Yarr! It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day

International Talk Like A Pirate Day began in the mists of the 1990s, when two Yankees, John Baur (Ol' Chum Bucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy), be talkin' like pirates all o'a sudden. They decided that, to further the noble causes of the sweet trade of piracy, September 19 each year be the day when all souls over the world should be talkin' like pirates. For years, their valiant efforts were wasted, until they contacted a man by the name of Dave Barry, who be writin' a humour column for the great masses o' landlubbers out yonder. From thar, the media across the seven seas carried the story, and it reached every corner of the world!

[The question has been raised, however, just why all pirates sound as though they hail from Sommerset, England.] Be that as it may, here's some advice from the website on how to talk like a pirate:

Double up on all your adjectives and you'll be bountifully bombastic with your phrasing. Pirates never speak of "a big ship", they call it a "great, grand ship!" They never say never, they say "No nay ne'er!" Invertin' yer sentence structure be a good idea for pirate talk. Be soundin' like a real pirate in no time, ye will. Drop all your "g"'s when you speak and you'll get words like "rowin'", "sailin'" and "fightin'". Dropping all of your "v"'s will get you words like "ne'er", "e'er" and "o'er".

Instead of saying "I am", sailors say, "I be". Instead of saying "You are", sailors say, "You be". Instead of saying, "They are", sailors say, "They be". Cap'n Tony adds that ye should use 'yarr' as a general cheer, as well as to start some o' yer sentences. Several pirates also added that ye always be speakin' in the present tense - never the past or future!

Be sure to be referrin' to friends as "shipmates", yer enemies as "scurvy landlubbers", and yer good lady as "wench". Unless yer good lady be stronger than yerself.

BTW, the original (US not UK) website be down as I be writin this (on the Day itself!) but I be supplyin it ne'er-the-less.
UK: http://www.thomasscott.net/yarr/
US: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

Posted by Tom on September 19, 2003