Shiver me timbers! It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Can you believe this silly holiday started 2002 and we’ve been talking like a pirate each Sept. 19 ever since?
How did it start? Well, two guys, John Baur and Mark Summers, were playing racquetball and started giving each other encouragement in pirate slang.
An hour or so went by and they realized how much fun they had, so they decided they should make it into a national holiday.
They celebrated on their own for seven years before getting the attention of nationally syndicated columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Dave Barry via email.
Once Berry’s column went live, the rest was history for Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Local food deal:
Visit any Long John Silver's to get a free piece of fish when you talk like a pirate. Take the deal up a notch and dress like a pirate to get a free two-piece fish basket.
Common pirate phrases:
Ahoy - Used to hail a ship or a person, or to attract attention.
Arr - An exclamation.
Aye (or ay) - Yes; an affirmation.
Blimey - An exclamation of surprise.
Blow the man down - To kill someone.
Crack Jenny’s tea cup - To spend the night in a house of ill repute.
Dance the hempen jig - To hang.
Dead men tell no tales - Standard pirate excuse for leaving no survivors.
Fire in the hole - A warning issued before a cannon is fired.
No prey, no pay - A common pirate law meaning a crew received no wages but rather shared whatever loot was taken.
Sail ho - Another ship is in view.
Scupper that - Anger or derision
Shiver me timbers - An expression of surprise or strong emotion.
More pirate fun:
What’s your pirate name?
Pirate quote generator
Find your inner pirate personality
English to pirate translator