SierraCook
Master Chef
Arrrr, mateys!! Today, is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!! We celebrated this day at work today. We had a scull and cross bones cake. Passed out a pirate vocabulary list. Here is the pirate glossary for those of you who would like to talk like a pirate. Wouldn't this be fun with your kids?
Pirate Glossary
Updated August 4, 2004
Being a guide to talking like a pirate . . . or, at the very least, understanding someone else who is trying to talk like a pirate. Little effort has been made to distinguish genuine maritime terms from traditional fictional pirate lingo; it all works equally well in the game. Arrrrrr!
To start with, of course, say "ye" for you, "me" for my or mine, and don't skimp on the "ahoy" and "arrrrr!"
Addled -- Mad, insane, or just stupid. An "addlepate" is a fool.
Aft -- Short for "after." Toward the rear of the ship.
Ahoy -- "Hello!"
Avast! -- "Hey!" Could be used as "Stop that!" or "Who goes there?"
Begad! -- By God!
Belay -- Stop that. "Belay that talk!" would mean "Shut up!"
Belaying pin -- A short wooden rod to which a ship's rigging is secured. A common improvised weapon aboard a sailing ship, because they're everywhere, they're easily picked up, and they are the right size and weight to be used as clubs.
Bilge! -- Nonsense, or foolish talk. The bilges of a ship are the lowest parts, inside the hull along the keel. They fill with stinking bilgewater -- or just "bilge."
Bilge-sucking -- A very uncomplimentary adjective.
Black Spot -- To "place the Black Spot" on another pirate is to sentence him to death, to warn him he is marked for death, or sometimes just to accuse him of a serious crime before other pirates.
Blaggard -- "Blackguard." An insult.
Blimey! -- An exclamation of surprise.
Booty -- Loot.
Bosun -- Boatswain; a petty officer.
Bowsprit -- The slanted spar at a ship's prow.
Brethren of the Coast -- The Caribbean buccaneers called themselves by this name in the 1640-1680 period. During this time, they actually formed a sort of fraternity, and did not (usually) fight each other or even steal from each other. After 1680, a new generation of pirates appeared, who did not trust each other . . . with good reason.
Briny deep -- The ocean. Probably no pirate in all history ever used this phrase, but don't let that stop you, especially if you can roll the R in "briny"!
Buccaneer -- A general term for the Caribbean pirates.
Bucko -- Familiar term. "Me bucko" = "my friend."
Cap'n -- Short for "captain."
Cat o'nine tails, or just "cat" -- a whip with many lashes, used for flogging. "A taste of the cat" might refer to a full flogging, or just a single blow to "smarten up" a recalcitrant hand.
Chandler, or ship-chandler -- see Sutler.
Chantey -- A sailor's work song. Also spelled "shantey" or "shanty."
Chase -- The ship being pursued. "The chase is making full sail, sir" = "The ship we're after is going as fast as she can."
Chest -- Traditional treasure container.
Corsair -- A more romantic term for pirate. But still a pirate.
Crow's nest -- A small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.
Cutlass -- A curved sword, like a saber but heavier. Traditional pirate weapon. Has only one cutting edge; may or may not have a useful point.
Davy Jones' locker -- The bottom of the sea.
Deadlights -- Eyes. "Use yer deadlights, matey!"
Dead men tell no tales -- Standard pirate excuse for leaving no survivors.
Dog -- A mild insult, perhaps even a friendly one.
Doubloon -- A Spanish gold coin. At different times, it was worth either 4 or 16 silver pesos, or "pieces of eight."
Fair winds! -- Goodbye, good luck!.
Feed the fish -- What you do when you are thrown into the sea, dead or alive.
Gangway! -- "Get out of my way!"
Godspeed! -- Goodbye, good luck!
Grog -- Generically, any alcoholic drink. Specifically, rum diluted with water to make it go farther.
Grub -- Food.
Gun -- A cannon.
Fore, or forrard -- Toward the front end of the ship. Flogging -- Punishment by caning, or by whipping with the cat.
Pirate Glossary
Updated August 4, 2004
Being a guide to talking like a pirate . . . or, at the very least, understanding someone else who is trying to talk like a pirate. Little effort has been made to distinguish genuine maritime terms from traditional fictional pirate lingo; it all works equally well in the game. Arrrrrr!
To start with, of course, say "ye" for you, "me" for my or mine, and don't skimp on the "ahoy" and "arrrrr!"
Addled -- Mad, insane, or just stupid. An "addlepate" is a fool.
Aft -- Short for "after." Toward the rear of the ship.
Ahoy -- "Hello!"
Avast! -- "Hey!" Could be used as "Stop that!" or "Who goes there?"
Begad! -- By God!
Belay -- Stop that. "Belay that talk!" would mean "Shut up!"
Belaying pin -- A short wooden rod to which a ship's rigging is secured. A common improvised weapon aboard a sailing ship, because they're everywhere, they're easily picked up, and they are the right size and weight to be used as clubs.
Bilge! -- Nonsense, or foolish talk. The bilges of a ship are the lowest parts, inside the hull along the keel. They fill with stinking bilgewater -- or just "bilge."
Bilge-sucking -- A very uncomplimentary adjective.
Black Spot -- To "place the Black Spot" on another pirate is to sentence him to death, to warn him he is marked for death, or sometimes just to accuse him of a serious crime before other pirates.
Blaggard -- "Blackguard." An insult.
Blimey! -- An exclamation of surprise.
Booty -- Loot.
Bosun -- Boatswain; a petty officer.
Bowsprit -- The slanted spar at a ship's prow.
Brethren of the Coast -- The Caribbean buccaneers called themselves by this name in the 1640-1680 period. During this time, they actually formed a sort of fraternity, and did not (usually) fight each other or even steal from each other. After 1680, a new generation of pirates appeared, who did not trust each other . . . with good reason.
Briny deep -- The ocean. Probably no pirate in all history ever used this phrase, but don't let that stop you, especially if you can roll the R in "briny"!
Buccaneer -- A general term for the Caribbean pirates.
Bucko -- Familiar term. "Me bucko" = "my friend."
Cap'n -- Short for "captain."
Cat o'nine tails, or just "cat" -- a whip with many lashes, used for flogging. "A taste of the cat" might refer to a full flogging, or just a single blow to "smarten up" a recalcitrant hand.
Chandler, or ship-chandler -- see Sutler.
Chantey -- A sailor's work song. Also spelled "shantey" or "shanty."
Chase -- The ship being pursued. "The chase is making full sail, sir" = "The ship we're after is going as fast as she can."
Chest -- Traditional treasure container.
Corsair -- A more romantic term for pirate. But still a pirate.
Crow's nest -- A small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.
Cutlass -- A curved sword, like a saber but heavier. Traditional pirate weapon. Has only one cutting edge; may or may not have a useful point.
Davy Jones' locker -- The bottom of the sea.
Deadlights -- Eyes. "Use yer deadlights, matey!"
Dead men tell no tales -- Standard pirate excuse for leaving no survivors.
Dog -- A mild insult, perhaps even a friendly one.
Doubloon -- A Spanish gold coin. At different times, it was worth either 4 or 16 silver pesos, or "pieces of eight."
Fair winds! -- Goodbye, good luck!.
Feed the fish -- What you do when you are thrown into the sea, dead or alive.
Gangway! -- "Get out of my way!"
Godspeed! -- Goodbye, good luck!
Grog -- Generically, any alcoholic drink. Specifically, rum diluted with water to make it go farther.
Grub -- Food.
Gun -- A cannon.
Fore, or forrard -- Toward the front end of the ship. Flogging -- Punishment by caning, or by whipping with the cat.
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