How do pirates prefer to communicate?
Aye to aye!
No really, I wish I was a pirate! Not that I plan to give up an eye and leg, or a hand for that matter, but who doesn’t love a pirate? Seeing how September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I want to get you armed with pirate jokes and a tad bit of history so you can fully embrace the day.
What does the pirate say when his leg gets stuck in the freezer?
Shiver me timbers!
International Talk Like a Pirate Day was started back in 1995 by two guys, John Baur (ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy) during a game of racquetball. Now, it is celebrated around the world (no fact checking please) and even has a Wikipedia page: International Talk Like a Pirate Day – Wikipedia
What does a pirate accent really sound like? Most folks talking pirate try to sound like an offshoot of a British accent swirled with a wee bit of Scottish. This is probably because the “pirate accent” was born in Hollywood when actor Robert Newton played Long John Silver in the 1950 Disney movie Treasure Island. Newton channeled his accent to where the mythical Long John Silver hailed from – a dialect of the West Country in southwest England.
Why don’t pirates shower before they walk the plank?
Because they’ll just wash up on shore later.
Pirate talk has gone so far as to be featured on Mango Languages. Yes, your blogger has signed up and even finished a few chapters of learning to talk like a pirate: Pirate | Mango Languages
The flag we often associate with pirates is the iconic Jolly Roger, with its traditional skull and crossbones. No one seems to really know the history of the flag, but it became the most recognized symbol in the pirate era. And when exactly was that? The “Golden Age of Piracy” was generally the late 17th century to the early 18th century with the likes of the most notorious pirates Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Anne Bonny.
To err is human. To arr pirate.
If you need some help practicing your pirate talk, here is the Saturday Night Live skit to get you going:
And if you really want to get ready for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, check out one of my early blog posts:
If only there was a pirate band…
How much did the pirate pay for his peg and hook?
An arm and a leg.
Where can ye find a pirate who has lost his wooden legs?
Right where ye left him.
What do ye call a pirate with two eyes and two legs?
Rookie