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Pirate Vocabulary

Pirate vocabulary is one the most entertaining language things to play with. Scurvy scallywags have captured the imagination of world culture for generations, and part of that is due to the way pirates speak. No other accent is known as much for its fearsomeness as it is for its charm. Man the fo'c's'le for a treacherous voyage into the world of the pirate with pirate vocabulary.

Disclaimer

Pirates were and are bad folks whose actions were driven by avarice. Robbing ships is as dangerous and damaging today as it was 500 years ago. There are still parts of the world where pirates reek havoc on merchant ships for millions of dollars and weapons, and that money and weapons often finds its way into the hands of warlords. Talking like a pirate and learning some pirate vocabulary does not condone such behavior at all.

Even though, the fictional accounts of ancient piracy are exciting and humorous, the real scourges of the high seas were involved in mass killings, theft, and were often involved in the slave trade. They were not the kinds of guys you'd like to hang out with. On the other hand, just like the fascination American culture harbors for the gangster, the entertainment industry has turned the intrigue of piracy into a colorful world of make-believe.

Pirates of Culture

From rides at Disneyland, to multi-million-dollar movies, to books, to comics, the world of pirates is an entertainment industry in its own right. No matter which medium incarnates the rowdy boys of the teeming sea, one thing ties them all together: pirate slang.

Pirate slang is off-color sometimes, but that's what's fun a bout it. Talking like a criminal gives you the sense of doing or having done nasty things without ever having to do them. Anyone can talk like a pirate, and it's a way to be a part of a world you'll never see in real life. Historically, pirates probably didn't talk like the ones in the movies. Some of the words are the same, though. Nowadays, pirates most definitely do not speak like Long John Silver in Treasure Island.

Why Bother Learning Pirate Words?

Eleanor of Aquitaine had to escape capture while fleeing the crusades in the middle east by hitching a ride with and masquerading as a pirate with her son Richard. Surely, she must have known some pirate phrases to make her disguise believable. You will hopefully never face such grim a fate, but come September 19, you don't want to be called a land-lubber for lack of effort.

September 19 is international Talk Like a Pirate Day. People all over the world throw pirate parties and have pirate contests, and some observe the holiday by simply breaking out some well-practiced pirate phrases. It's all in the name of fun, and what can be more fun than calling a coworker a bilge rat swinging the lead? Swinging the lead was an easy job on the ship, so it evolved into meaning something like slacking off. The bilge is the bottom of the ship where scummy water collected. You should probably only talk like a pirate with coworkers if they're in on the joke, come to think of it.

Here is some choice pirate vocabulary:

  • In the hog's head: A hog's head is a barrel of alcohol. If you're in the hog's head, you're drunk.
  • Grog: Technically, grog is rum and water, but you can call whatever you're drinking grog if you want to.
  • In Davy's grip: This means that someone is near death, probably after drinking a hog's head of grog. Davy Jones is the ruler of the chthonic depths of the yeasty sea.
  • Avast: When you want someone to pay attention or if you are very surprised, you can say "AVAST!" You my also say "Blow me down!"
  • Arrr: This is the word most pirate jokes are made of. It can mean anything you want it to.
  • Aye: Say aye instead of yes.
  • Pieces of eight: money. You can also say "booty."

Links, Me Hearties

Here are some links to get you started talking like a pirate.