LIBRARY BLOG

September 19th is known as “International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.  It all began on June 6, 1995, when John Bauer and Mark Summers were playing a racquetball game and started to say different little phrases to make the game a lot more fun.  Since June 6th is the anniversary of World War II’s D-Day, Mark came up with the date of September 19th because it is his ex-wife’s birthday and it didn’t seem to have any connections to any other holidays. 

Below are some “pirate phrases” that you might like to try to remember to say to your Mateys on this September 19th.  Be sure to visit Mango Languages to learn even more pirate phrases or one of over 70 other languages free with your library card! 

PIRATE GREETINGS AND EXCLAMATIONS 

  • Ahoy: Hello 
  • Blimey: Something said when one is in a state of surprise 
  • Savvy?: A question that means, “Do you understand?” 
  • Shiver me timbers!: An expression used to show shock or disbelief 
  • Yo ho ho: possibly from yo-heave-ho, a chant when doing strenuous work, but also can be used to call attention to the speaker 

PIRATE INSULTS, THREATS, AND DARK OMENS 

  • Black spot: a death threat (found in Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson) 
  • Blow the man down: it possibly means getting knocked to the ground or killed (found in a 19th century sea shanty) 
  • Dance with Jack Ketch: to hang (Jack Ketch waws slang for the hangman) 
  • Dead men tell no tales: the reason given for leaving no survivors 
  • Give no quarter: show no mercy; pirates raised a red flag to threaten no quarter 
  • Lily-livered: an insult for someone who displays cowardice 
  • Mutiny: a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes forcibly removing the old one 
  • Scallywag: an inexperienced pirate, considered an insult 
  • Son of a biscuit eater: an insult 
  • Walk the plank: a punishment, probably more myth than truth, which entails making someone walk off the side of the ship along a plank.  The person’s hands were often tied so he couldn’t swim and drowned (and then fed the fish). 

PIRATE SLANG 

  • Cackle fruit: hen’s eggs 
  • Clap of thunder: a strong alcoholic drink
  • Dance the hempen jig: to be hanged 
  • Davy Jones’ locker: mythological place at the bottom of the sea where drowned sailors were said to go 
  • Fire in the hole: a canon that is loaded and ready to fire 
  • Hearties: friends and comrades 
  • No prey, no pay: a pirate law meaning the crew didn’t get paid but took a share of any loot 
  • Sea Legs: when a pirate can walk comfortably on a moving ship 
  • Scuttlebutt: a cask of drinking water; slang for gossip 
  • Three sheets to the wind: someone who is quite drunk 

PHRASES RELATED TO PIRATE SHIPS AND CREW 

Next time you are on a boat or take your own boat out, you will be able to enjoy some phrases. 

  • All hands hoay: everyone on the deck 
  • Batten down the hatches: a signal to prepare the ship for an upcoming storm 
  • Black jack: a pirate flag; a large tankard 
  • Crow’s nest: the place on the ship where the lookout stand is built 
  • Duffle: a sailor’s belongings and the bag there were carried in 
  • Jacob’s ladder: rope ladder that was used to climb aboard ships 
  • Jolly Roger: the famous pirate flag with a skull and crossbones on it 
  • Man-o-war: the name used for a pirate ship that is heavily armed and ready for battle 
  • Old salt: a sailor that has a great deal of experience on the seas 
  • Seadog: an old sailor or pirate  

PIRATE TERMS ABOUT MONEY AND WEAPONS 

  • Bounty: the reward for a deed 
  • Cat o’ nine tails: a whip with nine separate strands on the end 
  • Coffer: a chest full of treasure 
  • Doubloons: Spanish gold coins 
  • Pieces of Eight: Spanish gold coins 

CONVERSATIONS 

  • The ship be founderin’!  (The ship is sinking!)
  • Shiver me timbers!  (Holy cow!)
  • Brush me barnacles!  (Well I’ll be!)

GRAMMAR NOTE 

Ahoy! Is a common, cheerful greeting that a pirate can say to most anyone.  It’s not particularly formal or informal – it’s just a way of saying hi! 

If you repeat Aye, it becomes a phrase that means something like “Right away,” “Confirmed,” or “I’ll get right on it.” 

So the next time ye wants to have some fun — “Talk Like A Pirate, me Matey’s!” 

If you would like to hold your own special pirate story time at home for your crew be sure to check out our special pirate edition of Story Time at Home.

Recommended Books

 

Sources

  • “How It All Started.” International Talk Like A Pirate Day, talklikeapirate.com/wordpress/sample-page/.

  • Mango Languages, learn.mangolanguages.com/pathway.

  • Miller-Wilson, Kate. “Pirate Terms and Phrases.” Reference, reference.yourdictionary.com/resources/pirate-terms-phrases.html.

  • Treasure Island, Stevenson et al., SeaWolf Press, 2018. 

-Gretchen Avet, Youth Services Clerk

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