TODAY BE THE DAY

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a day when we celebrate our imaginary pirate ancestry by working pirate lingo into our conversations, as in these examples:

"I'll have a pumpkin spice latte, me hearties."

"We're out of copier paper, me hearties."

"Pi is the ratio of circumference to diameter, me hearties."

Here's the column I wrote about TLAPD back in 2002 when it was relatively unknown.

Note that today if you talk or dress like a pirate, you can get free donuts from Krispy Kreme and free fish tenders from Long John Silver's. And if you walk into a bank armed like a pirate, you can get arrested, so we do not recommend that. But otherwise we urge you to get out there today and swash the hell out of your buckles, me hearties. 

Comments

[PG-13 Wodehouse]

And here I've been bucklin' me swash all these years. Awkwarrrrd.

[Theresa]

Ahoy Me Hearties!

[Loudmouth]

Haar. The sun be off the port bow, the wind be from the naaarth and me keel be haulin' ass to the Big X fer the treasure.

Damn yer eyes. It be nothing but Lucky Charms.

[Pirate Doris, the Badly Burnt]

Yo ho ho and pass the rum!

[ligirl, the arrrrrrrrt major]

'Pi is the ratio of circumference to diameter, me hearties'

arrrrrr, dave - math is harrrrrrrrrd . . .

if i be given ye 5 pieces of eight will that leave me 3 sheets to the wind ?

[padraig]

We be in full accorrrrrrd.

[FredKey]

Keep a weather eye out for non-piratical types, me hearties.

[K]

Wait...I thought if I talked like Willie Stargell that I would qualify for today.

Damn...I am always late to the party...

[Peg Leg Pete]

"Aye Cap'n, thar be a steerin' wheel in yer trousers!"
"Arr, it be drivin' me nuts!"

[nursecindy]

Everytime I try to talk like a pirate I sound like a character in Oliver Twist. English accent and all. Now go forth and walk yonder plank.

[Head_Smashed_In]

Arr, is it more iced tea ye be needin'?

[funny man]

Q: Whats the difference between a Pirate and a CongressCritter?

A: Pirate attire. And a pirate respects the command to
"Avast!"

Argggg!!!!

[nursecindy]

The last time I tried to swash my buckle I had to go to the emergency room to get stitched up.

[PirateBoy]

A complete weekend, all about meeeeeeeee!

Thank ye all 'fer be-an here with me today!

Free grog at, well, everywhere!

[normnuke]

NC, the swashing of a buckle is suurrly one of the trrruly delicate operations to be masterrred by a pirrate. Firrrstly, the buckle moosed be on corrrectly. Moosed be! Then the pirrrat moosed know what it means to swash it. Thet be the harrrd part, rright mateies?

Well to Hell wid you then. Do it yourrselves.

[PirateBoy, the Original. PS. Yar!]

Moosed Be Bullwinkle?

[nursecindyfanclub]

Wait, there's a guy on our blog who dresses like a pirate?

[John Baur]

Just a note to say "Thanks, Dave." Slappy and I were in Los Angeles this TLAPDay as guests of honor at a pirate party at a tattoo shop. Before your column about the holiday appeared, I never would have been able to write a sentence like that.

[John Baur]

Oh, to say that before your column Talk Like a Pirate Day was "relatively unknown" is a bit of an understatement. To my certain knowledge, it was known to about five people. When your column appeared, we thought, "Well hey, there's our 15 minutes of fame. It'll be over by this afternoon. Who knew? Within a week we'd been on the radio across the U.S. as well as in Australia and Ireland and it's never really slowed down since. And I don't think it was because of anything *we* did. We may be many things (just ask our wives and kids) but one thing we're NOT is ungrateful. "Relatively unknown?" That's like saying Barry Manilow's music is "more or less saccharine."

[Pirate Doris, the Badly Burnt]

@John Baur: Ahoy, matey!

[oneblankspace]

is it me hearties or me harties ? and what does the t'other one mean ?