Is Scot hot? World's sexiest accents

The bad news: she finds your bad breath and dirty elbows repulsive. The good news: it sounded totally hot when she told you in "Argentinian."

When the Thais smile like this, we'll listen to whatever they've got to say.

If their Trinidadian accents don't seduce you, their mon boobs will.

Even braying nationalism sounds hot when it's wrapped in a Brazilian accent.

Y'all, we love it when y'all call us y'all. Especially when y'all are wearing orange chaps.

You know nothing ... until you've heard it spoken by a Scot.

Just lay off the Irish leprechaun jokes and you'll be fine.

Dignified, with just a hint of willful naivete, Nigeria's Naija dialect bends the English language without breaking it.

"Down to your last pair of socks then, what?"

Smoky eyes? Czech. Intriguing history? Czech. Meat-flavored accent? Czech.

"¿Numero tres? ¿Qué clase de idiota eres?" Ah, no one rejects us so hotly as the Spanish.

Even when they pout the French sound good.

Ah, Italian. Even when coming out of the surf, a romance language is a romance language.

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• There are an estimated 7,000 languages on earth; these ones sound sexiest to native-English speakers


• Some Scottish voices "tumble like soft rain on warm bagpipes"


• French vs. Italian: A debate for the ages


• Some of y'all know y'all are on the list

(CNN) -- The Scots are talking a lot this week -- perhaps you've heard a little something about an independence referendum -- and that makes us happy.

That's because we like how the Scots talk.

Not necessarily what they say -- just the way they say it.

Imagine the way your Scottish pals might pronounce "pour" and "poor."

The Scottish accent is like no other.

Then again, neither is any other accent.

It's estimated that there are nearly 7,000 languages on earth.

That's nearly 7,000 different ways to traipse clumsily through the English language -- or to sex it up like an old Justin Timberlake song.

Of course, no accent is sexy when it's strong enough to crush a beer can.

Which means not all accents are created equal.

You choose: Hottest accents

All of this got us talking this week about which accents we like most.

So we decided to hold a vote of our own -- a Facebook poll to ask which accents you prefer. (Trinidadian has charged to the front at the time of writing. You can cast a vote here.)

Below is the list of sexiest brogues we came up with by deploying an admittedly unscientific methodology -- meaning we asked around the office, which does at least account for more nationalities than colors in the M&M universe.

Our also-rans included Australian (as appealing as warm Foster's to some, tantalizingly exotic to others) and Japanese (the language of repressed salarymen is also strangely designed for pillow talk).

Feel free to state your objections and/or rain your accolades in the comments section below and vote in our Facebook poll.

Because when it comes to accents, there are no absolutes.

Except that the one that makes you cringe is absolutely horrible.

You know which one we're talking about.

13. Argentine

Famous tongues: Fernando Lamas, Gabriela Sabatini

A historical refuge for Spaniards, Italians and Germans, the hyper-libidinous South Ameripean melting pot of Argentina has cultivated a proud, pouty tone.

With its own pronunciation of Spanish letters ("ll" sounds like "shh") and its own words ("you" is "vos"), this is a dialect that's hard to get. (Or at least plays that way.)

Sounds like: A tightly tuned guitar of G-strings strummed by a lamb shank

12. Thai

Famous tongues: Tony Jaa, Araya 'Chompoo' Hargate

With five tones comprising their native speech, the traffickers of this often fragile accent turn any language into a song of seduction.

Thai is largely monosyllabic, so multi-beat foreign words get extra emphases right up until the last letter, which is often left off, leaving the listener wanting more.

Sounds like: R-rated karaoke

11. Trinidadian

Famous tongues: Nikki Minaj, Billy Ocean

For fetishists of oddball sexuality, the Caribbean island of Trinidad offers an undulating, melodic gumbo of pan-African, French, Spanish, Creole and Hindi dialects that, when adapted for English, can be sex on a pogo stick.

Sounds like: A rubber life raft bobbing on a sea of steel drums

Go Brazil? Sounds good to us.

10. Brazilian Portuguese

Famous tongues: Alice Braga, Anderson Silva

Perhaps owing to its freedom from French influence, the Brazilian Portuguese accent has a more colorful, puerile flair than its coarser European counterpart.

The resulting yowl of drawn-out vowels reveals a flirty freedom of spirit that suggests a permanent vacation.

Sounds like: The near, then far, then near again hum of a low-wattage vacuum cleaner that runs on dance sweat

MORE: World's sexiest nationalities?

9. U.S. Southern

Famous tongues: Matthew McConaughy, Jennifer Lawrence

There's nothing sexy about being in a hurry, and you could clock the growth rate of grass with the honeyed drawl of a Southern beau or belle.

