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Today's contribution to the Pirate Lego community... my official pirate
lexicon. I'm taking a crew to the Bahamas in June and we'll be
performing/ministering/building at an orphanage with my little skit production
known as "Swashbuckler's Island." To help my drama team get into character, I
compiled the below. Any feedback, corrections, are appreciated.
Markus
How to Talk Like a Pirate
It's easy to be a swashbuckling buccaneer. You only need to understand
the rules of speech. The vast majority of this material was taken from
fictional literary sources, videos, internet junk, and etc., implying that
this is more "Hollywood lingo" or pirate mythos, and not necessarily all that
historically accurate. I must give credit to Sid Fleischmann, an awesome
author who wrote alot of cool pirate books that I got lots of colorful
material from.
A Few "Grammar" Rules for Pirate Lingo
Start with a Cockney accent, the fun English accent
Say "ye" instead of "you"
Say "me" instead of "my" e.g. "Taste me steel, ye old shark"
Drop the "h" frequently in strong "h"-words like him and his e.g. "This
is 'im, Captain, the thief"
Don't say "no" but say "nay",
Don't say "yes" but say "aye" (pronounced like "eye")
Don't use the word "it" but drop the "i" and attach the "T" to the next word
e.g. " 'twas quite an evening" , " 'tis time for sleep" (like in
Christmas songs)
Use the term "pray" instead of "please" e.g. "Pray, hand me that pistol"
Use "be" instead of "is" e.g. "There be treasure on this island"
Use singular case of verb frequently for plural usage e.g. "They wants a fair
wind"
Drop the "f" in the word "of" e.g. "bit o' luck", "pack o' thieves"
Try an "a" and drop the "g" on "ing" verbs e.g. "He's a-scrubbin' the pots"
Use "nary" instead of "none" or "zero" or "hardly" e.g. "There be nary a soul
on board"
Replace "thought" with the word "thunk" e.g. " 'E thunk 'e left me peg leg in
the crow's nest"
When talking numbers, tell the tens place last, e.g. "four and twenty" or "one
hundred six and forty"
What Pirates Call One Another
buccaneers
cutthroats
sea-dogs
seafaring men,
sea men
Collected Pirate Name Calling (and other non-niceties)
bloodsucker, codfish, shark, vulture, cannibal
landlubber - civilian (one of those losers who live on land, couldn't survive
on the high seas)
long legged sea worm
scoundrel - trouble maker
scurvy rogue/ scurvy hearted - mean rebellious guy
whelp - literally a "young dog"
wretches -
hen-hearted numbskull - coward (isn't that fun)
scurvy-necked,
bilge headed cabbage
scrawny keel-nosed jailbird
sniveling bilge rat
swivel-eyed, mutinous scum
belly-aching turnip
mutineering sack of bones
swab
Positive Names and words
comrade
hearties - friends "Ahoy, me hearties"
jolly - high spirited
mates - friends/associates
rascal - harmless trouble maker; the good kind
shipmate
Unofficial Pirate Dictionary (if it ain't defined, it's either obvious or I
don't know)
afore - before
Ahoy - "Hey there!" - a sailor's call.
aloft - above
Articles - Contract signed by sailors when joining the crew of a ship. It set
out shipboard rules and the sailor's share of the profits.
as true as a church bell - a cool pirate cliche' for honesty
Avast! - Stop
Blazes! Blast Ye! By Thunder! - common pirate interjections
babes - babies, little ones
band - a group or bunch
be quick about it
beggarly - ragged and tattered looking
bloodthirsty - thirsty for blood (duh)
Blow - Short, intense gale or storm.
booty - the treasure and valuable stuff that pirates steal or plunder
Captain - A person elected by the pirate crew and in charge of battles.
cast off - leave port
castaway - someone or something abandoned (or marrooned)
cast your eyes - look
Cat-o'-nine-tails A whip made from knotted ropes. Sailors were flogged with
this whip to punish them for misdeeds.
clatterwacking - making all kinds of noise (me heart is clatterwacking)
colors - flag
combing the sea - searching the oceans for
cutlass - sword
dainty - feminine, wimpy, beautiful (but positive when related to a "dainty
lass")
a day befitting such a grand occasion - a great day for this wonderful event
Davy Jones' Locker - The bottom of the sea, or the grave of sailors drowned at
sea.
doubloon - old Spanish coins (see also pieces of eight)
ducats - (duk' ut) old European coins, good pirate treasure
Earrings and Eyepatches - Decorations favoured by pirates to make themselves
look fierce and unruly
farthings and coppers - small change for pirates
fetch - to get "Fetch me the map"
"a fiddlesticks end" - piratey for "baloney"
flagon - bottle (also cask, and hogshead)
flogging - hit with a stick of whip, usually 39 times, typical pirate
punishment
for sure and certain - absolutely positively
free as a seabird
gets wind of - hears about
gibberish - speech (nonsensical or at least too much)
gold dinars (from the Red Sea) - pirate treasure
golden guineas - currency/money/treasure
green - new e.g. "He's a bit green"
Grommet Apprentice sailor, or ship's boy.
have a notion - have an idea
have a go - try
heavy-hearted - sad
high spirited - energetic
henceforth - from now on
me hide - my body
hoist - to lift (see usage in ship terminology)
hot as pitch
jabbering - talking
jigamaree - a trick
jigameered - fooled
Jolly Roger The flag flown by all pirate ships. The Jolly Roger is a white
skull and crossbones on a black background.
joshing - lying
a king's ransom - alot of money
knavery - mischief
lads and lasses - boys and girls
Land ho! A sailor's call when land is sighted.
