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Watching Scottish people try to say 'purple burglar alarm' is a wee bit hilarious

The ultimate Scottish tongue twister.

rsullivan1991/TikTok, Limmy/YouTube

Of 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 TikTok has exploded with Scottish people simply sharing Scottish things with their Scottish brogue and collecting fans hand over fist.

As an American, I don't always understand what these TikTokers 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. If I could pay James McAvoy to read me a bedtime story every night, I would.

In fact, McAvoy shared a bit about his accent in this clip with Stephen Colbert, which was the first time I'd seen a Scot explain that the word "burglary" trips them up.

James McAvoy Plays Stephen Colbert's Lightning Roundyoutu.be

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.

Some Scots can't say "purple burglar alarm"www.youtube.com

It's literally a tongue twister.

Funny Scotsman Trying To Say " Purple Burglar Alarm "www.youtube.com

It's even funny without the "purple."

Burgalar Alarmwww.youtube.com

"Aw, bullocks."

Purple burglar alarmwww.youtube.com


Purple burglar alarm !www.youtube.com

This poor guy can't even get past "purple." (Language warning, if you've got the wee ones around.)

Funny Scottish man can't say purple burglar alarmwww.youtube.com

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.

@rsullivan1991

#stereotype #scotland #fyp


Nothing but love for you, Scots! Thanks for the giggles, and please don't ever stop talking.


This article originally appeared on 8.30.21

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The controversial HPV vaccine has nearly eliminated the cervical disease in Scotland.

There’s been a lot of controversy around the safety and effectiveness of vaccines over the last decade, but a new study just put a big check mark in the plus column for the HPV vaccine.

The study involved 140,000 women and shows the vaccine that protects against the human papillomavirus has been effective in dramatically decreasing cases of the cervical disease later in life. Researchers claim the vaccine, recommended to girls when they are in their early teens, has cut the pre-cancerous cells by 90 percent, nearly eliminating cases of pre-cancer since they implemented the new vaccination program in 2008.

But that’s not the most interesting factor. This new research also found that being vaccinated at a younger age was associated with increased effectiveness.

And there’s good news for parents who’ve chosen not to vaccinate their kids as well.

Unvaccinated women also showed a reduction of cervical cancer, likely due to the fewer HPV cases in general thanks to the increase in those who had been vaccinated.

Researchers hope these findings will help ramp up cervical cancer prevention programs around the world, and inspire more families to get their young women vaccinated so that cervical cancer can be eliminated once and for all.

"The main message is that the vaccine works,” Dr Kevin Pollock, of Glasgow Caledonian University, explained to the BBC. “As long as the high uptake continues, the virus has got nowhere to go and it is being eliminated.”

Unfortunately, many parents are still morally against the vaccine, fearing it encourages sex at a young age.

It might seem like a no-brainer to get your child an HPV vaccine, however, historically there has been some controversy around it, especially with regard to administering it to younger women.

Some worry that it encourages their children to be prematurely sexually active. Others simply don’t believe in vaccinations in general. What's more, if parents refuse to allow their child to be vaccinated, and that child then waits until they’re legally old enough to get it themselves, it likely won’t be nearly as effective. An individual needs to receive the vaccine before they become sexually active — not after — in order for it to do its job. If they wait until they’re 18, there’s a much higher chance that they’ll already be sexually active, thereby negativing the vaccine’s effectiveness.

Just because teens have access to things like condoms, birth control pills and vaccines that have to do with their reproductive health doesn’t mean they are going to have sex. However, as this study shows, such vaccines could save them from contracting a life-altering and potentially deadly disease. At the end of all the arguments, isn’t protecting your child’s long-term health the most important thing?

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The Scottish wildcat is a critically endangered species, believed to be the last remaining wild feline species in Britain. By some estimates, there are only about 35 of them left in the wild. Their numbers have been decimated through hunting, environmental changes, and crossbreeding with feral house cats. (For all of the cat parents out there, yes, it looks much like a very large tabby.)

