Ahoy, matey! Every September 19, landlubbers across the world swap "hello" for "ahoy," call their friends "me hearties," and talk like they've spent a lifetime on the high seas. Here's where the holiday came from, what real pirates were actually like, and how to join the crew.
How a Silly Idea Took Over the Seven Seas
Talk Like a Pirate Day began in 1995 when two friends, John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon, were playing racquetball. One of them yelled "Aaarrr!" after a good shot, and the pair decided to turn it into a holiday. They gave themselves pirate names, Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy, and picked September 19 because it was easy to remember.
For seven years the day belonged to a handful of friends. Then, in 2002, they wrote to the humor columnist Dave Barry, who loved the idea and wrote about it in his column. The holiday exploded, and it has been celebrated every September 19 since by schools, libraries, restaurants and a great many families who simply enjoy a good "Arrr!"
Where Pirate Talk Really Comes From
Most of what we think of as pirate speech comes from the movies. The rolling "Arrr!" and "Shiver me timbers!" were made famous by the actor Robert Newton in Disney's 1950 film Treasure Island, who played Long John Silver with the accent of his own home in the west of England. The real sailors of the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly 1650 to 1730, came from all over the world and spoke in many accents, and nobody knows how many actually said "Arrr."
Real pirates were not all that different from other sailors, with one big exception: they voted. Many pirate crews elected their captains, split their treasure by agreed shares, and kept written rules called articles. A few of the most famous: Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts captured more than 400 ships, Anne Bonny and Mary Read sailed with Calico Jack Rackham, and Blackbeard, Edward Teach, tied smoking fuses into his beard to look fearsome.
Myths and Facts
Walking the plank: almost entirely a story. Pirates preferred to take ships, not sink them. Buried treasure: very rare. Captain William Kidd really did bury some, which is where the legend began, but most pirates spent their loot as fast as they got it. The Jolly Roger: real, and mostly meant to scare a crew into surrendering without a fight. Parrots: sailors did bring them home from the tropics, so that one is true.
Before the Golden Age, the cold seas of the north had their own raiders. The Vikings sailed their longships across the North Atlantic centuries earlier, and the Norse sagas are full of seafaring, plunder and tall tales, which is why the elves at the North Pole have a soft spot for sailors.
Meet Captain Medium Beard
Every crew needs a captain, and ours sails under the name of Captain Medium Beard the Pirate. Press play for his Talk Like a Pirate Day address, and then practice your best "Arrr" before September 19 comes around.
The Pirate Phrasebook
| Say this | Which means |
|---|---|
| Ahoy! | Hello! |
| Ahoy, matey | Hello, friend |
| Avast! | Stop and pay attention |
| Aye aye! | Yes, understood, I'll do it |
| Shiver me timbers! | Well, I never! |
| Land ho! | I can see land! |
| Yo ho ho | A cheerful shout, and a good start to a song |
| Landlubber | Someone who is not good at the sea |
| Booty, treasure, plunder | The good stuff |
| Scallywag | A mischievous rascal |
| Where be the grub? | When is dinner? |
| Me hearties | My friends |
How to Celebrate
- Talk like a pirate all day. Start every sentence with "Arrr" and see how long your family lasts.
- Give everyone a pirate name. Mix a silly word with a title: Captain Soggy Boots, Mad Mary Marmalade, Barnacle Bob.
- Hold a treasure hunt in the backyard with a hand-drawn map and chocolate gold coins.
- Dress up with an eyepatch, a bandana and a tricorn hat. A paper hat and a toy sword are plenty.
- Have a pirate dinner: fish and chips, "scurvy-proof" oranges, hardtack crackers and root beer served in mugs.
- Read a pirate tale aloud. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is the grandfather of them all.
- Swap "thank you" for "thankee" and "yes" for "aye" at work or school, and watch who joins in.
However you spend September 19, remember the first rule of the pirate code: be good to your crew. Fair winds and following seas from all of us at the North Pole. Arrr!