Landlubber A person unfamiliar with the sea and sailing. Lubber is an old word
for someone who is big and clumsy.
learn ya - teach you
lively - get ready
make the rafters sing - make lots of noise
maroon - to abandon someone on an island
Mate - makes sure that the sailors carry out the captain's orders. This person
is also responsible for stowing cargo and organising the crew's work.
may his timbers rest in peace - nice pirate eulogy
merest glimpse - catch a glimpse
merry - happy
monstrous - huge
mutiny - overthrow a captain
peculiar goings-on - strange activities
Peg Leg A nickname for a pirate with a wooden leg.
pieces of eight - unit of money, most popular (see also doubloon)
pillage, plunder, loot - to steal
plaguey - disgusting/ gross
pot of grog - container of pirate's favorite beverage, rum diluted with water
powerful yearning - strong desire
Prize - A captured ship full of treasure
quackery - foolishness
Quartermaster - The Quartermaster was the crew's representative on a pirate
ship. He had almost as much authority as the Captain.
saw fit - seemed right
set your lamps on this - take a hard look at
scurvy - disease from lack of vitamin C
seems to be amiss - seems to be wrong
splendiferous - incredible, fantastic
step lively - walk fast
stout lad - brave boy
stowaway- someone who sneaks aboard a ship without pay or account
strange manner of - unusual type of
string him up from the yardarms - hang him from the mast
squall - cloud burst
Swab - A mop used to wash the decks
"take a fancy to" - enjoy doing
taste me steel - "eat sword, bad pirate guy"
that's the was and wasn't of it - that's the whole story, the rest of the story
touchy as gunpowder -
temperish - easily angered
tender age - young; implying innocence
that oughta put fire under yer bellies - that should get you motivated
a thin slice of luck - real lucky
"To Arms!" - Grab your weapons, we're fighting
toil - to work (usually hard work)
underfoot - in the way "Don't get underfoot, me heartie"
Walk the Plank - A blindfolded prisoner, hands tied to his sides, was forced
to walk a plank over the side of the ship into the sea.
what ails ya? - what's bothering you?
What say ye to that?- Whattaya think
what brand of seaworm would...? What type of person would...
wiley - tricky, sneaky (the original definition)
womenfolk - ladies
Ship Vocabulary
anchors aweigh - lift up the anchors
batten down the hatches- "close the doorways" (trapdoor type openings to be
shut in storms & such)
Bow - Front of ship
brig - ships prison
Castles The raised sections of sailing ships.
crows nest - the area up in the mast where the look-out guy hangs out
Deck The exposed area of the ship where the sailors worked on the sails.
Fo'c's'le Short for Forecastle. A short raised deck at the bow of the ship.
Nowadays, the front part of the ship where the crew lives.
galley - the ship cafeteria
hard over to starboard - sharp turn to right
hoist the gangplank - take up the board that people walk on to enter the boat"
(we're leaving"
hoist the main sails - put up the main sails
hold course - stay in the direction you're going (can also relate to every day
life)
Keel Lowest lengthwise piece of timber under the hull of the ship.
Mast An upright pole which supports a sail. Sailing ships had several masts -
a mainmast, foremast, aftmast and bowsprit.
port - lefthand side of boat Port
quarter-deck - elevated deck where the Captain stands, ship's wheel is here,
overview rest of ship, reserved for ship's officers
raising sail - lifting up the sails, preparing to catch the wind and leave
reef the mainsail - take down the main sail
set sail- get ready to go
ship out - go to sea
starboard - right-hand side of boat
steady as you go - stay on course
stern - rear of ship
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Hi Markus!
Wow, that was hilarious! Thanks for a great laugh.
Me thinks ye might be a true rascal (the positive kind ;-)
One thing ye might wan'na add; "Arr" before, after and in the middle of every
sentence!
Our Improv club had a pirate fit one day, and we came up with tons of silly
"Arr" jokes... it's easy, just substitute a very strong "Arr" whenever you say
something like "Arr-mory", "Arr-ctic" "Arr-mpits", that sorta thing... ;-)
I'll be a-seein' ye latArr!
