How To Talk Like A Pirate
Pirate Talk - Pirate Speak - Pirate Phrases
Getting ready for International Talk Like A Pirate Day? Dressing as a pirate for Halloween or another kind of costume party? Learn how to talk like a pirate on this page!
Talking like pirate is fun and pretty easy to do (once you get the hang of it!) Read on to learn basic pirate words and phrases that will have you talk like an old seadog in no time!
Talk Like A Pirate Day
Ahoy! September 19 is international Talk Like a Pirate Day. Be sure to brush up on your pirate vocabulary before then!
Basic Pirate Talk - Simple Pirate Phrases For The Beginner
Ahoy! - Hello!
Avast - Pay attention! or Look at that!
Aye - Yes or I agree. Say it twice in a row (Aye! Aye!) to indicate that you heard, understood and will do what the other person asked you to do.
Arr! - This one has lots of meanings... "I'm happy", "yes", "I agree" or just a general term of agreement like "uh huh". Arrr is always a good term to fall back on if you just don't know what to say. Arrr...
Be - Used in place of "am", "are" and "is". For example, "Arrr! I be hungry!", "We be going to the galley", "Me matey be over thar!"
Booty - loot, treasure, money
Landlubber - "land lover", anyone who is not a pirate.
Matey - Friend
Me - Use in my place of "my". For example, "Me booty is missing!"
Scallywag - scoundral, a basic pirate insult
Scurvy - dirty, stinky, another basic insult
Ye - You
Yer - Your
Pirate Costumes For All Ages
Once ye learn how the talk the talk, you'll be needin' to learn how to dress the part. Find the perfect pirate costume on Amazon. They have costumes for men and women, boys and girls. You'll even find a costume for your dog!
One year on Halloween we had an entire family of pirates show up at our door to trick or treat. Both parents were in costume and they had a little pirate princess with them as well as a pirate baby. The baby was in a wagon that they had made look like a pirate ship. It was a lot of fun!
Of course, no pirate costume is complete without using pirate lingo. Keep reading to learn more pirate phrases so you can impress your friends and annoy your enemies!
More Pirate Talk
Once you've got the basics down you can start using more advanced pirate words and phrases!
Bilge Rat - an insult, save this for someone you really don't like
Blimey! - an exclamation of surprise
Buccaneer - another name for a pirate
Crow's nest - small platform at the top of the mast, a place for the outlook to stand
Cutlass - a sword with a short, curved blade
Doubloons - coins
Head - the toilet of a pirate ship, oddly enough
Heave Ho - put some muscle into it!
Old Salt - an experienced sailor
Pillage - rob, sack, plunder and generally destroy everything that's not valuable
Poop Deck - deck in the back of the ship, generally above the captain's quarters. The poop deck is not a toilet.
Savvy? - Do you understand?
Sea Dog - Old sailor or pirate
Yo ho ho! - cheerful, upbeat exclamation meaning "hello, pay attention to me!"
Pirate Phrases and Expressions
Blow Me Down! - expression of surprise or shock similar to "Holy cow!"
Dead Men Tell No Tales - means "leave no survivors" because they could tell what had happened
Shiver Me Timbers! - literally means that the ship is (timbers) is shaking possibly due to canon blast. Used as a slang for a term of surprise
Skull n' Crossbones - universal sign of pirates. Used on the pirate flag, the Jolly Roger
Three sheets to the wind - drunk. Could be one, two or four sheets to the wind depending on how drunk ye are.
Walk the Plank - A punishment where the person must walk off a board hanging over the ship and fall into the sea, resulting in death. Often used as a threat when yer talkin' like a pirate.