Ahoy!!!

[Chas_P]

Ok, so how many of ya land lubbers going to taking a swig of the ole grog and then settin back with the ole hornpipe this fine day?

Aarrr!!!

[Corona]

roflmao...I haven't been on the board for a few days but I'm guessing it's talk like a pirate day?

[saturn]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-1/86486/pirate_kitty.jpg

[ibjamn]

Avast, me hearties! ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_22_27.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxdm824MDUS)

[NOLA]

roflmao...I haven't been on the board for a few days but I'm guessing it's talk like a pirate day?

Aye, matey, it tis indeed. Aaarrrrrrrrrr..........

[Chas_P]

roflmao...I haven't been on the board for a few days but I'm guessing it's talk like a pirate day?


And ye be walking the plank if ye don't start speaking correctly me lassie.

[ohio]

Ok, so how many of ya land lubbers going to taking a swig of the ole grog and then settin back with the ole hornpipe this fine day?

Aarrr!!!
Arrrrrrgh! It's rhum & the pipestem for me today, matey!

[bywterbro]

shiver me timbers......we will plunder and pillage this island,
and take all ye saucy wenches back to the ship...
now have at it me hearties...

[rosetree]

Me favurite sea chanty for today----

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.

We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
Maraud and embezzle and even hijack.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.

We kindle and char, inflame and ignite.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
We burn up the city, we're really a fright.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.

We're rascals, scoundrels, villans and knaves.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs!
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er-do-well cads.
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!
Aye! But we're loved by our mommies and dads!
Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me!
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q98/rosetreeglass/bling-pirate.jpg

[Chas_P]

It be a wretched chanty at that. Got stuck on the ride for about 20 minutes one time.

[NYMAMA]

http://th166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/turtle_iii/th_pirate_wench_2.jpg
WELL SHIVER ME TIMBERS

[bywterbro]

erz a a lil help 4 u landlubbers...
get it straight or its the end of the rope 4 ya....

Addled -- Mad, insane, or just stupid. An "addlepate" is a fool.

Aft -- Short for "after." Toward the rear of the ship.

Ahoy -- "Hello!"

Avast! -- "Hey!" Could be used as "Stop that!" or "Who goes there?"

Begad! -- By God!

Belay -- Stop that. "Belay that talk!" would mean "Shut up!"

Belaying pin -- A short wooden rod to which a ship's rigging is secured. A common improvised weapon aboard a sailing ship, because they're everywhere, they're easily picked up, and they are the right size and weight to be used as clubs.

Bilge! -- Nonsense, or foolish talk. The bilges of a ship are the lowest parts, inside the hull along the keel. They fill with stinking bilgewater -- or just "bilge."

Bilge-sucking -- A very uncomplimentary adjective.

Black Spot -- To "place the Black Spot" on another pirate is to sentence him to death, to warn him he is marked for death, or sometimes just to accuse him of a serious crime before other pirates.

Blaggard -- "Blackguard." An insult.

Blimey! -- An exclamation of surprise.

Booty -- Loot.

Bosun -- Boatswain; a petty officer.

Bowsprit -- The slanted spar at a ship's prow.

Brethren of the Coast -- The Caribbean buccaneers called themselves by this name in the 1640-1680 period. During this time, they actually formed a sort of fraternity, and did not (usually) fight each other or even steal from each other. After 1680, a new generation of pirates appeared, who did not trust each other . . . with good reason.

Briny deep -- The ocean. Probably no pirate in all history ever used this phrase, but don't let that stop you, especially if you can roll the R in "briny"!

Buccaneer -- A general term for the Caribbean pirates.

Bucko -- Familiar term. "Me bucko" = "my friend."

Cap'n -- Short for "captain."

Cat o'nine tails, or just "cat" -- a whip with many lashes, used for flogging. "A taste of the cat" might refer to a full flogging, or just a single blow to "smarten up" a recalcitrant hand.