-Shiri
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Aargh,
Glad you like it, lassie. When I be aboard the Mornin'star, I be known as
Captain Mordecai Blunderbus. As I'm a reformed pirate o' sorts, I've replaced
the old skull and crossbones with a white smiley face 'n bowtie. Sure and
certain, from a distance one can 'ardly tell the difference...
Markus
In lugnet.pirates, Shiri Dori writes:
> Hi Markus!
>
> Wow, that was hilarious! Thanks for a great laugh.
> Me thinks ye might be a true rascal (the positive kind ;-)
>
> One thing ye might wan'na add; "Arr" before, after and in the middle of every
> sentence!
> Our Improv club had a pirate fit one day, and we came up with tons of silly
> "Arr" jokes... it's easy, just substitute a very strong "Arr" whenever you say
> something like "Arr-mory", "Arr-ctic" "Arr-mpits", that sorta thing... ;-)
>
> I'll be a-seein' ye latArr!
> -Shiri
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Markus Wolf wrote:
> Aargh,
"No, not 'aargh,' it's 'aaaaaaarrrrrrr.'" (Not "ooo!" as in Surprise or Alarm)
sorry, had to.
> Glad you like it, lassie. When I be aboard the Mornin'star, I be known as
> Captain Mordecai Blunderbus. As I'm a reformed pirate o' sorts, I've replaced
> the old skull and crossbones with a white smiley face 'n bowtie. Sure and
> certain, from a distance one can 'ardly tell the difference...
You may also want to note that "Captain" is usually said "Cap'n." Vowels in
unstressed syllables tend to drop out in the debased Midlands that stereotypical
pirates like to speak.
best
LFB
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In lugnet.pirates, Lindsay Frederick Braun writes:
>
>
> Markus Wolf wrote:
>
> > Aargh,
>
> "No, not 'aargh,' it's 'aaaaaaarrrrrrr.'" (Not "ooo!" as in Surprise or • Alarm)
>
I understand what you mean. I just don't understand why they say Aaarrr all
the time. I guess I read too much Charlie Brown.
> sorry, had to.
>
> > Glad you like it, lassie. When I be aboard the Mornin'star, I be known • as
> > Captain Mordecai Blunderbus. As I'm a reformed pirate o' sorts, I've • replaced
> > the old skull and crossbones with a white smiley face 'n bowtie. Sure and
> > certain, from a distance one can 'ardly tell the difference...
>
> You may also want to note that "Captain" is usually said "Cap'n." Vowels in
> unstressed syllables tend to drop out in the debased Midlands that • stereotypical
> pirates like to speak.
As in Cap'n Crunch? And speaking of the world's greatest Cereal mascot, I
miss the Soggies and Chockle the mascot from the short-lived Chococrunch
Cereal, and the old Crunchberry Beast. Does anyone remember Jean LaFoote, the
bad pirate on Captain... er, Cap'n Crunch? And those kids of which I only
remember Brunhilde?
Whoa, that was a serious rabbit trail... I guess the term "Cap'n" just
sparked some strange untapped memory stream. Excuse me while I sit down...
Markus
Who's barely on this side of the line of off-topic...
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In lugnet.pirates, Markus Wolf writes:
> Today's contribution to the Pirate Lego community... my official pirate
> lexicon. I'm taking a crew to the Bahamas in June and we'll be
> performing/ministering/building at an orphanage with my little skit production
> known as "Swashbuckler's Island." To help my drama team get into character, I
> compiled the below. Any feedback, corrections, are appreciated.
>
> Markus
>
> How to Talk Like a Pirate
>
> It's easy to be a swashbuckling buccaneer. You only need to understand
> the rules of speech. The vast majority of this material was taken from
> fictional literary sources, videos, internet junk, and etc., implying that
> this is more "Hollywood lingo" or pirate mythos, and not necessarily all that
> historically accurate. I must give credit to Sid Fleischmann, an awesome
> author who wrote alot of cool pirate books that I got lots of colorful
> material from.
>
> A Few "Grammar" Rules for Pirate Lingo
> Start with a Cockney accent, the fun English accent
> Say "ye" instead of "you"
> Say "me" instead of "my" e.g. "Taste me steel, ye old shark"
> Drop the "h" frequently in strong "h"-words like him and his e.g. "This
> is 'im, Captain, the thief"
Arrrr, ye be violatin' the rules awready, ye lubber. This be 'im, Cap'n. Ye
be conjugatin' the bloody verb.
> Don't say "no" but say "nay",
Aye! Uh, nay, arrr, this be a trick question.
> Don't say "yes" but say "aye" (pronounced like "eye")
Aye-aye, Cap'n.
> Don't use the word "it" but drop the "i" and attach the "T" to the next word
> e.g. " 'twas quite an evening" , " 'tis time for sleep" (like in
Tisn't! Always be argumentative-like. We pyrates be socialists that flout
authority.
> Christmas songs)
> Use the term "pray" instead of "please" e.g. "Pray, hand me that pistol"
Polite be right out!
