Avast! There be John Baur and Mark Summers!
How it all started…
On June 6th, 1995, John Baur and Mark Summers were playing racquetball. For reasons they still don't understand, they started talking like pirates. By the time the game was over, they realized that talking like pirates had made the game more fun and the time pass more quickly. They decided then and there that what the world really needed was a new holiday, Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day.
First, they needed a date for the holiday. June 6th is the anniversary of World War 2's D-Day – featured in the opening 20 minutes of the movie Saving Private Ryan. They decided it wouldn’t be right to talk like pirates on the memorial of such a tragic battle. Mark came up with September 19th because it was his ex-wife's birthday, and the only date he could think of that wasn't already taken up with something important like Christmas or the Super Bowl or something.
For the next seven years they celebrated Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day pretty much on their own. One day in early 2002, John sent an e-mail about the holiday to Dave Barry, a famous syndicated humor columnist. Dave Barry wrote about Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day in one of his columns, which was published in newspapers all over the world. The story was picked up by radio DJ’s and talk-show hosts in virtually all the countries where the column was published. Suddenly, Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day became an international event.
Why Celebrate Internaional Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day?
What is the point? Well, there is no point! But tomorrow, tens of thousands of people all around the world will be saying "Arrr!" and "Avast!” – simply because it's fun! How about you?
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How to Talk Like a Pirate
The Basics
First of all, you have to remember some simple “pirate grammar.”
Be – Am/is/are Ye – You Yer – Your Me – My
Where be me ‘at? – “Where is my hat?”
Where be yer shoes? – “Where are your shoes?”
Next, you need to remember some important words.
Ahoy! – "Hello!"
Avast! – "Listen to me!" It can also be used in a sense of surprise, kind of like "Check it out!" ["Look at that!"] or "No way!"
Aye! – "Yes!” or “Yes, I agree!”
Aye, aye! – "Yes, I'll do that straight away!”
Hearties – "Friends.” Avast, me hearties! - "Listen to me, my friends!"
Shiver me Timbers! – "Unbelievable!” or, more correctly, “What the Hell!”
Arrr! – This one is often confused with "Arrrgh!” – the sound you make when you sit on your sword. "Arrr!" can mean many things: "Yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." There are many more possible ways to use “Arrr!”
Advanced Pirate Lingo [Language]
Once you've mastered the basics, you're ready to start expanding your pirate vocabulary. Try these for starters.
Beauty – The best possible pirate address for a woman. Always preceded by “me,” as in, “C’mere, me beauty!” You’ll be surprised how effective this is.
Bilge Rat – The bilge is the lowest level of the ship. It’s loaded with ballast and slimy, reeking water. A bilge rat, then, is a rat that lives in the worst place on the ship. A lot of guy humor involves insulting your buddies to prove your friendship. Since bilge rat is a pretty dirty thing to call someone, by all means use it on your friends.
Grog – An alcoholic drink, originally rum diluted with water, but in this context you could use it to refer to any alcoholic beverage other than beer. Call your beer grog too if you want – we won’t stop you!
Lubber – (or Land Lubber) This is pirate for “land lover.” A “lubber” is someone who does not go to sea, who stays on the land. In a room where everyone is talking like pirates, lubber is ALWAYS an insult.
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Avast! Here be links!
Avast! A Pirate Keyboard! There be an “A” there somewhere, me hopes! Arrr!