Chandler, or ship-chandler -- see Sutler.

Chantey -- A sailor's work song. Also spelled "shantey" or "shanty."

Chase -- The ship being pursued. "The chase is making full sail, sir" = "The ship we're after is going as fast as she can."

Chest -- Traditional treasure container.

Corsair -- A more romantic term for pirate. But still a pirate.

Crow's nest -- A small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.

Cutlass -- A curved sword, like a saber but heavier. Traditional pirate weapon. Has only one cutting edge; may or may not have a useful point.

Davy Jones' locker -- The bottom of the sea.

Deadlights -- Eyes. "Use yer deadlights, matey!"

Dead men tell no tales -- Standard pirate excuse for leaving no survivors.

Dog -- A mild insult, perhaps even a friendly one.

Doubloon -- A Spanish gold coin. At different times, it was worth either 4 or 16 silver pesos, or "pieces of eight."

Fair winds! -- Goodbye, good luck!.

Feed the fish -- What you do when you are thrown into the sea, dead or alive.

Gangway! -- "Get out of my way!"

Godspeed! -- Goodbye, good luck!

Grog -- Generically, any alcoholic drink. Specifically, rum diluted with water to make it go farther.

Grub -- Food.

Gun -- A cannon.

Fore, or forrard -- Toward the front end of the ship.

Flogging -- Punishment by caning, or by whipping with the cat.

Hands -- The crew of a ship; sailors.

Handsomely -- Quickly. "Handsomely now, men!" = "Hurry up!"

Head -- The toilet facilities aboard a modern ship. This will do for modern piratical talk. The toilet facilities aboard an ACTUAL pirate ship do not bear thinking about.

Jack Ketch -- The hangman. To dance with Jack Ketch is to hang.

Jack Tar, or tar -- A sailor.

Jollyboat -- A small but happy craft, perhaps even one which is a little dinghy.

Jolly Roger -- The pirates' skull-and-crossbones flag. It was an invitation to surrender, with the implication that those who surrendered would be treated well. A red flag indicated "no quarter."

Keelhaul -- Punishment by dragging under the ship, from one side to the other. The victim of a keelhauling would be half-drowned, or worse, and lacerated by the barnacles that grew beneath the ship.

Kiss the gunner's daughter -- A punishment: to be bent over one of the ship's guns and flogged.

Lad, lass, lassie -- A way to address someone younger than you.

Landlubber or just lubber -- A non-sailor.

Letters of Marque -- Papers issued by a national government during wartime, entitling a privately owned ship to raid enemy commerce, or even attack enemy warships. Early letters of reprisal were issued to merchants to make it legal for them to counter-raid pirates! A ship bearing such letters, and operating within their limits, is a privateer rather than a pirate . . . that is, a legal combatant rather than a criminal and murderer. The problem is that letters of marque aren't always honored, even by the government that issued them. Captain Kidd had letters of marque; his own country hanged him anyway.

Lights -- Lungs. A pirate might threaten to "have someone's lights and liver."

Line -- A rope in use as part of the ship's rigging, or as a towing line. When a rope is just coiled up on deck, not yet being used for anything, it's all right to call it a rope.

Lookout -- Someone posted to keep watch on the horizon for other ships or signs of land.

Maroon -- A fairly common punishment for violation of a pirate ship's articles, or offending her crew. The victim was left on a deserted coast (or, of course, an island) with little in the way of supplies. That way, no one could say that the unlucky pirate had actually been killed by his former brethren.

Me -- A piratical way to say "my."

Me hearties -- Typical way for a pirate leader to address his crew.

Matey -- A piratical way to address someone in a cheerful, if not necessarily friendly, fashion.

No quarter! -- Surrender will not be accepted.

On the Account -- The piratical life. A man who went "on the account" was turning pirate.

Piece of eight -- A Spanish silver coin worth one peso or 8 reales. It was sometimes literally cut into eight pieces, each worth one real.