> Use "be" instead of "is" e.g. "There be treasure on this island"
Thar be treasure. Pronounce the "arrrrrr" so far back in yer throat that ye
swallow it.
> Use singular case of verb frequently for plural usage e.g. "They wants a fair
> wind"
> Drop the "f" in the word "of" e.g. "bit o' luck", "pack o' thieves"
Bloody Irish pyrates, I be thinkin'. I be havin' a cousin named O'Thief,
methinks.
> Try an "a" and drop the "g" on "ing" verbs e.g. "He's a-scrubbin' the pots"
Yer conjugatin' agin.
> Use "nary" instead of "none" or "zero" or "hardly" e.g. "There be nary a soul
> on board"
> Replace "thought" with the word "thunk" e.g. " 'E thunk 'e left me peg leg in
> the crow's nest"
> When talking numbers, tell the tens place last, e.g. "four and twenty" or "one
> hundred six and forty"
>
> What Pirates Call One Another
> buccaneers
> cutthroats
> sea-dogs
> seafaring men,
> sea men
Ye left off corsair, ye sea-dog! Been samplin' too much grog.
I be a-wading through the rest o'yer list at 8 bells. Splice the mainbrace in
the meantyme...
The Corsair
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In lugnet.pirates, Bruce Schlickbernd writes:
> In lugnet.pirates, Markus Wolf writes:
> > Today's contribution to the Pirate Lego community... my official pirate
> > lexicon. I'm taking a crew to the Bahamas in June and we'll be
> > performing/ministering/building at an orphanage with my little skit • production
> > known as "Swashbuckler's Island." To help my drama team get into character, • I
> > compiled the below. Any feedback, corrections, are appreciated.
> >
> > Markus
> >
> > How to Talk Like a Pirate
> >
> > It's easy to be a swashbuckling buccaneer. You only need to understand
> > the rules of speech. The vast majority of this material was taken from
> > fictional literary sources, videos, internet junk, and etc., implying that
> > this is more "Hollywood lingo" or pirate mythos, and not necessarily all that
> > historically accurate. I must give credit to Sid Fleischmann, an awesome
> > author who wrote alot of cool pirate books that I got lots of colorful
> > material from.
> >
> > A Few "Grammar" Rules for Pirate Lingo
> > Start with a Cockney accent, the fun English accent
> > Say "ye" instead of "you"
> > Say "me" instead of "my" e.g. "Taste me steel, ye old shark"
> > Drop the "h" frequently in strong "h"-words like him and his e.g. "This
> > is 'im, Captain, the thief"
>
> Arrrr, ye be violatin' the rules awready, ye lubber. This be 'im, Cap'n. Ye
> be conjugatin' the bloody verb.
>
> > Don't say "no" but say "nay",
>
> Aye! Uh, nay, arrr, this be a trick question.
>
> > Don't say "yes" but say "aye" (pronounced like "eye")
>
> Aye-aye, Cap'n.
>
> > Don't use the word "it" but drop the "i" and attach the "T" to the next word
> > e.g. " 'twas quite an evening" , " 'tis time for sleep" (like in
>
> Tisn't! Always be argumentative-like. We pyrates be socialists that flout
> authority.
>
> > Christmas songs)
> > Use the term "pray" instead of "please" e.g. "Pray, hand me that pistol"
>
> Polite be right out!
>
> > Use "be" instead of "is" e.g. "There be treasure on this island"
>
> Thar be treasure. Pronounce the "arrrrrr" so far back in yer throat that ye
> swallow it.
>
> > Use singular case of verb frequently for plural usage e.g. "They wants a fair
> > wind"
> > Drop the "f" in the word "of" e.g. "bit o' luck", "pack o' thieves"
>
> Bloody Irish pyrates, I be thinkin'. I be havin' a cousin named O'Thief,
> methinks.
>
> > Try an "a" and drop the "g" on "ing" verbs e.g. "He's a-scrubbin' the pots"
>
> Yer conjugatin' agin.
>
> > Use "nary" instead of "none" or "zero" or "hardly" e.g. "There be nary a • soul
> > on board"
> > Replace "thought" with the word "thunk" e.g. " 'E thunk 'e left me peg leg • in
> > the crow's nest"
> > When talking numbers, tell the tens place last, e.g. "four and twenty" • or "one
> > hundred six and forty"
> >
> > What Pirates Call One Another
> > buccaneers
> > cutthroats
> > sea-dogs
> > seafaring men,
> > sea men
>
> Ye left off corsair, ye sea-dog! Been samplin' too much grog.
>
> I be a-wading through the rest o'yer list at 8 bells. Splice the mainbrace in
> the meantyme...
>
> The Corsair
Aye,
Thanks for the corrections. Sure and certain, I always thought Corsair
were a type of ship, but Webster uses the word for both a ship and a pyrate.
