Well shiver me timbers, and bring me a noggin o’ rum – tomorrow be the 19th of September agin and thar is one thing fur shur on that day. The winds will be blowin’ the sheets toward International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Real Pirate!
Robert Newton as Long John Silver
Created in 1995 as in inside joke by John Baur and Mark Summers, this holiday gained popularity when it was promoted by humor columnist Dave Barry. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate such a holiday! As an aside this holiday is especially important to Pastafarians who view pirates as divine and the original Pastafarians.
A Questionable Nancing-Type Pirate
So boils and ghouls . . . I mean . . . land lubbers an’ scallywags, here be sum ancient hints from real seamen manuals to help all ye out.
Seamen in the days of sail spoke a language far apart from the norm. It was so full of technical jargon as to be nearly incomprehensible to a landsman. For example, few could follow these instructions:
Lift the skin up, and put into the bunt the slack of the clews (not too taut), the leech and foot-rope, and body of the sail; being careful not to let it get forward under or hang down abaft. Then haul your bunt well up on the yard, smoothing the skin and bringing it down well abaft, and make fast the bunt gasket round the mast, and the jigger, if there be one, to the tie.
—Richard Henry Dana, Jr., The Seaman’s Manual (1844)Even more baffling are some of the phrases used by sailors in the 17th century:
If the ship go before the wind, or as they term it, betwixt two sheets, then he who conds uses these terms to him at the helm: Starboard, larboard, the helm amidships… If the ship go by a wind, or a quarter winds, they say aloof, or keep your loof, or fall not off, wear no more, keep her to, touch the wind, have a care of the lee-latch. all these do imply the same in a manner, are to bid him at the helm to keep her near the wind.
—former pirate Sir Henry MainwaringOne of the most influential books on popular notions of pirates was Treasure Island, a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, from which sample quotes include:
* “Bring me one noggin of rum, now, won’t you, matey.”
* “Avast, there!”
* “Dead men don’t bite.”
* “Shiver my timbers!” (often pronounced as “Shiver me timbers!”)
* “Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest — Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!” (see Dead Man’s Chest)
* “There! That’s what I think of ye. Before an hour’s out, I’ll stove in your old block house like a rum puncheon. Laugh, by thunder, laugh! Before an hour’s out, ye’ll laugh upon the other side. Them that die’ll be the lucky ones.”
An’ since we be talkin’ bout pirates an’ Hallo’een, ye be best to check out the best pirate themed haunt in all the world. Located deep in the heart of the Bay Area, Pirates of Emerson is Northern California’s premier professional haunted attraction. Journey back to the time of rogues and wenches, circa 15th Century, when pirates reigned supreme. Their reincarnated remains will terrorize and fascinate all who enter! Over the years, this family owned attraction has grown to over 3 acres of fright! And the Pirates now be in two locations, so be shur ta click the logo below to be shipped over to the ship’s log of the haunt. (For all you non-piratey people – Click the logo to go to website.)
And Here’s Some Video of This Great Haunt
