugh and Glasgow accents. A true strong Glasgow accent is hard even for native British to understand. I'm good with accents and even I have trouble with my friend from central Glasgow and he's speaking ENGLISH (technically). I've also been trying to learn Japanese for a long long time (Im crap at learning languages remember) and I can now tell the difference between Kyoto, Tokyo, Kumamoto and Okinawa accents, Okinawa is the easiest because it's very different to the others. Hard to explain how though in text so I'm not going to try.

But yes, accents - think about how vowels are pronounced in a variety of different words and take note of which consonants are dropped and when - I think that is the key to being able to imitate.

Awesome, thanks for the tips! :D

Question for anyone who might actually be Scottish: Is Trainspotting accurate language-wise?

I'm pretty sure they're Scottish.

Some sort of british accent would be nifty. Or a South African one.

Oh, I love that "Free Hugs" thing!! I miss hugs a lot here, ok I got my boyfriend, but Germans (at least in my age group) tend to hug a lot more than the Irish.... :(

I want a hug, now.

i could use a hug too, it's been at least two weeks since i've seen anybody except family (oh, and i saw my friends on new years eve too)

me and a friend used to invent stupid opening-sentences, like: "do you know where we can eat ettnic food here"
really surprising how easy it is to start a conversation if you just trie.

Some sort of british accent would be nifty. Or a South African one.

Ooh, South African is pretty neat sounding. Might stir up some nasty political crap...though I am talking to people in a bar...though I do go to bars myself.

Seems like I'd be asking for trouble.


And on that thought, I'm going to bed. I've got to get up in..an hour to drive my roommate to Atlanta.

Final thought: where would I get a fake Scottish ID, or maybe fake Student ID from said universities/countries?

i could use a hug too, it's been at least two weeks since i've seen anybody except family (oh, and i saw my friends on new years eve too)

me and a friend used to invent stupid opening-sentences, like: "do you know where we can eat ettnic food here"
really surprising how easy it is to start a conversation if you just trie.

Srsly, last thing before bed, lol.

My roommate is in the army, so I suggested he walk up to a table and say:

"Hi, I'm in the army. How can I protect your freedoms today?"

Ooh, South African is pretty neat sounding. Might stir up some nasty political crap...though I am talking to people in a bar...though I do go to bars myself.

Seems like I'd be asking for trouble.


And on that thought, I'm going to bed. I've got to get up in..an hour to drive my roommate to Atlanta.

Final thought: where would I get a fake Scottish ID, or maybe fake Student ID from said universities/countries?

To be perfectly honest, I always thought that the cutest accent is the Dutch accent. Both in English and in German. Funnily enough, I don't like the Dutch language as such too much, it's a bit throaty for me, but the accent in other languages is just to die for.
It's a lot like South African accent, too. :D

Srsly, last thing before bed, lol.

My roommate is in the army, so I suggested he walk up to a table and say:

"Hi, I'm in the army. How can I protect your freedoms today?"

hehe, sadly enough i don't really look like someone from the army (the rather long hair and the absence of muscles).
but it sounds like a good one. did it work?

Srsly, last thing before bed, lol.

My roommate is in the army, so I suggested he walk up to a table and say:

"Hi, I'm in the army. How can I protect your freedoms today?"

Hehe... make sure not to try that with any Europeans, though. ;)

To be perfectly honest, I always thought that the cutest accent is the Dutch accent. Both in English and in German. Funnily enough, I don't like the Dutch language as such too much, it's a bit throaty for me, but the accent in other languages is just to die for.
It's a lot like South African accent, too. :D

with dutch accent do you also include people from Belgium, or only from the netherlands?

Ooh, South African is pretty neat sounding. Might stir up some nasty political crap...though I am talking to people in a bar...though I do go to bars myself.

Seems like I'd be asking for trouble.


And on that thought, I'm going to bed. I've got to get up in..an hour to drive my roommate to Atlanta.

Final thought: where would I get a fake Scottish ID, or maybe fake Student ID from said universities/countries?

Make it yourself.
Get a nice coat of arms of a Scotish univestiy, and use a regular student's ID for the layout. Add a crappy photo of yourself and laminate the whole thing, and voila - fake ID.

with dutch accent do you also include people from Belgium, or only from the netherlands?