One quick question regarding me frequent conjugatin' of the verb "to be."
Does anything happen in the past and future tense? These sound right to me
but I be makin' em up on the fly.
Past Tense: She were a-swabbin' the deck a fortnight ago.
We was 'ere at the cove fer many a night.
Future You will be 'ung from the yard-arm in a weeks time.
What 'appens to me contractions? Be they manifestations of a later grammar?
Markus
They's no greater pop-culture pyrates than these that rides the wind of Lego.
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On Mon, 24 Apr 2000, Markus Wolf wrote:
> Thanks for the corrections. Sure and certain, I always thought
> Corsair were a type of ship, but Webster uses the word for both a ship
> and a pyrate.
Corsairs were the pirates of the Mediterranean - specifically of the
Barbary coast (what is now modern-day Libya).
Buccaneers were a group of pirates that originated on Hispanola - but the
term later became used in a general sense for Carribean pirates towards
the latter part of the Golden Age of piracy (late 1600s, early 1700s).
If I recall correctly, "Buccaneer" is derived from the way that the group
on Hispanola cooked their meat -- barbeque. I'll check my tomes when I
return home, but I'm 95% sure that that is correct.
J.
o-----------------------------------o
| Jeffrey Watts |
| watts@jayhawks.net o-----------------------------------------o
| Systems Programmer | "You only have power over people as |
| Network Systems Management | long as you don't take everything away |
| Sprint Communications | from them. But when you've robbed a |
o----------------------------| man of everything he's no longer in |
| your power -- he's free again." |
| -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn |
o-----------------------------------------o
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In lugnet.pirates, Jeffrey Watts writes:
> On Mon, 24 Apr 2000, Markus Wolf wrote:
>
> > Thanks for the corrections. Sure and certain, I always thought
> > Corsair were a type of ship, but Webster uses the word for both a ship
> > and a pyrate.
>
> Corsairs were the pirates of the Mediterranean - specifically of the
> Barbary coast (what is now modern-day Libya).
>
> Buccaneers were a group of pirates that originated on Hispanola - but the
> term later became used in a general sense for Carribean pirates towards
> the latter part of the Golden Age of piracy (late 1600s, early 1700s).
>
> If I recall correctly, "Buccaneer" is derived from the way that the group
> on Hispanola cooked their meat -- barbeque. I'll check my tomes when I
> return home, but I'm 95% sure that that is correct.
>
> J.
Don't bother to look - you are correct on all accounts. "Corsair" is most
often related to the Barbary pirates, but it also meant a privateer (sanctioned
piracy - but again, usually associated with north african pirates). I've seen
the dictionary vaguely refer to a corsair as a ship, but I haven't seen it
applied to a specific type. It seems to be refering to the purpose of the
ship, not the ship itself (meaning virtually anything could be a "corsair" just
as anything could be a "privateer").
The barbequed meat (closer to smoking I imagine because the purpose was to dry
the meat to preserve it) was known as boucan.
Bruce
The Corsair
(The pyrate formerly known as Redbeard - but after a week's vacation from
shaving, has confirmed the sad truth that that no longer applies)
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Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
> Don't bother to look - you are correct on all accounts. "Corsair" is most
> often related to the Barbary pirates, but it also meant a privateer (sanctioned
> piracy - but again, usually associated with north african pirates). I've seen
> the dictionary vaguely refer to a corsair as a ship, but I haven't seen it
> applied to a specific type. It seems to be refering to the purpose of the
> ship, not the ship itself (meaning virtually anything could be a "corsair" just
> as anything could be a "privateer").
The ship type "corsair" is derived from the type of boat--a semi-militarised dhow,
if I'm not mistaken--that the pyrate sort of Corsair would use. Later it was
extended to other ship types used by such raiders. IIRC it's a motile
category--but usually the ships have to be lateen-rigged; ship-rigs tend not to be
called "corsairs." Oh, and of course, the Vought Corporation made many corsairs of
a *third* sort between 1942 and 1946. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's also derived from
the pyrate and ship. ;) )
> The barbequed meat (closer to smoking I imagine because the purpose was to dry
> the meat to preserve it) was known as boucan.
In your ear! In your boucan ear! ;) (Or some similar derivation.)
> Bruce
> The Corsair
> (The pyrate formerly known as Redbeard - but after a week's vacation from
> shaving, has confirmed the sad truth that that no longer applies)
Spray paint can fix that. ;)
best
LFB
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In lugnet.pirates, Lindsay Frederick Braun writes:
>
>
> Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
>
> > Don't bother to look - you are correct on all accounts. "Corsair" is most
> > often related to the Barbary pirates, but it also meant a privateer • (sanctioned
> > piracy - but again, usually associated with north african pirates). I've • seen
> > the dictionary vaguely refer to a corsair as a ship, but I haven't seen it
> > applied to a specific type. It seems to be refering to the purpose of the
> > ship, not the ship itself (meaning virtually anything could be a "corsair" • just
> > as anything could be a "privateer").
