I'd dispute the statement that everyone in Scotland speaks English. At a car rental place in Irvine I had absolutely no idea what the gentleman said - perhaps he was speaking Welsh?

As for the Welsh...............

Mucky has given me a fridge magnet with the Welsh National Anthem - apparently it's in Welsh!

I'll be fine if the Welsh last long enough to meet Australia in the Rugby World Cup! Then I'll only have to sing if if they beat us!

I'm not worried

"<i>At a car rental place in Irvine I had absolutely no idea what the gentleman said . . .</i>"

That's OK -- he didn't understand you either . . .

I'd dispute the statement that everyone in Scotland speaks English. At a car rental place in Irvine I had absolutely no idea what the gentleman said - perhaps he was speaking Welsh?>>

probably english with a very strong scottish accent.

perhaps you should have prepared yourself by watching some episodes of "Taggart"?

>>perhaps you should have prepared yourself by watching some episodes of "Taggart"?<<

Not many tourists need to know how to say "Mrrdr!"

<<Mucky has given me a fridge magnet with the Welsh National Anthem - apparently it's in Welsh! I'll be fine if the Welsh last long enough to meet Australia in the Rugby World Cup! Then I'll only have to sing if if they beat us!>>

You can always sing the English phonetic version written by the Welsh poet Nigel Jenkins:

My hen laid a haddock, one hand oiled a flea,
Glad farts and centurions threw dogs in the sea,
I could stew a hare here and brandish Dan's flan,
Don's ruddy bog's blocked up with sand.

(Chorus)

Dad! Dad! Why don't you oil Auntie Glad?
Can whores appear in beer bottle pies,
O butter the hens as they fly!

So, what is the correct pronunciation of Holborn? Hullbun?

Ho - b'n.

>>perhaps you should have prepared yourself by watching some episodes of "Taggart"?<<

>Not many tourists need to know how to say "Mrrdr!"<

Patrick's correct - I watched Taggart - but it didn't help at all.

You can sure learn a great deal on the internet! ;-) I am working diligently on "Os gwelwch yn dda" and may have a few more down pat by the trip!

laverendrye

I've been sitting here with my fridge magnet and the translation you provided.....When I stopped laughing I started to sound pretty good! Now - if only I had some idea of the tune...... I don't suppose it matters??

But - the Wallabies beat the mighty All Blacks on the weekend - I'm still not worried.

>>Now - if only I had some idea of the tune...... I don't suppose it matters??<<

Well, yes, actually: it's one of the most roof-raising national song tunes I know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kUnCwV3AYE

Not a translation of course, but a phonetic version. I think that Jenkins wrote it for non-Welsh speakers (especially politicians) who didn't want to be embarrassed by their lack of Welsh when the anthem was sung--at least their lips would be moving seemingly correctly.

On an extremely serious note, my poor brother-in-law is somewhat hard of hearing. He couldn't understand one darn thing the Scots were saying in English. If you are hard of hearing, I would stay home.

>>I think that Jenkins wrote it for non-Welsh speakers (especially politicians) who didn't want to be embarrassed by their lack of Welsh when the anthem was sung<<

As in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIwBvjoLyZc

On an extremely serious note, my poor brother-in-law is somewhat hard of hearing. He couldn't understand one darn thing the Scots were saying in English. If you are hard of hearing, I would stay home.>>

cold - could they understand him?

Ann - he kept asking them to speak more clearly. They didn't. So I guess the answer is no.

cold - I agree it's a shame for your BIL.

but whilst not wanting to underestimate the problems faced by the deaf, he was presumably in no worse a position than if he'd been in a country where he didn't speak the language at all.

it must be frustrating to go somewhere where you expect to understand, and find that you don't.

Don't over do it. Just talk really loud in the best accent you can up with.