Talk Like a Pirate Day is held on September 19 every year, and many people who like the idea of talking like a pirate don't actually participate, because they're self-conscious about their fluency in the language, or because of cultural pressures to speak in one's native tongue.
Some tips from the founders of TLAPD can make the transition to this new language easier, overcoming social barriers to participation. For those who remain unable or unwilling to actually talk like a pirate, there are other ways to honor piratey communication on the 19th of September.
Simple Tips for Pirate Talk
The official Talk Like a Pirate Day how-to guide suggests that five basic words can be sprinkled about in conversation to make it more pirateish: ahoy, aye, aye aye, avast, and arrr. Some simple grammatical rules, such as droppin' the endin' sounds from some words an' sayin' "me" instead o' "my" are all it takes t'be soundin' less like a lubber then ye deserve.
- Ahoy is yer basic pirate greetin'
- Aye is all it takes to show hearty agreement an' a willingness t'die to prove it
- Aye aye is what the cap'n needs t'hear t'know that 'is crew will say anythin' to avoid workin' harder'n' a bilge rat
- Avast is reserved fer makin' lubbers step smartly 'n' pay heed t'yer words. It can be said in surprise, as when Davey Jones himself reaches his cold hand up t'take yer scurvy hide.
- Arrr 'tis a word much like "word" is, bein' used fer many a meanin' an' suitable fer occasions from countin' booty t'swillin' grog. No better word c'n better show th'land lubbers that yer a pirate true than "arrr."
Online Pirate-speak Options
Although not particularly useful in person, thar be a number o' options for usin' more pirated language online, either for communicatin' on-the-fly with buckos or simply t' spice up one's own internet experience. Three types o' pirate language tools be t' translator, t' chat filter, and t' pirate interface or skin. An example o' each be listed here for t' reader's education.
- Translators be usually a simple box that one types words into. Out t' other end comes a pirate phrase, complete with booty, scurvy, threats, lasses, and that sort o' color. T' lads at Talk Like a Pirate Day have a translator that permits those who have never seen a plank, much less walked one, t' appear more mercenary t' their virtual companions. In fact, this entire section o' t' article was run through t' TLAPD translator.
- Chat filters try t' turn yer words into pirate even as you type them. T' Meebo blog talks about how their filter works, and gives an example: blogger Greg claims that t' sentence, "And if you have been using Meebo for a while, you probably remember when we turned on piratespeak," would be translated by their filter into, "And if ye have been usin' Meebo fer a while, I'll warrant ye, ye probably remember when we turned on piratespeak." A test o' that very phrase made Greg appear more like a bilge rat than a blogger, for nothin' was changed at all. No doubt t' filter will be fine-tuned t' work better on Talk Like a Pirate Day.
- A pirate skin sounds like a cruel punishment for a true criminal, but it's merely a translator that works for t' reader, not t' writer, o' t' content. Facebook has included English (Pirate) as one o' its language choices for several years, and makin' t' switch be a useful way t' teach oneself about t' subtleties o' t' pirate tongue.
Other Ways to Celebrate TLAPD
It's also possible to honor Talk Like a Pirate Day by promoting the event or otherwise supporting the temporary pirate community. Posting events on social networking sites, sharing links to pirate-themed sites, and taking pictures of people engaged in pirate-like activities including but not limited to the wearing of eye patches and the leering at passersby, are all ways to contribute to the general atmosphere of the day without having to learn this complex and vibrant language.
Terence P Ward - Terence P Ward has a business writing website, but spends a bit too much time writing press releases, blog posts, and thought leadership ...
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