>
> The ship type "corsair" is derived from the type of boat--a semi-militarised • dhow,
> if I'm not mistaken--that the pyrate sort of Corsair would use. Later it was
> extended to other ship types used by such raiders. IIRC it's a motile
> category--but usually the ships have to be lateen-rigged; ship-rigs tend not • to be
> called "corsairs." Oh, and of course, the Vought Corporation made many • corsairs of
> a *third* sort between 1942 and 1946. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's also derived • from
> the pyrate and ship. ;) )
Arrrrrrr, Chance-Vought Corsairs tain't pyrates, ye lubberly comedian.
Though now that I think about it, that was primarily a Marine fighter, wasn't
it? :-)
I haven't seen Dhows singled out as a "corsair", though they were certainly
used widely in north africa. Xebecs and various galleys (dromons, what not)
were used by the various pirate nations, in addition to other vessels. Lateen
rig was more of a by-the-way since that was fairly standard in the Med,
especially on the southern side.
>
> > The barbequed meat (closer to smoking I imagine because the purpose was to • dry
> > the meat to preserve it) was known as boucan.
>
> In your ear! In your boucan ear! ;) (Or some similar derivation.)
I be having yer boucan ear right here, matey! :-)
>
> > Bruce
> > The Corsair
> > (The pyrate formerly known as Redbeard - but after a week's vacation from
> > shaving, has confirmed the sad truth that that no longer applies)
>
> Spray paint can fix that. ;)
That be butcher than Clairol, I be supposin'.
Bruce
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On Mon, 24 Apr 2000, Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
> The barbequed meat (closer to smoking I imagine because the purpose
> was to dry the meat to preserve it) was known as boucan.
Right, and "to smoke-dry" or "to cure" is "boucaner". So one could call
the Caribbean pirates from Hispanola the "Jerkys". :-)
By the way, anyone interested in a good historical pirate book (other than
_A General History of the Pyrates_, which is attributed to Defoe) should
read _Under The Black Flag - the romance and reality of life among the
pirates_ by David Cordingly. It's a wonderful read, and is
well-researched. Anyone interested in learning how pirates actually lived
should pick this work up. Also, it has a really cool cover. :-)
Jeffrey.
o-----------------------------------o
| Jeffrey Watts |
| watts@jayhawks.net o-----------------------------------------o
| Systems Programmer | "I entered the office and tossed my hat |
| Network Systems Management | at the coat rack. It missed, hit the |
| Sprint Communications | heater, and instantly burst into |
o----------------------------| flames. That reminded me: I had some |
| work to do in Windows." |
| -- Lincoln Spector |
| "The Maltese Penguin" |
o-----------------------------------------o
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| |
|
In lugnet.pirates, Jeffrey Watts writes:
> On Mon, 24 Apr 2000, Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
>
> > The barbequed meat (closer to smoking I imagine because the purpose
> > was to dry the meat to preserve it) was known as boucan.
>
> Right, and "to smoke-dry" or "to cure" is "boucaner". So one could call
> the Caribbean pirates from Hispanola the "Jerkys". :-)
We be the Jerky Boyz 2 Pyrates. We be cool.
>
> By the way, anyone interested in a good historical pirate book (other than
> _A General History of the Pyrates_, which is attributed to Defoe) should
> read _Under The Black Flag - the romance and reality of life among the
> pirates_ by David Cordingly. It's a wonderful read, and is
> well-researched. Anyone interested in learning how pirates actually lived
> should pick this work up. Also, it has a really cool cover. :-)
>
> Jeffrey.
Under the Black Flag was good general overview of Pirates and their
mythification. A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most
Notorious Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson (there is a version out that lists
Defoe as the author, but that is by no means certain - readers may find it
listed under either name) forms the basis of many general works on pirates.
And rather than refer to various books myself, the interested reader should
check out:
http://www.discover.net/~nqgiven/bibl.htm
Bruce
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On Tue, 25 Apr 2000, Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
> And rather than refer to various books myself, the interested reader
> should check out:
>
> http://www.discover.net/~nqgiven/bibl.htm
Great link! Thanks.
Want to hear a mindblower? I didn't really start to read up on Carribean
or pirate history until the mid-nineties. It wasn't until then that I
read about Sir Francis Drake and the buccaneer raids on Panama.
What's interesting about that? In 1991, while with the National Guard, I
went to Panama to build roads and bridges and repair schools in a poor
area east of Colon. Our compound was in a thicket near a circular bay,
which was necessary because the heavy bulldozers and earth movers had to
be amphibiously landed. There was a nice little town on the shore of this
bay, near the compound. We would buy sodas and other goods in this town.
I remember the name of the town quite well, given that I was acting as
translator for my company and I really liked the unique name this town
had, "Name Of God". I had wondered what those ruins at the tips of the
bay were.
What was the Spanish name? Nombre De Dios.