Pillage -- To raid, rob, and sack a target ashore.

Pirate -- A seagoing robber and murderer. Contrast with privateer.

Poop deck -- The highest deck at the aft end of a large ship. Smaller ships don't have a poop; the highest part aft is the quarterdeck.

Port -- (1) A seaport. (2) The left side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow.

Poxy, poxed -- Diseased. Used as an insult.

Privateer -- A ship bearing letters of marque (q.v.), or one of her crew, or her captain. Thus, she can only attack an enemy ship, and only in time of war, but does so as a representative of her country. A privateer is theoretically a law-abiding combatant, and entitled to be treated as an honorable prisoner if captured.

Prow -- The "nose" of the ship.

Reef -- (1) An underwater obstruction of rock or coral which can tear the bottom out of a ship. (2) To reef sails is to shorten them, tying them partially up, either to slow the ship or to keep a strong wind from putting too much strain on the masts.

Rope's end -- another term for flogging. "Ye'll meet the rope's end for that, me bucko!"

Rum (noun) -- Traditional pirate drink.

Rum (adjective) -- Strange or odd. A "rum fellow" is a peculiar person, the sort who won't say "Arrrr!" on Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Sail ho! -- "I see a ship!" The sail, of course, is the first part of a ship visible over the horizon.

Salt, old salt -- An experienced seaman.

Scuppers -- Openings along the edges of a ship's deck that allow water on deck to drain back to the sea rather than collecting in the bilges. "Scupper that!" is an expression of anger or derision: "Throw that overboard!"

Scurvy -- (1) A deficiency disease which often afflicted sailors; it was caused by lack of vitamin C. (2) A derogatory adjective suitable for use in a loud voice, as in "Ye scurvy dogs!"

Sea dog -- An experienced seaman.

Shanty -- Another spelling for "chantey" - a sea song.

Shark bait -- (1) Your foes, who are about to feed the fish (q.v.). (2) A worthless or lazy sailor; a lubber who is no use aboard ship.

Shipshape -- Well-organized, under control, finished.

Shiver me timbers! -- An expression of surprise or strong emotion.

Sink me! -- An expression of surprise.

Smartly -- Quickly. "Smartly there, men!" = "Hurry up!"

Splice the mainbrace -- To have a drink. Or, perhaps, several drinks.

Spyglass -- A telescope.

Starboard -- The right side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow.

Sutler -- A merchant in port, selling the various things that a ship needed for supplies and repairs.

Swab (noun) -- A disrespectful term for a seaman. "Man that gun, ye cowardly swabs!"

Swab (verb) -- To clean something. Being put to "swabbing the decks" would be a low-level punishment for a disobedient pirate.

Swag -- Loot.

Walk the plank -- A piratical execution. The victim, usually blindfolded or with bound hands or both, is forced to walk along a plank laid over the ship's side, to fall into the water below. Except this seems to be a total invention; it first appeared in 19th-century fiction, long after the great days of piracy.

Weigh anchor -- To haul the anchor up; more generally, to leave port.

Wench -- An individual of the female persuasion. "Saucy" is a good adjective to add to this, and if ye can get away with "Me proud beauty!," more power to ye.

Yo-ho-ho -- A very piratical thing to say, whether it actually means anything or not.


The Pirate Alphabet
A: Ehhhhhhh? -- "What's that?"

B: Are -- as in "Be ye ready to surrender?"

C: Si, si! -- To a Spanish pirate, "Yes!"

E: Eeeeee! -- "Maaaaaaaaybe . . . "

I: Aye -- "Yes!"

L: 'Ell -- A destination, as in, "To L with you, matey!"

O: Oh! -- "Oh!"

Q: Queue -- A sailor's pigtail, usually tarred.

R: Arrrrrr! -- A general expression of glee.

T: Tea -- A very inferior substitute for grog.

Y: Why? -- To be said in a grumpy voice when the cap'n gives an order.

Z: Zee -- To a French pirate, "the."

