Why do most pirates sound Scottish when they talk?

smartie806

Actor Robert Newton, who portrayed Long John Silver in the 1950 Disney film Treasure Island, is the patron saint of Talk Like A Pirate Day, and the specific accent that Newton used came from English West Country dialects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Talk_Like_a_Pirate_Day Sep 27 06, 1:47 PM

Terry

Wow, I didn't actually think there was a real answer to that question! Sep 27 06, 1:48 PM

Gnomon

I've never heard a pirate in a movie that sounded scottish. Most of them sound like West Country pirates, as Bristol was a good starting point for pirates. Well, I have to add that Billy Bones in the Muppet Treasure Island sounded Scottish. But that's because the actor, Billy Connolly, is Scottish. Sep 27 06, 6:21 PM

Terry

Well, maybe not exactly Scottish, but Pirates sterotypically have this "arrrr me kilt's all wrinkled!" type accent. Hard to place a finger on exactly what it is! Sep 27 06, 8:09 PM

Gnomon

The "Arrr" accent is a West Country accent from the area around Dorset, Somerset and Devon in the South-West of England. Sep 28 06, 2:52 AM

SOTHC

I think that it is definitely more West Country than Scottish, hence the musical being The Pirates of Penzance and not Prestwick. Sep 28 06, 7:48 AM

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