I wish to this day that I had driven one of our deuce-and-a-halfs out
there. I do have a decent shot of some fortifications along the coast
about mid-way to Colon, taken from the bus. Get this, I think they were
at Portobelo. *sigh*
Jeffrey.
o-----------------------------------o
| Jeffrey Watts |
| watts@jayhawks.net o-----------------------------------------o
| Systems Programmer | "You know that saying, 'To everything |
| Network Systems Management | there is a season'? Well I'm still |
| Sprint Communications | waiting for Loud Neighbor's Cat Season |
o----------------------------| to open." |
| -- Paul Keifer |
o-----------------------------------------o
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In lugnet.pirates, Jeffrey Watts writes:
> Want to hear a mindblower? I didn't really start to read up on Carribean
> or pirate history until the mid-nineties. It wasn't until then that I
> read about Sir Francis Drake and the buccaneer raids on Panama.
Ack, yes. I wrote on the Circumnavigation (1577-80) as a
lowly undergraduate. ;) I've always wondered if Drake can
be considered a true "buccaneer" or pyrate; he was operating
under marque from Elizabeth, and was a privateer very much
in the mould of his mentor and friend, John Hawkins. After
all, he did end up formulating the harassing strategy against
Philip's Armada of 1588.
> What's interesting about that? In 1991, while with the National Guard, I
> went to Panama to build roads and bridges and repair schools in a poor
> area east of Colon. Our compound was in a thicket near a circular bay,
> which was necessary because the heavy bulldozers and earth movers had to
> be amphibiously landed. There was a nice little town on the shore of this
> bay, near the compound. We would buy sodas and other goods in this town.
>
> I remember the name of the town quite well, given that I was acting as
> translator for my company and I really liked the unique name this town
> had, "Name Of God". I had wondered what those ruins at the tips of the
> bay were.
>
> What was the Spanish name? Nombre De Dios.
*SMACK* in the face with the Halibut of History! Wow,
I'm sorry you didn't take a truck into Portobelo too,
and/or check out the fortifications. I would have
loved to hear *that* story! Field trip, anyone? I've
got the quinine! ;)
> I wish to this day that I had driven one of our deuce-and-a-halfs out
> there. I do have a decent shot of some fortifications along the coast
> about mid-way to Colon, taken from the bus. Get this, I think they were
> at Portobelo. *sigh*
So long as you didn't stub your toe on any Morions.
(You'd need a tetanus shot!) Wow. That's pretty cool.
My "Drake Near-Miss" is a little less heady--I was
walking near Southwark Cathedral (in daylight, lest
you concern yourself for my safety) and around a corner
*wham* (halibut!) there's the spitting image of a teeny
tiny 16th-century privateering vessel floating in the
water. It turns out this is the reproduction of
_Golden Hinde_ (with or without the E, take your pick)
built in 1977 to commemorate the quadrucentennial
(tetracentennial?) of Drake's departure. I spoke with
a very nice but obviously very harassed girl from Perth
(Aus.) who was working the summer on the ship as a guide
(in period sea-dog costume, which I must say looked rather
spiffy! A living Pirate Babe!) and she gave me the low-
down on it. It's a must-see if you happen to be in
London, even if it's a loose interpretation because only
written descriptions of Drake's ship still exist, with rough
dimensions. In any case, that thing was *absolutely friggin'
tiny*, about the size of a double-decker London Transport
bus, and they sailed it around the globe! It makes
Drake's exploits all the more amazing.
best
Lindsay
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In lugnet.pirates, Lindsay Frederick Braun writes:
> In lugnet.pirates, Jeffrey Watts writes:
> > Want to hear a mindblower? I didn't really start to read up on Carribean
> > or pirate history until the mid-nineties. It wasn't until then that I
> > read about Sir Francis Drake and the buccaneer raids on Panama.
>
> Ack, yes. I wrote on the Circumnavigation (1577-80) as a
> lowly undergraduate. ;) I've always wondered if Drake can
> be considered a true "buccaneer" or pyrate; he was operating
> under marque from Elizabeth, and was a privateer very much
> in the mould of his mentor and friend, John Hawkins. After
> all, he did end up formulating the harassing strategy against
> Philip's Armada of 1588.
It's kind like politics: to the English he was a national hero, to the Spanish
he was a pirate. :-)
Since he had direct or indirect sanction from Elizabeth ("Oooo, I'm sorry about
that sea-dog Mister Spanish Ambassador, I'll punish him severely. Drakey-poo,
hold out your wrist for me to slap. There, all better now") I'd agree that he
was primarily of the privateer side of things.
>
> > What's interesting about that? In 1991, while with the National Guard, I
> > went to Panama to build roads and bridges and repair schools in a poor
> > area east of Colon. Our compound was in a thicket near a circular bay,
> > which was necessary because the heavy bulldozers and earth movers had to
> > be amphibiously landed. There was a nice little town on the shore of this
> > bay, near the compound. We would buy sodas and other goods in this town.
