Avast ye, mateys! If it be September 19th, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day. And shiver me timbers, ‘tis a great chance to talk like a real seadog and leave your landlubber ways behind! Savvy, me hearties?
Get ready for a pirate lover’s favorite day of the year with a guide to the National Talk Like a Pirate Day, including its origins, ways to celebrate, and the best pirate phrases to use all day. Then batten down the hatches, sing a chanty or two, and enjoy a day of rousing pirate fun!
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What is Talk Like a Pirate Day?
Talk Like a Pirate Day is a day where people do exactly what it says: talk like a pirate! While this celebration isn’t an official holiday, it’s become popular in schools, offices, online, and wherever there are pirate enthusiasts around!
The pirate words and phrases used on Talk Like a Pirate Day mainly come from depictions of pirates in popular books and movies, starting with Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and Captain Hook in Peter Pan (1953). With games like LucasArts’ The Curse of Monkey Island and popular films like Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), the noble tradition of pirate vernacular continues!
When is National Talk Like a Pirate Day?
National Talk Like a Pirate Day is on September 19th every year, no matter what day of the week it is. Weekends are the perfect time to host pirate parties, but when Talk Like a Pirate Day falls on a weekday, you could host office or school pirate celebrations!
The origins of Talk Like a Pirate Day are just as friendly as the day intends to be. The holiday began in 1995, when pals Mark Summers and John Baur began speaking to each other in pirate slang. They coined the day “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and celebrated it every day on September 19th (Mark’s ex-wife’s birthday).
In 2002, popular columnist Dave Barry wrote a column about this unique holiday, which popularized Talk Like a Pirate Day for the rest of the world. The rest is history and fun (or as pirates would say, “Yo ho ho!”).
Best Talk Like a Pirate Day words and phrases
The key to a successful Talk Like a Pirate Day is picking up a variety of pirate lingo. Full of a collection of sailing terms, salty insults, a heavy sprinkling of “Arr!”, pirate vernacular is just as fun to use as it is to hear! Use these common pirate words and phrases to sound more authentic as you host your party or chat with your buccaneer-loving coworkers.
| Pirate Word or Phrase | Meaning |
| ahoy | hello |
| ahoy, matey | hello, friend |
| all hands on deck | everyone come and help |
| avast ye | turn around and pay attention |
| aye | yes |
| aye, aye | yes, sir |
| batten down the hatches | get ready for trouble coming |
| bilge rat | a loathsome person |
| blimey | wow |
| booty | treasure |
| buccaneer | pirate |
| cat o’nine tails | a whip or specialized punishment |
| chanty (or shanty) | pirate seafaring song |
| coffer | treasure chest |
| cutlass | heavy sword |
| Davy Jones’ locker | a myth for where pirates go when they die |
| dead men tell no tales | no survivors |
| doubloons | gold coins |
| grog | alcoholic drink |
| head | restroom or toilet |
| heave ho | work harder |
| hornswaggle | to cheat someone |
| Jolly Roger | iconic skull-and-bones pirate flag |
| lad | man |
| laddie | boy |
| lass | woman |
| lassie | girl |
| loot | stolen treasure |
| landlubber | a sailor or pirate without experience |
| maroon | to abandon someone |
| matey | friend |
| me hearties | my friends |
| mutiny | to overthrow the captain or leader |
| pieces of eight | gold coins |
| pillage | to rob or plunder |
| run a shot across the bow | warning |
| sail, ho | a ship is in sight |
| Savvy? | Do you understand? |
| scallywag | a rascal |
| scurvy | bad, distasteful |
| scurvy dog | a distasteful person |
| seadog | an experienced pirate |
| Shiver me timbers! | Wow! |
| son of a biscuit eater | someone you don’t like |
| thar she blows | a favorable sighting (usually a whale) |
| three sheets to the wind | drunk |
| victuals | food or provisions |
| walk the plank | walk off the ship (or just “go away”) |
| yo ho ho | an exclamation or chant during repetitive labor |
How to talk like a pirate
Adding a few pirate words into your speech isn’t quite enough to pass as a true buccaneer! Inspired by British English and French speech patterns, a proper pirate dialect involves substituting some words for others (and speaking as loudly and coarsely as you can!). Use these pirate speech tips to get fully into character on Talk Like a Pirate Day.
| English Word | Pirate Word | Example |
| am, are, is | be | He be gettin’ away! |
| I, my | me | That’s me treasure! |
| isn’t | ain’t (or tain’t) | The prisoner tain’t leavin’. |
| think | finks | Me finksye be a villain. |
| yes | aye | Aye, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day. |
| you | ye | Where ye be hiding? |
| your | yer | Keep yer hands off my treasure! |
| h- (beginning sounds) | drop the h | ‘ello, me hearties! |
| –v– (middle sounds) | drop the v | We ne’er set sail. |
| –g (ending sounds) | drop the g | They’re sailin’ away! |
Ideas for celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day
Now that you have the speech down, it’s time to celebrate! Find inspiration in these national Talk Like a Pirate Day activities that work wherever you find yourself this September 19th.
- Choose a pirate name. Create your own or use a pirate name generator to come up with a name worthy of a true buccaneer!
- Dress up. All you need is an eye patch, pirate hat, and bandanna to get a costume started.
- Set up a treasure hunt. Perfect for parties in your office, school, or neighborhood, this activity is guaranteed to make your guests yell, “Avast, ye scallawags! The doubloons be mine!”
- Learn a sea chanty. Find a recent video of popular sea chanties or look up authentic ditties to inspire your fellow seadogs.
- Capture the (pirate) flag. If the September weather is favorable, host an outdoor game of Capture the Flag with a Jolly Roger pirate flag!
Torn on the best way to show your pirate colors? Host a pirate-themed party where you can do all of the above paired with fruits, finger foods, and lots of grog for adults!
Yo ho ho and a new language for ye!
Whether ye be a scallywag or a worthy matey, international Talk Like a Pirate Day is the perfect chance to embrace a new way of talking. When September 19th is over, embrace the spirit of bilingualism by learning “cheers” in different languages, and be ready for those holiday toasts and feasts! Learn more about how Rosetta Stone works to get started today.
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