[festbabe]

arg

[saturn]

You are The Cap'n!

Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You’re mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that’s his problem, now isn’t? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.


Find yer inner pirate (http://talklikeapirate.com/ppi.html)

[NOLA]

You are The Cap'n!

Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You’re mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that’s his problem, now isn’t? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.


Find yer inner pirate (http://talklikeapirate.com/ppi.html)


I didn't know all pirates were Capricorn...

[NOLA]

All this pirate talk reminds me of one of my favorite limericks....

There was an old seaman named Bass
Who had two shiny balls made of brass
In rough stormy weather
His balls clanged together
And lightning shot out of his ass.

Aaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ibjamn]

I am:

Profile: Pirate
Profile: Do you remember the last time you took a chance? It was when you decided to leave the security of your mother's womb and headed for the bright light. It's time to head for the next bright light, my friend. Creativity is not your strong suit. You are good at doing what you are told to do and that, in itself, is a gift. It's not a gift to you, mind you, but a gift to those who will be there to tell you what to do. You like long walks on the beach and cuddling, but would never admit that to your pirate pals who think you are okay but can't always remember your name. Tapioca pudding seems a bit extreme for someone such as yourself, what with all the bumps and stuff. It's a good thing you are on a pirate ship, otherwise, you would be walking because you are positively pedestrian. Have a nice day.

[jazzykeb]

Q: What do you call a pedophile Pirate?

A: Aaarrrrrrrgghhhhhh Kelly

[mdfest]

happy pirate day to all the saucy wenches

[Zydekitten]

http://www.localshed.com/images/PirateCat.jpg

YARRRR, me fellow swashbucklin' mateys, Cap'n Kitten here!! Below be a fun kitten and pirate-related chat term to help improve yer pirate lingo.

KOTT: Kittens or the Treasure?

Even pirates have unsolvable dilemmas, and sometimes it's just better to acknowledge this and move on. Pirates, like most people, enjoy the company of kittens. They also like treasure. Deciding between the two is very hard, and best put off.

KOTT will be used to indicate that such a dilemma has formed:

X: Tonight is the Big Rum–Off, but I promised the Captain last week that I’d help polish his peg-leg.

Y: KOTT eh?

For more How to Chat Like a Pirate, navigate yer booty here: http://www.karateparty.org/content/view/419/37/

In the meantime, let's dance a grand, good hornpipe and guzzle some grog before we scuttle those scurvy dogs with the cat o'nine tails!!

[linza22]

Bring me one noggin of rum, now, won't you, matey!

[BigDag]

http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/27694/2004093078898356786_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004093078898356786)

[NOLA]

Top Ten Pickup lines for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?

8. Come on up and see me urchins.

7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.

6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.

5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?

4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?

3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.

2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …

1. Prepare to be boarded.

Bonus pickup lines (when the ones above don't work, as they often won't)

They don’t call me Long John because my head is so big.

You’re drinking a Salty Dog? How’d you like to try the real thing?

Wanna shiver me timbers?

I’ve sailed the seven seas, and you’re the sleekest schooner I’ve ever sighted.

Brwaack! Polly want a cracker? … Oh, wait. That’s for Talk Like a PARROT Day.

That’s the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Let's get together and haul some keel.

That’s some treasure chest you’ve got there.

Top Ten Pickup Lines for the Lady Pirates

By popular demand ...

10. What are YOU doing here?

9. Is that a belayin' pin in yer britches, or are ye ... (this one is never completed)

8. Come show me how ye bury yer treasure, lad!

7. So, tell me, why do they call ye, "Cap'n Feathersword?"

6. That's quite a cutlass ye got thar, what ye need is a good scabbard!

5. Aye, I guarantee ye, I've had a twenty percent decrease in me "lice ratio!"

4. I've crushed seventeen men's skulls between me thighs!

3. C'mon, lad, shiver me timbers!

2. RAMMING SPEED!

...and the number one Female Pirate Pick-up Line:

1. You. Pants Off. Now!

[Zydekitten]

Hmmmm . . . I'll have to remember those for after I arrive in New Orleans and am trying to reel in some blaggard. ;) :D

[Blainn]

Arghhhhhh!!

