Are some Scottish and Irish accents really inintelligeble?

Damian in Edinburgh   Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:29 pm GMT
Definitely a Dublin accent!

This clip shows an American lassie in Glasgow trying to come to terms wi'a wee bit o'Weegie! :-) Another American Bill Bryson (now resident in England) had the similar problems when he ventured into a pub in Glasgow late one night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXGP4Sez_Us
X Factor fan   Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:27 am GMT
I'm American, but I'm addicted to the X-factor talent show in England. I can understand the British accents, the Irish accents, but unfortunately I literally cannot understand a full sentence from anyone Scottish on that show. Seriously, I understand various accents from all over the world, but Scottish baffles me almost as much as a thick Jamaican accent does. The worse thing about it is that I know they ARE speaking English (as foreign as it may sound) and that makes me try even harder to get it, but ultimately I give up. The accent, for lack of better words, rolls too much, mumbles, and seems to have a bit of a “drone” quality…and all that equals no understanding to this American ear.
Travis   Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:31 am GMT
>>I'm American, but I'm addicted to the X-factor talent show in England. I can understand the British accents, the Irish accents, but unfortunately I literally cannot understand a full sentence from anyone Scottish on that show. Seriously, I understand various accents from all over the world, but Scottish baffles me almost as much as a thick Jamaican accent does.<<

Ahem - do you seriously not understand Sean Connery's speech (he's Scottish, by the way)? I can understand why someone would not understand, say, more heavily Scots-influenced Scottish English dialects, but Scottish Standard English?
John   Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:06 am GMT
I have no problem understanding the Irish or Scottish. As someone born in the US to Irish immigrant parents and is married to a native Galwegian I am a funny linguistic "mix". Since I live in the US and have litterally heard Irish accents every day my entire life many Americans often mistake me for being Irish, however in Ireland they can tell I am American. However, If I *choose* to do so I can speak like an Irish person in Ireland and pass for Irish, but I feel silly doing so. It's not worth my effort. I assume if I were to move there (which we plan on doing in two years anyway) that I will probably speak like that more often. It probably seems silly to most people in this forum that a Yank can put on a perfect Irish accent but it happens on occasion. The only fun I've ever had with it is when I am in Germany and want to practice my German. Once they hear me talk they usually stop trying to speak English to me revert back to German,

Someone earlier in this thread also mentioned that most continental Europeans cannot tell the difference among various English dialects. That poster happens to be correct. They either understand the dialect they are hearing or they don't. What they understand is GAE or RP, not much else.