I think Flemish speakers have a similar accent... French speakers, no.

Ooh, South African is pretty neat sounding. Might stir up some nasty political crap...though I am talking to people in a bar...though I do go to bars myself.

Seems like I'd be asking for trouble.

Most people wouldn't pick it, let alone make any political connotations, but it is the best voice an evil villain could possibly have.

I think Flemish speakers have a similar accent... French speakers, no.

always tought that the Flemish were better in languages then the Netherlandians (???). but i guess that's just a delusion then. (although we're still so much better in French :))

always tought that the Flemish were better in languages then the Netherlandians (???). but i guess that's just a delusion then. (although we're still so much better in French :))

Not sure what you mean now... :confused:

For those that are interested I have the standard British accent - which is no accent local accent at all, It's called "Standard Pronounciation", both my parents were English teachers you see.

Thinking of an example, Pierce Brosnan maybe, obviously I don't have his voice but he has no accent I can place (though someone will probably tell me what his accent is now).

Not sure what you mean now... :confused:

have you ever heard someone from the Netherlands talk French? it's not that good.
so i thought that maybe their pronounciation of English was also different.

have you ever heard someone from the Netherlands talk French? it's not that good.
so i thought that maybe their pronounciation of English was also different.

Course it is... that's what an accent is, after all. And theirs is just cute. ;)

go to the country or surround yourself with people of that sort.

Agreed completely. When I was in the Army I picked up a bit of a Southern accent for which I would catch all kinds of shit when I was home on leave. Before I'd go back I got my Michigan accent back a bit and would catch shit for that when I got back to the Army. The best examples of this are accidentally saying "Y'all" in Michigan and "Eh?" at whatever Army post I was stationed.

hehe, sadly enough i don't really look like someone from the army (the rather long hair and the absence of muscles).
but it sounds like a good one. did it work?

Sadly, we never found out if it'd work because we're such big babies.

Sadly, we never found out if it'd work because we're such big babies.

yes, i only try those stupid oneliner when drunk too, sadly enough. i must try it once while i'm sober.
that was a short nap by the way.

yes, i only try those stupid oneliner when drunk too, sadly enough. i must try it once while i'm sober.
that was a short nap by the way.

Bout an hour and a half 'f I'm not mistaken.

Two hour drive into the dark wet highways of night, two hour drive back, and hopefully deep sleep.

Ooh, email from cute girl on myspace!

I am sleepy and incoherent.

Bout an hour and a half 'f I'm not mistaken.

Two hour drive into the dark wet highways of night, two hour drive back, and hopefully deep sleep.

Ooh, email from cute girl on myspace!

I am sleepy and incoherent.

well, good luck with the driving and the girls. (and don't fall asleep)

well, good luck with the driving and the girls. (and don't fall asleep)

You know, I'm more worried about the girls than the falling asleep at the wheel right now. I made a similar drive with less sleep two weeks ago.

I just realize what I typed. FUCK insomnia.

So, let me get this straight. Two American guys want to go to a nearby town and pretend they're from a European country to get laid. It sounds a bit like "Love Actually", when an English guy goes to a random pub in the States feeling certain that he'll find a few gorgeous women who'll fall in love with his accent...

The Scottish accent isn't a bad choice; most girls I know agree that it's a very sexy accent - if you can get it right. Watching Scottish films (don't try to imitate Americans imitating the Scottish accent; Mike Myers isn't all that great at it, and I find that many other actors don't know the difference between the Irish and the Scottish accent). "Trainspotting" actually wouldn't be a bad place to start. "Braveheart" isn't too bad either but it'd be less accurate than "Trainspotting". I guess Johnny Depp didn't do a bad Scottish accent in "Finding Neverland", although I guess you're better off verifying with an actual Scottish person.

Be careful not to wear clothes that people would recognise as very American. Perhaps wear some sort of symbol of your country; anything, really, with a Scottish flag on it; or perhaps a thistle because it's a Scottish symbol.

Also, you'd be better off renting a nearby motel/hotel room. If you want to make it sound like you're touring then that might be more plausible.

Well, good luck with your scheme... Remember that it'll only work if you never let your guard down. For example, if you think that the girls have fallen asleep don't go back to your normal accent. And if you do get lucky, do not let your guard down then... You could end up with a serious injury. :rolleyes:

Be careful not to wear clothes that people would recognise as very American. Perhaps wear some sort of symbol of your country; anything, really, with a Scottish flag on it; or perhaps a thistle because it's a Scottish symbol.

