SHIVER ME TIMBERS!

Mark the date in your calendar landlubbers, September 19^th is International Speak Like A Pirate Day.

As one of Cornwall’s oldest pubs we’ve been welcoming seafarers for over 300 years. We’re marking this parodic holiday by learning the lingo of our peg-legged friends. But first, how exactly did this holiday get started?

THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL SPEAK LIKE A PIRATE DAY

Created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy) of Albany, Oregon, it all started with a sports injury. After suffering an injury during a racketball game between Summers and Baur, one of them reacted to the pain with an outburst of “Aaarrr!”, and the idea was born.

LEARN THE LINGO

To become a certified seadog, you’ve got to know your terminology. On International Speak Like A Pirate Day, try out some of these famous phrases:

• Walk the plank – an old pirate punishment, where the unlucky sailor would have his hands tied behind his back and fed to the sharks. Brutal!
• Ahoy! – the way to greet a fellow pirate.
• Run a rig – to run a rig meant to play a trick or prank.
• Son of a biscuit eater – try out this bonkers pirate phrase, which seadogs apparently used to insult each other.
• Scuttle – to sink a ship.
• Three sheets to the wind – the perfect way to describe your friends after a few too many pints.
• Head – we’d have never guessed this one. The head was the name for the toilet on board the ship.
• Avast ye! – when you need to address someone urgently, use this phrase which translates to ‘stop you, and pay attention!’
• Batten down the hatches – a popular phrase used to prepare the ship for an upcoming storm.
• Hornswaggle – to cheat or swindle another pirate.

HIT THE DECK

Once you’ve got your vocabulary in order, head down to The Working Boat grab a pint and test them out on our crew. Established in 1876 and rebuilt in 2015, a harbour view pub has been on our site for over 300 years, placing us at the heart of Cornish culture and history. Salute the pirates and sailors of time gone by with a yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!