People from Scotland are having a wee bit of trouble saying 'purple burglar alarm'
But it sure is fun to watch them try.
Scots struggle with a seemingly simple tongue twister.
Of all the various ways to speak the English language, the Scottish dialects are some of the most fascinating to listen to. I'm apparently not alone in this thinking, as social media has exploded with Scottish people simply sharing Scottish things with their Scottish brogue and collecting fans from their videos hand over fist.
As an American, I don't always understand what these Scottish folks with very thick accents are saying, which is probably why some of them specialize in translating Scottish slang terms into non-Scottish English. But even when there's no issue understanding, there's something part-funny, part-sexy about the Scottish accent that gets me every time. In all seriousness, if I could pay Scottish actor James McAvoy to read me a bedtime story every night, I would.
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In fact, McAvoy shared a bit about his accent in an interview with Stephen Colbert, which was the first time I'd seen a Scot explain that the word "burglary" trips them up.
Apparently, it's not just him. There's a well-known phrase, "purple burglar alarm," that is notoriously difficult for some Scots to say without tripping over their tongue. And watching some of them try is delightfully entertaining.
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"An English guy once told me that we Scottish people sounded like pigeons to him and I never got it... now I do," shared someone from Scotland after watching the above video.
""I like how he gets closer and closer, then after his best attempt it goes downhill fast," added a commenter.
"The absolute horror washing over him as he realizes his design limitations is what makes this video," wrote another.
It's literally a tongue twister, and this guy handles it like a good-natured champ:
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"When I was learning English, I used to say 'burgular' instead of 'burglar.' It turns out I was speaking Scottish back then," someone joked.
"I’ve watched this like 20-times and it gets funnier each time. He’s a good sport!" wrote another person.
"I thought this was going to make him look like a fool, and I wasn't sure I wanted to see it," wrote another, "But it didn't happen. He was such a gentleman, he rose above it despite his difficulties. Good for him. Nice man."
Indeed, these Scottish folks seem to have fun with their own accent getting in their way. It's even funny without the "purple."
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Doesn't seem to matter whether you're young or old, the Scottish accent trips up the tongue with this nonsensical phrase.
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The only thing better than a Scot being unable to say "purple burglar alarm" is a Scot who is able to say it because somehow it still sounds like they're drowning. What if they were asked to say "gurgling purple burglar alarm"? Can you even imagine?
@rsullivan1991 #stereotype #scotland #fyp
One thing is for sure: People love to hear Scottish accents no matter what they're saying. Nothing but love for you, Scots! Thanks for the giggles, and please don't ever stop talking.
This article originally appeared four years ago.