Be careful with that.... only tourists here would wear anything with the flag of the country on it. And don't go so far as to wear a kilt, please.


Also, you'd be better off renting a nearby motel/hotel room. If you want to make it sound like you're touring then that might be more plausible.

As a student? I wouldn't believe that.
As a student, you either stay at the youth hostel, YMCA, or else with friends (or friends of friends).

Don't mean to nitpick, but are there really 'foreign' accents when there are so many different nationalities? So many different perspectives? My accent, for example, is not considered foreign in Australia.

Now, martians on the other hand... :p

Be careful not to wear clothes that people would recognise as very American. Perhaps wear some sort of symbol of your country; anything, really, with a Scottish flag on it; or perhaps a thistle because it's a Scottish symbol.


you're missing the obvious here (http://www.kbthetatau.com/pictures/aroundtheworld/images/kilt.jpg) :rolleyes:

you could also order scotch instead of beer.

Crap! Where am I going to find a bunch of twenty-something Scottish dudes in Chattanooga?
Get copies of the box sets of 'Taggert'.

you're missing the obvious here (http://www.kbthetatau.com/pictures/aroundtheworld/images/kilt.jpg) :rolleyes:

you could also order scotch instead of beer.
Do not do this around anybody from scotland.You will just sound like a wanker.Think Taggert and Iron Bru and deep fried Mars bars with ketchup.

I thought that after watching Borat most Americans would run a mile if approached by a dodgy looking guy with an even dodgier European accent

*doesn't really imagine Bookislvakia looks dodgy*

A knowledge of phonetics (study of sounds in speech) and language certainly helps. An obvious example is how Japanese lacks a distinction between l and r, resulting in Japanese learners of English having difficulty with those sounds. Languages have different sets of sounds and different ways of pronouncing them. Those are all factors in how a foreign accent tends to sound.

I thought that after watching Borat most Americans would run a mile if approached by a dodgy looking guy with an even dodgier European accent

*doesn't really imagine Bookislvakia looks dodgy*


I don't think I look dodgy, but I'm 6'5 and shaggy so I imagine I can look intimidating on accident.

So, let me get this straight. Two American guys want to go to a nearby town and pretend they're from a European country to get laid. It sounds a bit like "Love Actually", when an English guy goes to a random pub in the States feeling certain that he'll find a few gorgeous women who'll fall in love with his accent...

The Scottish accent isn't a bad choice; most girls I know agree that it's a very sexy accent - if you can get it right. Watching Scottish films (don't try to imitate Americans imitating the Scottish accent; Mike Myers isn't all that great at it, and I find that many other actors don't know the difference between the Irish and the Scottish accent). "Trainspotting" actually wouldn't be a bad place to start. "Braveheart" isn't too bad either but it'd be less accurate than "Trainspotting". I guess Johnny Depp didn't do a bad Scottish accent in "Finding Neverland", although I guess you're better off verifying with an actual Scottish person.

Be careful not to wear clothes that people would recognise as very American. Perhaps wear some sort of symbol of your country; anything, really, with a Scottish flag on it; or perhaps a thistle because it's a Scottish symbol.

Also, you'd be better off renting a nearby motel/hotel room. If you want to make it sound like you're touring then that might be more plausible.

Well, good luck with your scheme... Remember that it'll only work if you never let your guard down. For example, if you think that the girls have fallen asleep don't go back to your normal accent. And if you do get lucky, do not let your guard down then... You could end up with a serious injury. :rolleyes:

Yeah, it's pretty silly sounding. Mostly we're up for it to have something silly to do on occasion.

We're just playing around anyways, we're not really the one-night stand type of guys. Just the type of dorks who would try to master an accent and get girls to giggle at us.

A knowledge of phonetics (study of sounds in speech) and language certainly helps. An obvious example is how Japanese lacks a distinction between l and r, resulting in Japanese learners of English having difficulty with those sounds. Languages have different sets of sounds and different ways of pronouncing them. Those are all factors in how a foreign accent tends to sound.

That's good advice too. I think I've noticed a few things about Scottish, but it's been awhile since I've heard one so I'll have to check.