Talk Like a Pirate Day
Brush up your sea-farin’ vocab and talk like a pirate for a day. Ahoy, yo-ho-ho, and avast ye matey! To port! To starboard! Bring a spring up on ‘er! Whatever that means.
Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho,
Talk Like a Pirate Day – Tom Smith
It’s “Talk Like A Pirate” Day!
When laptops are benches God gave us for wenches,
And a sail ain’t a low price to pay!
Yar harrr! Ahoy there ye lily livered blaggards! It be Talk Like a Pirate Day, and that means it’s time for pillaging and the imbibing of rum!
Pirates have been all the rage in recent years and out of that particular fascination came an insane and completely pirate-oriented idea: that there should be a day dedicated to keeping the piratical language alive and, more importantly, the tradition of all things related to pirates.
So Talk Like a Pirate Day was invented. And now it’s time to celebrate with all of the pirate talk that can be mustered in one day!
History of Talk Like a Pirate Day
It was June 6, 1995, and a group of men were playing racquetball at Albany in Oregon. All throughout they were shouting encouragement to each other. On this particular day, for reasons unbeknownst to them, they started shouting piratical slang at each other. From there it just kind of took on a life of its own, and they realized by the end of the game that it was necessary that they establish a holiday to celebrate that encouraged the use of such a fine vernacular. The first thing they needed was a date, and it just so happened that the date selected was the birthday of his ex-wife.
For the next seven years they honored this holiday, in relative obscurity, until they happened upon the email address of one Dave Barry, a syndicated columnist and author of a great number of books. He also happened to be hilarious, like any good pirate should be. From there it’s all history, Dave Barry promoted the holiday, and it’s been one amazing year after another as people all over the country celebrate this auspicious holiday.
How to Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day
Getting involved with this day is sure to be a LOAD of fun! Because it’s just a silly day, be sure to involve all of the pirate-like silliness that can be mustered. Try out some of these ideas for enjoying Talk Like a Pirate Day:
Talk Like a Pirate
Ahoy, Matey! This obvious application of the celebration might be a little more difficult than one might think. Because, who actually knows what pirates sound like when they talk?! Some phrases are more commonly known, like “pillage” or “landlubber”. But others are a little harder to understand. Here’s some vocabulary and lingo to help get novice pirate talkers started:
- “Son of a Biscuit Eater”. This is what pirates might call someone they don’t like, the idea being that a biscuit eater is refined and, well, not a pirate.
- “All Hand Hoy!” Upon hearing this, everyone needs to get on deck to help out.
- “Bring a Spring Upon ‘er”. A phrase meaning to turn the ship in another direction.
- “Grog Blossom”. A person who has a red nose because they drink too much alcohol (probably rum).
Read Some Pirate Tales
Even people who are land-dwellers can certainly use their imaginations to read about different pirates and their escapades. From classic to modern, stories about pirates are bound to be exciting and adventurous! Surely reading some books about pirates will help to build up that Talk Like a Pirate Day vocabulary.
Take a look at these classic pirate novels to get started:
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. The Scottish author brought pirates to life in 1881 with his talk of buccaneers and buried gold.
- Peter Pan by JM Barrie. Infused with run-ins with Captain Hook, the original Peter Pan stories from 1904 are much darker than the Disney animated remake films.
- The Pirate by Sir Walter Scott. Written by another Scottish author, this 1821 novel features Captain Cleveland, a shipwrecked captain in the setting of the island of Shetland.
- The Life, Adventures, and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton by Daniel Defoe. The first book written on this list, the 1720 book tells the story of an Englishman who was stolen, raised by gypsies, and eventually takes to life on the sea.
Watch Pirate Films
Not into reading? That’s okay! Plenty of films about pirates have been created so that individuals and groups can spend a couple of hours hearing all kinds of pirate-speak.
The Pirates of the Caribbean series of films can take up a nice chunk of time with its 6 different movies in the franchise. Or for an inspiring one-off, try a modern day somewhat-true-to life pirate story starring Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips.
Invite Friends to Celebrate All Things Piratey
Well mate, celebrating talk like a pirate day can be as easy as a day in the tropic. Simply work to turn up that pirate-speak vernacular, pour a few fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, and gather with friends to celebrate the day in your piratey best clothing! There are songs to be sung and wenches to be clenched, and who can resist a backyard barbecue with grilled pineapple, salmon made by walkin’ the plank, and a perhaps inappropriately large amount of pure sugar cane rum? Talk Like a Pirate Day is comin’, are you ready to pirate it up? This is certainly the perfect day for it!