And don't forget PyrateCon.com

[tabasco]

What? No one has Surrendered their Booty yet?! Arrrrgh!

[rosetree]

Just what every scalawag needs...a talking parrot...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/26051/talking_parrot

[barry10016]

Me too!

You are The Cap'n!

Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You’re mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that’s his problem, now isn’t? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.


Find yer inner pirate (http://talklikeapirate.com/ppi.html)

[rosetree]

For Zkitty:
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/Peany1/piratekitten011zg3.jpg

[rosetree]

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/Dianna722/Funnies/piwhat.jpg

[rosetree]

A pirate walked into a bar with a steering wheel on his crotch.

The bartender took notice and said, "That steering wheel can't be comfortable in your crotch."

To which the pirate responded, "Yaarrr! It be drivin' me nuts!"

....I'll stop now.....Happy TLAP Day!!!!! ;) :D

[Corona]

And ye be walking the plank if ye don't start speaking correctly me lassie.
shiver me timbers....ye don't scare me!!! ;)
(better?)

[Zydekitten]

For Zkitty:
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s40/Peany1/piratekitten011zg3.jpg
Oooh, great one Rosy! Here's another fun one:

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/5816/piratekittenav3.jpg

[rosetree]

OK, one more....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/sparky1013/128286702153609759ICANHASBOOTY.jpg

[Zydekitten]

Howzabout a Swashbuckler Squirrel?? Say Avast to Cap'n Nutty!

http://www.layercake.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/piratesquirrel.jpg

[Zydekitten]

Here's one for you, Rosy:

http://images.quizilla.com/J/JewishPirate/1074992080_urespirate.jpg

[Montana]

The Autumn Wind is a pirate
Blustering in from sea
With a rollicking song he sweeps along
swaggering boisterously
His face is weather beaten
He wears a hooded sash
With his silver hat about his head
And a bristly black moustache
He growls as he storms the country
A villain big and bold
And the trees all shake and quiver and quake
As he robs them of their gold
The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you 'round and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won.

[mightyradgumbo]

A little Pirate humor for the day:

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"
"What do you mean?" the pirate replies, "I'm fine."
The bartender says, "But what about that wooden leg? You didn't have that before."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the surgeon fixed me up, and I'm fine, really."
"Yeah," says the bartender, "But what about that hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship. I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the surgeon fixed me up with this hook, and I feel great, really."
"Oh," says the bartender, "What about that eye patch? Last time you were in here you had both eyes."
"Well," says the pirate, "One day when we were at sea, some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye."
"So?" replied the bartender, "what happened? You couldn't have lost an eye just from some bird shit!"
"Well," says the pirate, "I really wasn't used to the hook yet."

[breambob]

A little Pirate humor for the day:

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"
"What do you mean?" the pirate replies, "I'm fine."
The bartender says, "But what about that wooden leg? You didn't have that before."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the surgeon fixed me up, and I'm fine, really."
"Yeah," says the bartender, "But what about that hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands."
"Well," says the pirate, "We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship. I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the surgeon fixed me up with this hook, and I feel great, really."
"Oh," says the bartender, "What about that eye patch? Last time you were in here you had both eyes."
"Well," says the pirate, "One day when we were at sea, some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye."
"So?" replied the bartender, "what happened? You couldn't have lost an eye just from some bird shit!"
"Well," says the pirate, "I really wasn't used to the hook yet."


Spewed on that one Dan. TFF :)


Eric Idle and George Harrison? A great pirate song:

THE PIRATE SONG
from the BBC Television comedy show "Rutland Weekend Television" first aired 26 December 1975.

