British Airways Settle Sexiest Accents Debate Once and For All

Image: PHOTO: Group of Tourists. (photo courtesy of Thinkstock)
Image: PHOTO: Group of Tourists. (photo courtesy of Thinkstock)
Gabe Zaldivar
by Gabe Zaldivar
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Fri October 16, 2015

Photo via Thinkstock

A British Airways survey discovered that people believe New York and Glasgow accents to be among the sexiest in the world.

In other news, people who take British Airways surveys have very little idea of what it means to be sexy.

Mashable's Tim Chester reports on a British Airways survey nobody asked for but will undoubtedly start myriad debates in bars and pubs around the world.

Chester explains the rather simple methodology: "That's the verdict from a British Airways survey conducted earlier this month, which quizzed 1,000 Americans and 1,000 Brits on their knowledge of and opinions on regional accents from the opposite country."

From there we have a definitive answer as to what regions of each country is the most attractive sounding.

Those of you living in Glasgow, take a bow. You have cultivated an extremely sexy accent over the centuries: "A quarter of the Americans questioned decided that Glaswegians, such as James McAvoy and Kelly Macdonald, sound the sexiest in the country, with the east London-based Cockney accent coming in second, taking 16% of the votes."

Now the survey also measured things like intelligence-at least intelligence that might be gleaned from hearing someone's voice.

In that regards, Chester reports the Geordie dialect hailing from Newcastle took the prize of smartest sounding to the tune of 36 percent.

An exhaustive list of numbers wasn't posted, but we do have an idea of what British pals think of American voices.

Chester relays: "Brits decided the New York accent was the sexiest, meanwhile, with one in four voting for it, while the Chicago accent languished at the bottom, with only 4% finding it charming."

I have to say that the survey is hardly conclusive and fails, quite egregiously I might add, to mention Los Angeles' sophisticated sound that seems to sprinkle the air with intelligence.

We now leave you to roam the world, busting down pub doors and demanding who to speak to about these results.

If New York accents are truly sexy, there is absolutely no hope for the rest of us.


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Gabe Zaldivar

Gabe Zaldivar

Born on the rough streets of suburban West Covina, I learned a great many things, some of which has proved useful: knowing the tell-tale sounds of an ice cream truck and crafting a world-class burrito come to mind. You have seen my work on Bleacher Report and possibly my mug on CNN. Perhaps, if you are into archaic modes of entertainment, you have also heard me on the radio. Pop culture is my beat. If it has to do with the intersection of travel, entertainment and pop culture, I'm your guy.

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