1. Growl - and scowl often. Pirates don't use a cultured, elegant, smooth vocalization - they mutter and growl.


   2. Use pirate lingo. Sounding like a pirate isn't as hard as it seems! There are lots of resources for picking up
   pirate "lingo," so make use of them (some common terms listed below) in addition to trying to affect a vocal sound.
    Avoid using modern epithets (swear words). It's much more colorful (and kid-friendly) to use "pirate slang" for
    those naughty words.


   3. Gesture with your hands frequently. Don't forget that pirates do most of their talking on the deck of a ship -
   out on the ocean, where wind, waves, and bird calls make it tough to hear. Gesturing often gives you a sense of
   "being there."


   4. Run words together. Saying, "The boys and I were out for a lovely day on the water today" sounds like something
   you'd overhear at a yacht club, not out on the bounding main! Instead, try, "Me'n'these here scurvy scallywags
   drug our sorry keesters out t'th'ship'n'had us a grand great adventuaaarrr! We almost had t'keelhaul Mad Connie
   f'r gettin inter th' grog behind our backs!" Use contractions whenever possible. Be sure to punctuate often
   with "Arrrr!" 


   5. Never use "you" or "you're" - ever. Instead, use the piratical form, "yer" or "ya" for all forms of address
   to others. "Yer a scurvy bilge rat, ya pompous gasbag" or "Here's yer dinner, ya mangy cockroach." Note that
   you should always endeavor to call the addressee by some insulting name, usually involving an animal.


   6. Embellish at will. A pirate is larger than life, and his or her speech should always reflect this. Don't
   just say, "We saw a whale off the starboard bow today." Say, "Me'n'th' crew seen a great grand sea beastie,
   th' mother of all whales, aye!"


   7. Refer to yourself as "me" at all times, never "I" It is not piratically correct to say, "I have a cold."
   It is far better as a pirate to declare, "Got me a case o'th'sniffles, 'ass rye!"


   8. More importantly, substitute "me" for "my" For example, don't say, "Look at my new sword," say "Lookit me
   new sword!." Also substitute "meself" for "myself" as in "Got meself a right fine ship!"    


   9. Mutter unintelligibly unless yelling. Being a pirate usually meant being liquored up to some degree - a
   lot of time, pirates were pretty mush-mouthed. In the step preceding, the term "'ass rye" actually translates
   to "that's right." Get it?


  10. Be as loud as humanly possible. Pirates are not shy violets - stand tall, me hearties, and be counted!


  11. Procure one dead stuffed parrot and sew feet to right shoulder of 2nd hand store jacket. This will put
  you in the mood to adhere to the above mentioned rules and guarantee an abundance of "yers and arghs".

1. Shiver me Timbers - This term was used to express shock or surprise. The idea of timbers shivering comes from the
vibration set up in the mast (timbers) by either running aground or a solid hit from a larger gun. The suggestion
is that something has shaken the speaker from a state of less awareness. (winner of 20 buxs-yepster)


 
 
2. To Go on Account - a pleasant term used by pyrates to describe the act of turning pyrate. The basic idea was
that a pyrate was more "free lance" and thus was, more or less, going into business for himself.  (winner of 20 buxs-Rubyred)


 
 
 
 
3. Swing the Lead - The Lead was a weight at the bottom of a line that gave sailors a way to measure depth when near
land. To Swing the Lead was considered a simple job, and thusly came to represent one who is avoiding work or taking
the easy work over the hard. In todays terms, one who swings the lead is a slacker. (winner of 20 buxs Rubyred)


 
4. Hornswaggle - To cheat or defraud, often of money or belongings. (winner of 20 buxs Rubyred)




5. Buccaneer - originally a term for those privateers who fought against the Spanish, later a general term for pirates of
the Atlantic, specifically the Caribbean. The buccaneers were first hunters of pigs and cattle on the island of
Hispanola, but were driven off by the Spanish and turned to pyracy. Buccaneers were said to be heavy drinking,
cruel pirates.     (winner of 20 buxs yepster)


 
6. "Avast Ye!" - a hailing phrase to indicate that the hailed must "stop" and give attention. (winner of 20 buxs-yepster)


 
7. Come About - to bring the ship full way around in the wind. Used in general while sailing into the wind, but also used to
indicate a swing back into the enemy in combat.     (winner of 20 buxs- yepster)






8. Landlubber - given to one fond of land as opposed to sea.  Clumsy or uncoordinated. (winner of 20 buxs wolfwithredroses)



9. Keel Haul - Throwing a man overboard tied to a rope (winner of 20 buxs-Judy waiting on player name)



10. Take a caulk - Take a nap (winner of 20 buxs-Judy waiting on player name)




11. Ahoy! - "Hello!" 


12.  And ye may lay to that! - "You betcha!"


13. Arrr! - This is often confused with "arrrrgh," which is, of course, the sound you make when you sit on a belaying
pin. "Arrrr!", like "Aloha," means variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going
to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those
are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!    