Sounds like: Molasses taking a smoking break

8. Scottish Famous tongues: Ewan McGregor, Rose Leslie

Some of the vocal strangulations heard echoing around Glasgow are registered as a danger to shipping, but in less industrial corners of Scotland melodic voices capable of ranging a full octave in a single "aye" tumble like soft rain on warm bagpipes.

These are gentle, knee-melting tones that conjure cozy firesides and beguiling knitwear before their sudden swing to reproach leaves us whimpering for more.

Sounds like: A stroked tartan cat

Just lay off the leprechaun jokes and you'll be fine.

7. Irish

Famous tongues: Colin Farrell, Andrea Corr

Valued slightly more in men than in women, the Irish brogue is a lilting, lyrical articulation that's charming, if not exotic.

Fluid and uplifting, it can swing from vulnerable to threatening over the course of a sentence, restoring your faith in the world again ... right before it stabs you with a broken bottle top.

Sounds like: A marauding pixie

6. Nigerian

Famous tongues: King Sunny Ade, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde

Dignified, with just a hint of willful naivete, the deep, rich "oh's" and "eh's" of Naija bend the English language without breaking it, arousing tremors in places other languages can't reach.

Sounds like: The THX intro with teeth

Keira Knightley knows how to speak down to us just the way we like being spoken down to.

5. Queen's English

Famous tongues: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley

Authoritative.

Upright.

Erudite.

Scholarly.

Few accents promise the upward nobility of the Queen's English.

It's a take on the language that sets hearts devoted to James Bond and Hermione Granger aflutter.

And, should the speaker fail to slake your most wanton desires, eh, at least you'll learn something.

Sounds like: A crisply ironed shirt playing a harp

4. Czech

Famous tongues: Petra Nemcova, Jaromir Jagr

Like Russian, without the nettlesome history of brutal, iron-fisted despotism, Czech is a smoky, full-bodied vocal style that goes well with most meats.

Murky and mysterious, the Bohemian tone is equal parts carnal desire and carnival roustabout.

Sounds like: Count Dracula, secret agent

MORE: World's coolest nationalities

3. Spanish

Famous tongues: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz

Sensual and beckoning, but with the passion to unleash hell kept just barely restrained, Castilian is like a dialectic Hoover Dam.

But then there's the lisp.

Tender, vulnerable and cute as a baby's hangnail -- no one owns the "th" sound formed by tongue and teeth like those who speak the language of Cervantes.

Sounds Like: An outboard motor on Lake Paella

2. French

Famous tongues: Marion Cotillard, Jean Reno

The come-hither condescension and fiery disinterest of the French tongue remains paradoxically erotic.

Sounds like: A 30-year-old teenager

How you say ... "tall, dark and handsome?"

1. Italian

Famous tongues: Monica Bellucci, Alessandro Del Piero

Raw, unfiltered, the Italian accent is a vowelgasm that reflects the spectrum of Italic experience: the fire of its bellicose beginnings ... the romance of the Renaissance ... the dysfunction of anything resembling a government since Caesar.

Insatiable, predatory and possessive, this is sex as a second language.

Sounds like: A Ferrari saxophone

Which is your favorite accent?

Leave a comment and vote in our Facebook poll.

First published August 2011, updated September 2014

Jordan Burchette is freelance writer and editor based in Los Angeles.

Asia's 'new' martial arts sensation

The traditional Myanmar martial art of Lethwei is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Strikes are fierce. Knockouts come quickly.

Former Golden Belt freeweight champion Lone Chaw now teaches Lethwei at Thut Ti Lethwei Burmese Boxing Gym in Yangon.

At Thut Ti Gym, the setting is typical of the improvised simplicity familiar across Myanmar.

Lethwei fighters once fought only with knuckles bound by cloth. Today, mixed martial arts matches incorporating Lethwei tend to enforce the use of gloves.

Once derided as a sport fit for only brutes, Lone Chaw and Thut Ti Gym founder Win Zin Oo now give lessons to doctors, foreign bankers and celebrities.

The modest ring vibrates with energy every Saturday, when practitioners spar. Training sessions cost 5,000 kyat ($5) per person.

• Ignored for decades, Myanmar's traditional boxing form of Lethwei is experiencing a revival


• Former champ now teaches foreign investment bankers and local celebs


• Lethwei fighters use punches, throws, choking and head butts


• In its traditional form, Lethwei is fought with bare knuckles bound by cloth

(CNN) -- It's been more than 20 years since he fought in a sandpit, but Lone Chaw still recalls the dusty village lots of his youth, unmarked except for footprints stained by sweat and blood.

Stamping about in a ritual known as "lat kha maung," he slaps his open palms against his elbows, imitating the wings of a fighting cock, as if attempting to summon its spirit.

Lat kha maung is performed before the matches as a kind of ritual that originated in farming villages.

This is the way of Lethwei -- Myanmar's traditional form of boxing.