Oh, I like to be a pirate, a pirate's life for me.
All my friends are pirates and they sail the b.b. sea.
I've got a jolly roger, it's a black and white and vast.
So get out of your skull and crossbones
and I'll run it up your mast.

With a yo-ho-ho and a ah-ha-ha and a hee-hee-ha-ha-ho.
A yo-ho-ho and a ya-ha-ha and a yum-yum jum-jum-jum.
I've got a jolly roger, it's a black and white and vast.
So get out of your skull and crossbones
I'll run it up your mast.

All together!

I like to be a pirate, a pirate's life for me.
And all my friends are pirates and sail the b.b. Sea.
Got a jolly roger, it's a black and white and vast.
So get out of your skull and crossbones
I'll run it up your mast.

Oo-ee!

With a yo-ho-ho and a ah-ha-ha and a hee-hee-ha-ha-ho.
A yo-ho-ho and a ya-ha-ha and a yum-yum jum-jum-jum.
I've got a jolly roger, it's a black and white and vast.
So get out of your skull and crossbones
I'll run it up your mast.

A one more time!

I like to be a pirate, a pirate's life for me.
And all my friends are pirates and they sail the b.b. Sea.
Got a jolly roger, it's a black and white and vast.
So get out of your skull and crossbones
I'll run it up your mast.

by George Harrison and Eric Idle

[sophisticated sissy]

Powder Monkey: "Cap'n, cap'n...the crew's revoltin'!!!"
Cap'n: "Aye and they're disgustin', too!"

love, Cap'n Nellie





"Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."~ Mark Twain ~ "Life On The Mississippi"

[festivalgirl]

Q: What do you call a pedophile Pirate?

A: Aaarrrrrrrgghhhhhh Kelly

Owwwwwwww. It's a keelhaul fer ya'

[breambob]

Yellowbeard: She couldn't be your mother. No woman ever slept with me and lived.

Dan: Look, if you cut my head off it'll start to putrify!
Yellowbeard: Do what?
Dan: Putrify, go rotten!
Yellowbeard: Yeah, it would ooze a lot, heads do. But I could live with that.

Yellowbeard: Where's the map?
Betty: What map?
Yellowbeard: If you say you don't know where it is, I'll nail your tits to the table!

Betty: Well, it's been awhile since we had a little cuddle.
Yellowbeard: I raped ya, if that's what you mean.
Betty: Okay. It was half-cuddle, half-rape.

Yellowbeard: With your head on my shoulders we could wreck civilization!

Yellowbeard: Who're you talkin' about?
Betty: The fruit of your loins, sugar drawers.
Yellowbeard: Are you mad, woman? I haven't got fruit in my loins! Lice, yes, and proud of 'em!

Yellowbeard: I'll kill anyone who get's in the way of me killing anyone.

-from imdb.com-

Oh, and BRING ME RHUM AND WENCHS OF FULL BOSOM. ARRRRRGHHHHH !

[festivalgirl]

Here's one for you, Rosy:

http://images.quizilla.com/J/JewishPirate/1074992080_urespirate.jpg

Oy Vey!!

Jewish pirates save Louisiana

Jean Lafitte's diary states he was born in Port-Au-Prince, Saint Domingue, in 1782. His mother died the next year, so Jean and his siblings were raised by their grandmother, the Sephardic Jew Zora Nadrimal. She told them of her flight from Spain to France with their mother to escape the Inquisition, which tortured and murdered their grandfather Abhorad. (The brothers later falsely claimed the Bordeaux region of France as their birthplace to snag French privateering credentials.)

The family lived a peaceful life in Santo Domingo until the Slave Insurrection of 1791. The Lafitte/Laffite brothers escaped to Martinique where they purchased a Letter of Marque (makes it kosher to seize and loot enemy vessels). Jean married a Danish Jewess, Cristiana Levine, and after four profitable years of privateering the family left for France with everything they owned. On the way their ship was taken by a Spanish Man of War. They were stripped and dumped on a sand cay; days later an American schooner picked them up and took them to New Orleans where Cristiana shortly died of exhaustion and fever.