> >
> > I remember the name of the town quite well, given that I was acting as
> > translator for my company and I really liked the unique name this town
> > had, "Name Of God". I had wondered what those ruins at the tips of the
> > bay were.
> >
> > What was the Spanish name? Nombre De Dios.
>
> *SMACK* in the face with the Halibut of History! Wow,
> I'm sorry you didn't take a truck into Portobelo too,
> and/or check out the fortifications. I would have
> loved to hear *that* story! Field trip, anyone? I've
> got the quinine! ;)
>
> > I wish to this day that I had driven one of our deuce-and-a-halfs out
> > there. I do have a decent shot of some fortifications along the coast
> > about mid-way to Colon, taken from the bus. Get this, I think they were
> > at Portobelo. *sigh*
>
> So long as you didn't stub your toe on any Morions.
> (You'd need a tetanus shot!) Wow. That's pretty cool.
>
> My "Drake Near-Miss" is a little less heady--I was
> walking near Southwark Cathedral (in daylight, lest
> you concern yourself for my safety) and around a corner
> *wham* (halibut!) there's the spitting image of a teeny
> tiny 16th-century privateering vessel floating in the
> water. It turns out this is the reproduction of
> _Golden Hinde_ (with or without the E, take your pick)
> built in 1977 to commemorate the quadrucentennial
> (tetracentennial?) of Drake's departure. I spoke with
> a very nice but obviously very harassed girl from Perth
> (Aus.) who was working the summer on the ship as a guide
> (in period sea-dog costume, which I must say looked rather
> spiffy! A living Pirate Babe!) and she gave me the low-
> down on it. It's a must-see if you happen to be in
> London, even if it's a loose interpretation because only
> written descriptions of Drake's ship still exist, with rough
> dimensions. In any case, that thing was *absolutely friggin'
> tiny*, about the size of a double-decker London Transport
> bus, and they sailed it around the globe! It makes
> Drake's exploits all the more amazing.
>
> best
>
> Lindsay
Hmmmm, I think I saw it at San Francisco when it was making its
circumnavigation (maybe it was Long Beach - I forget). The thing that struck
me was it looked so tippy with those tall castles. And tiny! Tiny, tiny,
tiny (and it was surrounded by much larger sailing ships, just to reinforce the
impression).
And for those who have never seen it, check out the movie Swashbuckler
(indifferent pirate movie with Robert Shaw and James Earl Jones). The pirate
ship in that is the Golden Hinde reproduction.
Bruce
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Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
> And for those who have never seen it, check out the movie Swashbuckler
> (indifferent pirate movie with Robert Shaw and James Earl Jones). The pirate
> ship in that is the Golden Hinde reproduction.
Somehow I can't imagine too many indifferent pirates. "Plunder, me hardies?"
"Nah, maybe later, I dunno."
;) LFB (wiseacre on half an hour of sleep)
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In lugnet.pirates, Lindsay Frederick Braun writes:
>
>
> Bruce Schlickbernd wrote:
>
> > And for those who have never seen it, check out the movie Swashbuckler
> > (indifferent pirate movie with Robert Shaw and James Earl Jones). The • pirate
> > ship in that is the Golden Hinde reproduction.
>
> Somehow I can't imagine too many indifferent pirates. "Plunder, me hardies?"
> "Nah, maybe later, I dunno."
>
> ;) LFB (wiseacre on half an hour of sleep)
Which is why I typed "indifferent pirate movie" rather than "indifferent
pirates" - I sure wouldn't want to give some smart-alec an opening. ;-)
Oh alright, I fell off my chair laughing. Satisfied?
Bruce
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> >
> > Somehow I can't imagine too many indifferent pirates. "Plunder, me hardies?"
> > "Nah, maybe later, I dunno."
> >
> > ;) LFB (wiseacre on half an hour of sleep)
>
> Which is why I typed "indifferent pirate movie" rather than "indifferent
> pirates" - I sure wouldn't want to give some smart-alec an opening. ;-)
>
> Oh alright, I fell off my chair laughing. Satisfied?
>
> Bruce
I've only seen one set of indifferent pirates, on Silly Songs Volume II of
the Veggie Tales series. They're a bunch called, "The Pirates that Don't Do
Anything" and they sing a song about what that means. IT's worth a looksee,
but you need kind of a distorted sense of humor.
Markus
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Markus Wolf wrote in message ...
> Today's contribution to the Pirate Lego community... my official pirate
> lexicon
A most worthy and most helpful contribution to the might of the Brikish
Empire.
Now, I can distribute this list to my men, as a kind of 'Pyrate Recognition
Manual', so that when they hear these telltale phrases, they'll know who to
throw into irons.
Nice work Markus.
Regards
The Governor
Port Block, New South Wales
http://www.hinet.net.au/~rparsons/port/
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