14. Aye! - "Yes!"


15. Aye aye! - "I understand what you said and I will carry out your order!"  


16. Be - "Am, is, are." As in "I (or Me) be goin' t' get more grog, he be goin' t' get more grog, and they be goin' t'
get more grog." This will also avoid confusion between "are" and "arrr" or "arrgh."    


17. Beauty – The best possible pirate address for a woman. Always preceded by "me," as in, "C'mere, me beauty," or
even, "me buxom beauty," to one particularly well endowed. You'll be surprised how effective this is. 


18. Belay - To immediately cease or stop. Usually used in a disgusted context such as "Belay that landlubber talk!!"


19. Bilge rat – The bilge is the lowest level of the ship. It's loaded with ballast and slimy, reeking water. A bilge
rat, then, is a rat that lives in the worst place on the ship. Pirates, just like their modern-day counterparts
(regular guys), love to joke and jibe with their buddies. By all means, pirates will call their buddies "bilge rats."


20. Booty - Anything of value a pirate can plunder.


21. Bung hole – It's the hole in a wooden barrel, usually sealed with a cork. To get what's in the barrel out, usually,
the cork is pried out, opening the bung hole. Saying, "Well, me hearties, let's see what crawled out of the bung hole"
will often be accompanied by the sound of 21st century citizens running for their lives. Yay! Dinner for one, coming up!


22. Colors - See also, "Hoist the Colors!" The Pirate flag, with many variations. Designed to strike terror into your
opponent, many times they would not even fight back, immediately surrendering.


23. Davy Jones' Locker - Where the souls of drowned pirates go.    


24. Grog – An alcoholic drink, usually rum diluted with water and lime juice, but in this context you could use it to
refer to any alcoholic beverage other than beer, and we aren't prepared to be picky about that, either.    


25. Hoist the Colors! - To raise the Pirate flag before attacking. Also a rallying cry for Pirates before they go into
battle.    


26. Hornpipe – Both a single-reeded musical instrument sailors often had aboard ship, and a spirited dance that sailors
do. The common term for being filled with lust is "horny," and hornpipe then has some comical possibilities. "Is that a
hornpipe in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me? Or both?"    


27. Hearties or Matey - Shipmates or friends.


28. Keel haul - A gristly death indeed. The pirate is tied by a rope at the front of the ship at full sail. He is then
kicked off and made to drag along the keel, or bottom spine of the ship, usually through the sharp barnacles clinging to
the hull. It would act like a cheese grater. "Ye'll be Keel Hauled!" would strike terror into any pirate.


29. Lass - A name for a woman, usually more polite and romantic.


30. Motherload - refers to when the largest amount of booty is successfully located. 


31. Savvy - Ok or understand. As in, "Savvy?" meaning "Do you understand" 


32. Saucy - Sexy. "Ye be a Saucy Wench!" 


33. Scrumpet- A name for a women, not the most polite term but not rude either.    


34. Smartly – Do something quickly. "Smartly, me lass," you might say when sending the bar maid off for another round.
She will be so impressed she might well spit in your beer.    


35. Scurvy - Well, of course, it's an awful affliction that used to bedevil buccaneers in days gone by; that's one
reason there was lime juice added to the rum in the water, making grog. So calling someone a "scurvy bilge rat" is even
worse than calling him a "bilge rat."    


36. Show a Leg! - Phrase to wake up a sailor. "Show a leg!, it be dawn, you scurvy lubber!".


37. Wench - Woman, girl, or waitress. Whatever.    


38. Yardarm - Not just convenient framework to hang the sails, but often times used as a holding post for the disobedient
 ol' salts, as in, "Tie that dawg to the yardarm".    


39. Piece of Eight - Spanish silver coin, often cut into pieces to make change.    


40. Walk the Plank - A dire punishment in which one must walk off a wooden board on the side of a ship and fall into the
ocean.


41. Doubloon - A gold coin minted by Spain or Spanish colonies, worth about seven weeks' pay for an average sailor.    


42. Sea Dog - Experienced sailor.


43. Jolly Roger - The pirate flag with its skull and crossbones.


44. Scallywag - Bad person.    


45. Sea Rover - Pirate ship.


46. Me Hearty - My friend.