Meanwhile Jean's brother Pierre, also a privateer, was busted for smuggling. The now indigent brothers briefly worked for U.S. Customs and then got back into pirating. Jean bought this blacksmith shop (built 1772) to front his evil businesses. Pierre and Jean were joined by their brothers René/Renato Béluche and Dominique You, former artillery gunner for Napoleon. They built a headquarters in Barataria Bay.

Captured Spanish vessels were maneuvered into the bay and, by 1811, Barataria was a thriving community with 32 armed warships, more ships than in the entire US navy. Businessmen from New Orleans arrived at night to buy pirates' loot. The operation was so huge, it affected the economy of the whole Gulf. "New Orleans banking declined and it was apparent that Laffite was monopolizing Louisiana's import trade and the commerce of the entire Mississippi Valley." (Jews on the Frontier)

In 1814 Great Britain dispatched an armada and 8,000 men to take Louisiana. Sure of success, they brought along a complete civil governmental staff to rule over the soon-to-be established Crown Colony. The officers offered Lafitte 30,000 pounds sterling and a commission in the British Navy if he would guide their troops through the maze of waterways to New Orleans. Lafitte had traveled the bayous for years and knew them better than anyone; he had even mapped the navigable waterways within 10,000 square miles of delta.

Lafitte pretended to accept the British offer but instead sent word to New Orleans that invasion was imminent. In exchange for a governor's pardon he and his buccaneers would help defend the city.

With more than two thousand men under his command, Lafitte could perhaps have turned back the British himself. But instead of accepting Jean's help, governor Claiborne let a Commodore Patterson attack Barataria. Patterson destroyed the settlement and stole loot worth half a million dollars, claiming it as spoils of war -- though none of it was ever seen by the government. He rounded up and imprisoned all the pirates he could find.

The governor's smugness was brief: reliable sources confirmed that the British were coming; within days their Armada arrived. Andrew Jackson, Commander in Chief of New Orleans, had almost no men or ships and so, amusingly, Claiborne was forced to free the imprisoned pirates (the "Hellish Banditi" as Jackson called them). He needed them desperately.

Jean and Pierre guided the American forces through the marshland maze. An assortment of 4,000 Tennesseans, Choctaw tribesmen, free blacks, Creoles and of course pirates defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans. Although James Madison gave presidential pardons to Jean Laffite and the buccaneers, their loot, surprisingly, was not returned. They were penniless yet again.

Some of the pirates began peaceful lives along the shores of Barataria Bay. The Lafittes, however, went back to piracy. Brother Dominique You was hired to rescue Napoleon from St. Helena and bring him to New Orleans, though Napoleon's death interfered with this plan substantially. Pierre and Jean sailed to Texas and established a colony of privateers off the coast of Galveston. Roger Kamenetz called it a "utopian pirate's den."

Later, Jean became a labor leader in St. Louis. In 1847 he met with Marx and Engels and, admiring their work, opened an escrow account in Paris to help them. There is evidence that Lafitte tried to introduce Marx to the young Abraham Lincoln.

Jean, who had substantially financed one of the earliest synagogues in Louisiana, is buried (perhaps) in a Jewish cemetery in Metairie. (More).

For a dramatic though goyishe rendering of this story see the 1958 movie The Buccaneer with Yul Brynner (see left) as Jean Lafitte, Charles Boyer as Dominique You, and Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson.

For a good list of references: Cindyvallar.com.

And I love the book Jews on the Frontier by Rabbi I. Harold Sharfman, which I first encountered when my band was playing for B'nai Brith week at the Blumenthal Center in Little Switzerland and in which I first read the story of Jean Lafitte.

I also posted on Lafitte at Jewish Pirate Update!
NEW UPDATE: an article on a new book coming out on Sephardic Jewish Pirates!