Talk Like A Pirate Day 2010

With the ‘International Talk Like A Pirate Day’ on September 19th steadily approaching here’s some pointers on talking like a Pirate.

First of all let’s get the Pirate speech sorted so learn to drop your g’s and v’s:

• Rowing becomes rowin
• Never becomes ne’er
• Sailing becomes sailin
• Over becomes o’er

Then talk using double adjectives so that phrases are over emphasised:

• A big ship becomes a great grand ship
• Instead of saying never try no nay ne’er
• Treasure could be bountiful booty

Make your speech in the present tense:

• I am becomes I be
• You are becomes you be
• They are becomes they be
• We are becomes we be

Have some fun with the lingo and slur your words adding an ‘..arrr’ to sentences for extra authenticity. Here are some Pirate words and phrases you can have a lot of fun with:

Ahoy: Hey!

Avast: Stop!

Avast ye: stop and check this out or pay attention

Aye: Yes

Batten down the hatches: put everything away on the ship and tie everything down because a storm is brewing

Bilge-sucking: insult

Black spot: to be ‘placin’ the black spot’ be markin’ someone for death.

Blimey!: exhortation of surprise

Blow me down!: expression of shock of disbelief akin to “Holy Crap!”

Blow the man down: command to kill someone

Booty: treasure

Buccaneer: a pirate who be answerin’ to no man or blasted government.

By the Powers!: an exclamation, uttered by Long John Silver in Treasure Island!

Cat o’ nine tails: whip for floggin’ mutineers

Corsair: a pirate who be makin’ his berth in the Med-…Medi-…that sea ‘tween Spain and Africa, aye!

Crow’s nest: small platform atop the mast where the lookout stands

Cutlass: short heavy curved bladed sword used by pirates

Davy Jones’ Locker: the bottom o’ the sea, where the souls of dead men lie

Dead men tell no tales: phrase indicating to leave no survivors

Doubloons: pieces of gold…

Feed the fish: will soon die

Fiddlers Green: the private heaven where pirates be goin’ when they die.

Furner: a ship which be yer own, not one ye steal an’ plunder.

Gentlemen o’ fortune: a slightly more positive term fer pirates!

Go on the account: to embark on a piratical cruise

Grog: A pirate’s favorite drink.

Hang ‘im from the yardarm: punishment of those captured in battle

Head: the pirate ship’s toilet

Heave Ho: give it some muscle and push it

Hempen Halter: a noose for hanging

Hornswaggle: to defraud or cheat out of money or belongings

Jack: a flag or a sailor

Jacob’s Ladder: the rope ladder one uses to climb aboard a sloop

Jolly Roger: the skull and crossbones, the pirate flag!

Keelhaul: a truly vicious punishment where a scurvy dog be tied to a rope and dragged along the barnacle-encrusted bottom of a ship. They not be survivin’ this.

Landlubber: “Land-lover,” someone not used to life onboard a ship.

Lass: A woman.

Letters of Marque: letters issue from governments during wartime to privateers endorsing the piracy of another vessel

Lily-livered: faint o’ heart

Loaded to the Gunwales (pron. gunnels): drunk

Man-O-War: pirate’s ship outfitted for battle

Matey: A shipmate or a friend.

Me hearty: a friend or shipmate.

Me: My.

Mizzen: third mast from the bow of the ship on ships that have three or more masts

Old Salt: an experienced sailor

Pieces o’ eight: pieces o’ silver which can be cut into eights to be givin’ small change.

Pillage: rob, sack or plunder

Privateer: a pirate officially sanctioned by a national power

Rum: pirate’s traditional alcoholic beverage

Run a shot across the bow: warning shot to another vessel’s captain

Savvy?: do you understand and do you agree?

Scallywag: A bad person. A scoundrel.

Scurvy dog!: a fine insult!

Scuttle: to sink a ship

Seadog: old pirate or sailor

Shark bait: will soon join Davy Jones’ Locker

Shipshape: cleaned up and under control

Shiver me timbers!: an exclamation of surprise, to be shouted most loud.

Son of a Biscuit Eater: a derogatory term indicating a bastard son of a sailor

Sprogs: raw, untrained recruits

Squadron: a group of ten or less warships

Squiffy: a buffoon

Swaggy: a scurvy cur’s ship what ye be intendin’ to loot!

Swashbucklin’: fightin’ and carousin’ on the high seas!

Sweet trade: the career of piracy

Thar: The opposite of “here.”

Thar she blows!: Whale sighting

Three sheets to the wind: someone who is very drunk. One sheet is mildly drunk and four sheets is passed out.

Walk the plank: this one be bloody obvious.

Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!: pull up the anchor and the sail and let’s get going

Wench: a lady, although ye gents not be wantin’ to use this around a lady who be stronger than ye.

Wi’ a wannion: wi’ a curse, or wi’ a vengeance. Boldly, loudly!

Ye: you

Yo-ho-ho: Pirate laughter