But there's a new ray of hope — all thanks to the discovery of 2-month-old orphaned kittens in the Scottish highlands.

They were found dehydrated, hungry, and dangerously close to a road. Now, they have a chance to not only survive, but give a shot in the arm to their entire species thanks to the Wildcat Haven, a group called that's helping rehabilitate these cats.

"I almost fell off my chair when I saw the photos," Wildcat Haven chief scientific adviser Dr. Paul O'Donoghue said. "The markings looked amazing, far better than any kitten I'd seen in a zoo, but in a very exposed place. It seemed likely they had been abandoned or orphaned and were in grave danger."

Wildcat Haven has a donation-based adoption program that aims to do everything from protecting their habitats to neutering the feral cats whose numbers are dwindling thanks to crossbreeding.

As cute as these two rescued kittens are, the real success will be seeing them and others growing up to be like "the beast"— a very large Scottish wildcat that was recently spotted surviving and thriving in the Clashindarroch Forest.

Saving the Scottish wildcat and other endangered species won't be easy, but our united efforts are a win for our planet's biodiversity.

There have been recent success stories of people coming together to make real progress in restoring habitats and protecting the creatures who live there.

Even if you're not a cat person, helping save an entire species is something worth supporting.

Watch a video of the kittens below:

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Great Britain vs. U.K.: What's the difference? Here's an easy breakdown.

If you're an American who's not so sure what the difference is between Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and England, you're not alone.

During his recent trip to London, President Donald Trump showed he isn't exactly up to speed on the terminology either. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Trump was asked about the incentive for the United States to work out a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, Trump stumbled a bit:

"We would make a great deal with the United Kingdom because they have product that we like. I mean they have a lot of great product. They make phenomenal things, you know, and you have different names — you can say 'England,' you can say 'U.K.,' you can say 'United Kingdom' so many different — you know you have, you have so many different names — Great Britain. I always say: 'Which one do you prefer? Great Britain? You understand what I’m saying?'"

When Morgan stepped in to note that Great Britain and the U.K. weren't exactly the same, Trump said, "Right, yeah. You know I know, but a lot of people don't know that. But you have lots of different names."

A look at the British Isles.

He's probably right about that last part, and to be totally real, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Should you find yourself in a situation where that kind of knowledge is useful, here's a quick guide.

There's a lot of overlap between the British Isles, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. For instance, England is part of all three groups, and all that overlap can make it a little tricky to remember the distinctions. (Full disclosure: I wasn't personally up to speed on this until just a few years ago so don't feel bad if you're not either.)

The British Isles

The British Isles aren't a country or political alliance. This is just a geographic term used to describe England, Wales, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the small islands spread out along the coasts. There probably aren't too many contexts where you'll need to use this term, but it's good to know.

The British Isles.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state made up of four separate countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Until 1922, the Republic of Ireland was also part of the United Kingdom. London is the capital of the United Kingdom. The area's formal name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Knowing this, it's pretty easy to guess what Great Britain is...

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Each of the four individual countries has its own flag.

From top left, clockwise: Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales.

But together, they're all represented under the Union Jack.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The flag combines elements of the English, Northern Irish, and Scottish flags. It's also known as the Union Jack.

Great Britain

Great Britain is the United Kingdom without Northern Ireland. It's made up of England, Wales, and Scotland. One way to remember the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain is that the United Kingdom unites two separate islands, whereas Great Britain is all part of one basic landmass. It's important not to use Great Britain and the United Kingdom interchangeably for a number of political reasons.

Great Britain.

This all probably seems pretty silly, but these are questions that do come up from time to time. Now, odds are that none of us are ever going to find ourselves in the position of being the President of the United States asked in an interview about this, but you never really know when you'll end up in an "Oh man, what's the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain?" pickle. For those moments, feel free to bookmark this page.

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