TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY
International Talk Like a Pirate Day lands on September 19, but in Tampa Bay, home of legendary buccaneer José Gaspar and the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival, every day is pirate day. And if you’re unsure of your “avast” from other scurvy words, the Tampa Bay History Center’s Treasure Seekers exhibit shows how modern English is still full of phrases from the golden age of pirates.
Captain’s Call
By the spirit of Jose Gaspar, here are some ways you already speak pirate!
TURN A BLIND EYE
Thank British naval hero Admiral Nelson for this one. When he didn’t want to see the signal to stop bombarding Copenhagen in 1801, he held his telescope up to his blind eye.
CHEW THE FAT
Today it means to chat. For pirates, it was more literal: about eating their daily ration of tough -- and very chewy – salted pork or beef.
FLUNKY
Back then, it was the name for the captain’s steward. Today, it is considerably less favorable.
JURY RIG
Today, it means slap something together quickly and haphazardly. For pirates, it referred to the jury mast – a temporary pole set up to replace a damaged mast.
LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG
No felines involved in this one. The “Cat” was the cat-o-nine-tails, a leather whip that was kept in a bag until it was removed to punish a sailor.
PASS WITH FLYING COLORS
When ships wanted to be recognized, they ran up colorful flags to identify themselves.
UNDER THE WEATHER
Then, going below-decks (inside the ship) to stay out of the wind and rain. Today, it means to feel sick or out of commission.
WHOLE NINE YARDS
Always thought this was a football reference? No way. It refers to a pirate ship with all its sails (three years of canvas per mast) deployed and running full of wind.
Pirate Glossary
For more pirate lingo, check out: