Ahoy, Mateys! September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day. Arrrr ye ready?
Practice your pirate speak with our list of pirate vocabulary and sayings, and you'll be ready to parley with other pirates in no time.
- Ahoy – Hey or Hello.
- Arrr, Arrgh – Pirates slang.
- Avast – Pay attention.
- Aye – Yes.
- Aye aye – Got it!
- Blimey – I don't believe it!
- Booty – Stolen treasures.
- Davy Jones’s Locker – A graveyard at sea.
- Dead men tell no tales – Dead men can’t tell any secrets.
- Heave – Stop or halt.
- Jolly Roger – Skull and crossbones flag.
- Matey – A friend.
- Parley – A conversation between enemies.
- Prize – A ship captured by pirates.
- Savvy – Do you understand?
- Shiver me timbers – Whoa! (named after splintered word on pirate ships).
- Walk the plank: Punishment for prisoners who were forced to walk off the ship with their hands tied behind their backs, making it difficult to swim.
- Weigh anchor – Let’s go.
- Ye – You.
- Yo-ho-ho – I'm excited or a chant used while working.
Fun Facts About Pirates
- Although we know that pirates did, in fact, exist, it is difficult to determine what is fact and what is fiction.
- Pirate queen Ching Shih commanded more than 300 ships and as many as 40,000 men.
- 1650 to 1720 was known as The Golden Age of Piracy, when thousands of pirates sailed the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
- The wealthiest pirate in recorded history was “Black Sam” Bellamy. He was known as the “Robin Hood of the Sea.”
Use the Lingo Jam Pirate Translator to create your own pirate conversations!