Hidden from the rest of the world for decades, the sport, like Myanmar itself, is experiencing a revival and rediscovery both at home and abroad.

In August, the Woodlands Sports Hall in Singapore hosted an international bare-knuckled Lethwei challenger fight.

Similar events in Bangkok have helped usher in a new era for Lethwei.

Fighters turned trainers

Once derided as a sport fit for only rugged brutes -- Lone Chaw required eight stitches in his face after a fight at age 17 -- Lethwei is finding new respect at the Thut Ti Lethwei Burmese Boxing Gym in Yangon.

Here, Lone Chaw teaches introductory lessons to a stratum of society distinctly different from the fierce yet humble fighters he grew up facing in the Ayeyarwady Delta region.

His students are local doctors, foreign investment bankers and even Myanmar celebrities, including advertisement pinup Wutt Hmone Shwe Yi.

"Two years ago, foreigners began coming here," says Win Zin Oo, founder and director of the gym. "Today the Lethwei classes are, on average, half foreign and half local."

Weekend classes can attract up to 10 students, he says.

The boxing club is especially proud of having trained a headline-making Lethwei fighter from the UK, "Mr. Hammer" Sean Bardoe.

During a fight in 2013, Bardoe, 44, displayed a "mental and physical toughness," according to Mr. Win, that won over the crowd and landed him a draw in the ring.

Speed and agility come later. Lessons first create strong wrists and proper stances.

But those interested in taking up the sport don't have to have professional aspirations.

"The workout for extreme pro fighters may not be appropriate for starters so we use a more simplified form for our students," says Mr. Win, who by day is the Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director for World Vision, an American NGO.

Mr. Win (as he prefers to be called) is Mickey to Lone Chaw's Rocky.

He coached the Golden Belt freeweight champion until the fighter's retirement.

One of Mr. Win's fondest memories of coaching was Lone Chaw's first fight in Japan, 10 years ago.

Competing under Lethwei rules, a local jujitsu star went up against the then-29-year-old Lone Chaw.

Lone Chaw took him down in less than a minute, leaving the Nagasaki crowd astonished.

"They watched a country boy KO his opponent in the first round, unexpectedly," Mr. Win recalls with pride.

Fewer kicks, higher intensity

At Thut Ti Gym, Lone Chaw and Mr. Win now work as tag-team instructors, offering training sessions for 5,000 kyat ($5) per person.

The setting is typical of the improvised simplicity familiar across Myanmar.

An iron-wrought roof and plastic tarps are all that shield the gym from the elements.

Novices practice agility by bouncing on tires.

The modest ring vibrates with energy every Saturday, when practitioners spar.

Though it bears some resemblance to the Muay Thai practiced in neighboring Thailand, Lethwei is different in a number of ways.

"In Muay Thai, kicks and knee strikes prevail, but Lethwei fighters use more punches and fewer kicks," explains Mr. Win.

"Traditionally, Lethwei fighters don't fight with gloves, and we use a lot of other components such as throwing, choking and head butts. At a more elemental level, the momentum and fighting intensity are much faster."

Bare-knuckled fighting

Watching matches, that momentum becomes evident.

Advanced lessons: Grappling, choking, head butts.

Strikes are uncompromisingly fierce. Knockouts come quickly.

"There are no five or six rounds in Lethwei," says James Ko, a 30-year-old private equity professional from Hong Kong, now living in Yangon. "Fundamentally, it's a bare-knuckled sport.

"If you get close and elbow [your opponent] once, then you got him. It's really about that one blow."

In its traditional form, Lethwei is "fought with bare knuckles bound by cloth," says Mr. Win.

Boxing gloves are a recent development.

As part of its current revival and reform period, contemporary mixed martial arts matches incorporating Lethwei fighters tend to enforce the use of gloves.

"Myanmar Lethwei fighters never put on gloves until now," says Mr. Win.

Still, the old sandpit spirit perseveres.

Having previously trained under Muay Thai rules, James Ko has over the past year become one of the most dedicated foreign attendees at Thut Ti Gym.

Above all, he says he's learned that in Lethwei, self-defense is crucial.

"Before taking up Lethwei, I didn't realize I was so unprotected," says Ko. "If you wear a 14-ounce [boxing] glove, your chin is protected, but when you are in a Lethwei fight it's much easier [for your opponent] to make contact, so you must be more on guard."

It's a lesson an increasingly diverse array of students is learning in Yangon and across Asia.

Thut Ti Lethwei Burmese Boxing Gym , Kabaraye Pagoda Road, Yangon; +95 9 731 87441; about $5 per session (5,000 kyat)

In Asia since 2006, Justin Calderon's work has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek (Japan), CNN Travel, Global Post, Borneo Post and The Nation (Bangkok).

Stolen phone racks up $500,000 bill

A stolen phone was used to rack up more than $500,000 charges with calls to Somalia.

• Phone stolen in Europe was used to make calls to Somalia


• Despite theft being reported, customer was told to pay more than $500,000


• Case highlights global concerns over the costs of cell phone roaming

(CNN) -- Think your vacation cell phone bill is high? Then spare a thought for the Australian hit with more than $500,000 in charges for calls made when his device was stolen in Europe.

The whopping figure came to light in a recent report by Australia's telecoms ombudsman, who received a complaint about the bill after the customer's phone provider insisted he pay it -- even though he'd reported the theft.

Astonishingly, the calls -- including several to Somalia -- were made within a single 24-hour period, a fact that'll do little to reduce concerns about the high cost of roaming charges both in Australia and the rest of the world.

The complaint about the bill was made by a man identified as "David" whose son had his phone stolen during a trip to Europe.

"He reported the theft to local police and to his provider in Australia, but because of the time difference between the continents, the provider recorded the theft as having happened a day later than it occurred," the ombudsman said in a report.

"Back in Australia, his son's bill came to more than AUS$570,000 ($517,000) and listed calls to Somalia."

MORE: Do we need phones on planes?

Huge data charges

Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 -- and possibly more than one phone model -- early this fall. The phone reportedly will have a bigger screen than current Apple models. Here is a look at some other top smartphones on the market now or coming soon.

Announced in June, Amazon's Fire Phone will have a 5-inch screen that displays 3-D images. A feature called Firefly offers instant image, text and audio recognition and can supposedly recognize more than 100 million songs, videos and consumer products. It will sell for $199 for a 32GB model and $299 for 64GB and begins shipping July 25.

The Galaxy S5 is the latest in Samsung's line of big-screen, feature-laden phones.Considered an improvement, but not radical departure from, the S4, the phone features a 5.1-inch screen, 16-megapixel camera with ultra-fast shutter speed and a fingerprint sensor for added security. It sells for $199 with most mobile contracts.

The iPhone 5S is Apple's fastest handset yet, with an upgraded camera with slow-motion video capabilities and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner for security. It ranges from $199-$399, depending on storage. Apple also sells a new plastic iPhone, the 5C, which is simpler and cheaper: $99-199.

Hailed by some critics as the best Android phone yet, HTC's latest offering has a sleek, brushed-metal design that has charmed reviewers. It boasts a 5-inch screen, a dual-camera setup that lets users refocus even after they take an image and a hefty 2GB of RAM. The HTC One M8 retails for $199.

Google has sold Motorola to Lenovo, but the Moto X still has its admirers. The Moto X claims to be the first phone manufactured in the U.S. Hands-free voice controls allow you to operate the phone without touching it -- a handy trick if you're across the room -- and it's highly customizable. And because it's been out for a while you can pick it up cheaply with most wireless contracts.

The king of the "phablets," the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has a vivid, 5.7-inch screen and comes equipped with a stylus. It's $299 and has been a popular No. 2 device for Samsung.

Some reviewers have called the Nokia Lumia Icon with a fast processor, 5-inch display screen and 20-megapixel camera, the best Windows phone yet. But the phone, selling for $199, is only available on Verizon. Nokia's other top-end phone, the bigger (6-inch) Lumia 1520, is similarly exclusive to AT&T.

BlackBerry, once the king of business-oriented phones, is now struggling to catch up. Unlike past models, its flagship Z10 phone has no physical keyboard. It also offers a feature that splits the phone into two separate devices -- one for work and one for personal use -- so IT departments can control the flow of sensitive data. The Z10 is now free with a two-year wireless contract.

This is the second generation of the Sony phone with an unusual claim to fame: The company says it's water-resistant, for up to 30 minutes. It also boasts a 20-megapixel camera, which Sony claims has the industry's largest sensor. The Experia Z1s is exclusive to T-Mobile.

Hottest new phones

The story has a relatively happy ending: after the ombudsman stepped in, the phone provider eventually agreed to waive its demands.

For many of us though, roaming costs remain a major pitfall of travel in an age when we're all carrying data-enabled device that, unless disabled, will rack up huge charges for overseas internet and email access.

A 2011 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified Australia as one of the most expensive countries for data roaming charges.

Of the 34 nations surveyed, Australia was the seventh most costly country of origin for average roaming charges, behind Poland, Japan, Israel, Chile, Mexico, the United States and Canada. Greece and Iceland were the cheapest.

Mounting anger over the high cost of phone use abroad has led to efforts to rein in phone companies.

In Europe, the European Union has placed a cap on roaming charges for customers traveling within the trading bloc. The European Parliament this year voted to scrap them altogether, pending approval from individual EU governments.

ETNO, the European telecoms industry body, has complained it needs roaming revenues to maintain investment in mobile networks.

Either way, it's clearly a talking point -- just as long as you're not talking on a long-distance line.

MORE: How smartphones are revolutionizing travel