Are some Scottish and Irish accents really inintelligeble?

Adam   Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:22 pm GMT
The City of London generates annually around 20% - a fifth - of the UK economy.

The whole of the London Metropolitan Area generates a massive ONE-THIRD of the British economy.

London, despite being a city, has an economy worth $452 billion - which is larger than COUNTRIES such as Finland, Austria and other small European nations. London's economy is expected to rise to $708 billion by 2020. It has the largest economy of any city in Europe and the 6th largest in the world. By 2020, it'll be the 4th largest city-economy in the world after Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles.

Scotland - which is a NATION - has an economy worth just $130 billion, three and a half times smaller than London's which is a city.

Take Scotland out of the UK, the rest of the UK would hardly notice the difference in terms of size of the UK economy.

But take London out of the UK and the size of the UK economy will fall by a third.
Adam   Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:25 pm GMT
At this rate, London's economy will reach US$ 1 trillion around 2035-2040.

1 TRILLION - larger than most COUNTRIES on the planet.
Damian in Edinburgh   Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:56 pm GMT
Oh ADAM - what would we do without you and your mind boggling statistics? What a goldmine London must be then - I must admit to being blinded by the sun reflected off the gold pavings along all the streets when I was working down there....I practically expected to see Dick Whittington and his manky old cat round every corner as all those trillions gushed out of the Square Mile. I'm amazed you didn't mention the fact that London is now the world's largest banking and financial centre.....how come you missed that one out, clever clogs?

Anyway, I'm delighted that you emphasised Scotland's nationhood.....come the 4th of May you may be in for a wee surprise, Mr Sassenach. :-) We may even refuse you entry at all Scottish border points at some date in the future.....
John   Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:08 pm GMT
Take everyone who wasn't born in London ofut of the place and see how well her economy does.
Damian in Edinburgh   Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:04 pm GMT
***Take everyone who wasn't born in London ofut of the place and see how well her economy does.***

Not a sound agument - that could be said about any large modern city, or even country.

The City of London is the economic and financial driving force it is - very very very few people toiling away there are London born. The City (not Greater London proper - the City, the Square Mile) has a daytime population of a million or more - at night about 50,000 actually living there, mostly around the Barbican.
Adam   Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:17 pm GMT
"Take everyone who wasn't born in London ofut of the place and see how well her economy does"

You can easily say the same about Scotland.
Adam   Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:24 pm GMT
"The City (not Greater London proper - the City, the Square Mile) has a daytime population of a million or more "


The actual City of London has a daytime population of just 311,000.

But its economy is $219 billion.

Scotland's economy is $103 billion and it has a population of 4 million.

So the City of London has a larger economy than the whole of Scotland even though its population is just 311,000.

It's obvious that the London creates Britain's wealth......whilst the Scots spend it.
Cactus Jack   Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:33 pm GMT
why was my comment deleted?also,id like to make a trivial point here.highlander is a native or inhabitant of the highlands region,particularly the scottish highlands.
Oscar   Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:53 pm GMT
unbelievable hate here!
[URL="http://baptistsforbrown2008.wordpress.com/"]Nasty religious nuts[/URL]
Guest   Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:21 pm GMT
Nuts is serious understatement.
dean   Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:49 pm GMT
am fae irvine on tha west coast ae scotland, an aw the folk that come here seem tae understand our accents.
leon   Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:22 am GMT
i like the scottish accent the best but to me i just watched beerfest the irish scotish and british kinda sound the same except a few words
Malcolm X   Sat Oct 27, 2007 1:28 pm GMT
I HATE EVERYONE WHO GOES ON THE NET YOU ALL MADE ME ANGRY I HATE YOU YOUR ALL GOING TO PAY FOR IT I HATE YOU ALL
greggy   Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:37 am GMT
>>>can i ask a question?co'z im a filipino it is hard for us to speak english fluently specially when in front of many people"orally" can you give me some advise on how to improved our english language, specially in oral.
JeLèK   Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:42 pm GMT
This is a short clip from Ireland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qYiBfbWFH8

I honsetly don't understand most of what they're saying there.