PIRATE PHENOMONEN SET TO PEAK NEXT WEEK AS ‘TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY' CAPTURES UK IMAGINATION

• Wednesday, 13 September 2006

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14 September 2006

Tuesday 19 September, launching at the Southampton Boat Show

First we had Sienna Miller and Kate Moss in the now ubiquitous McQueen skull print scarf, then came along Pirates of the Caribbean, Paperchase brought out its skull and cross bones range, now the BBC are airing their new squash-buckling series Blackbeard. Pirates have never been so popular.

Launching next week at the Southampton Boat Show, also sporting a new Treasure Island theme, is ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’. Originating in the US, the annual day has made it across to our shores, with people the length and breadth of the country adopting their best pirate accent.

Previously the preserve of dedicated pirate fans, organiser of the UK ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’ Mad Cap'n Tom has this year been inundated with requests for information about the Day. Schools and offices across the country are gearing up for a day of pirate fun and festivities, all buoyed on by the pirate craze sweeping across the UK.

Commenting on the pirate phenomenon, Mad Cap'n Tom added: “The reaction to ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’ this year had been massive, we’ve heard from people all over the country who are arranging pirate parties, pirate days in their offices and generally getting in to the swing of all things pirate.

“The additional focus on pirates this summer has definitely helped boost interest in ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’, we hope to galvanise the nation and spread the pirate word.”

Offering advice on how to talk like a pirate, Cap'n Tom said: “Make sure you always double up your adjectives, and you'll be bountifully bombastic with your phrasing. Pirates never speak of ‘a big ship’; they call it a ‘great, grand ship!’ They never say never, they say ‘No nay ne'er!"’ Drop all your ‘g’s’ when you speak and you'll get words like ‘rowin’ ‘sailin’ and "fightin’.”

Top five famous fictional pirates

Captain Hook

Most people know Captain Hook from the story Peter Pan and the prequel Peter and the Star Catchers. Hook is the Captain of the ship the Jolly Roger.

Smee

Smee is Captain Hook's blundering first mate. He always comes up with the silly suggestions and often irritates the Captain. Smee is also the pirate that helped Hook when he lost his hand.

Long John Sliver

Long-John Silver is probably one of the most famous storybook pirates of all times. In the story "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson, Long-John Silver is fearsome pirate with a peg-leg.

Captain Jack Sparrow

Jack Sparrow is character from the blockbuster hit "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl". Jack escaped from prison and went in search of the 'Black Pearl'.

Captain Barbossa

Captain Barbossa is the captain of the Black Pearl. He led the mutiny against former captain Jack Sparrow and led the crew to the treasure of Cortez. He and the crew spent the treasure and they soon found out that the treasure was cursed. The curse upon them was that they would never die.

Top five famous real-life pirates

Blackbeard

Edward Teach is probably the most famous pirate to ever live, his is more commonly known as the fearsome and bloodthirsty pirate, Blackbeard. Teach received his nickname because of his long, black beard. Rumour has it that Teach would light slow-burning fuses and tie them to the end of his beard. They say that when most merchants saw this, they surrendered immediately.

Anne Bonny

In the late 1600s, Anne created scandal in the pirate world by being married to a pirate and conducting an extra-marital affair with another one. She was captured in 1720 but escaped death by claiming to be pregnant.

Sir Francis Drake

This darling of English history may not be commonly thought of as a pirate, but that is exactly how he was seen by many of his contemporaries.

Bartholomew Roberts

Also known as Black Bart, this notorious pirate ruled the seas until 1722 when he was killed off during a fierce battle. Over his reign he captured 400 boats and brought terror to anyone that crossed him.

Francis le Clerc

Francis was a fierce and cunning pirate who was dubbed "Peg Leg" because he had a wooden leg. Peg Leg usually raided towns along the Cuban coastline.

How to talk like a pirate

• Double up on all your adjectives and you'll be bountifully bombastic with your phrasing. Pirates never speak of "a big ship", they call it a "great, grand ship!" They never say never, they say "No nay ne'er!"

• Drop all your "g"'s when you speak and you'll get words like "rowin'", "sailin'" and "fightin'".

• Dropping all of your "v"'s will get you words like "ne'er", "e'er" and "o'er".

• Instead of saying "I am", sailors say, "I be". Instead of saying "You are", sailors say, "You be". Instead of saying, "They are", sailors say, "They be". Ne'er speak in anythin' but the present tense!

Hints an' Tips

If it be helpin', start yer sentence wi' a "Arr, me hearty," in a deep, throaty voice — ye'll find that the rest be comin' much easier.

Vocabulary

In which ye'll find words submitted by many pirates o'er the years, an' which comprise a loose piratical dictionary.
• Ahoy: Hey!
• Avast: Stop!
• Aye: Yes
• Black spot: to be 'placin' the black spot' be markin' someone for death
• Booty: treasure
• Buccanneer: a pirate who be answerin' to no man or blasted government
• By the Powers!: an exclamation, uttered by Long John Silver in Treasure Island!
• Cat o' nine tails: whip for floggin' mutineers
• Corsair: a pirate who be makin' his berth in the Med-...Medi-...that sea 'tween Spain and Africa, aye!
• Davy Jones' Locker: the bottom o' the sea, where the souls of dead men lie
• Doubloons: pieces of gold...
• Fiddlers Green: the private heaven where pirates be goin' when they die
• Furner: a ship which be yer own, not one ye steal an' plunder
• Gentlemen o' fortune: a slightly more positive term fer pirates!
• Go on the account: to embark on a piratical cruise
• Grog: A pirate's favorite drink
• Jack: a flag or a sailor
• Jolly Roger: the skull and crossbones, the pirate flag!
• Keelhaul: a truly vicious punishment where a scurvy dog be tied to a rope and dragged along the barnacle-encrusted bottom of a ship. They not be survivin' this
• Landlubber: "Land-lover," someone not used to life onboard a ship
• Lass: A woman
• Lily-livered: faint o' heart
• Loaded to the Gunwales (pron. gunnels): drunk
• Matey: A shipmate or a friend
• Me hearty: a friend or shipmate
• Me: My
• Pieces o' eight: pieces o' silver which can be cut into eights to be givin' small change
• Privateer: a pirate officially sanctioned by a national power
• Scallywag: A bad person. A scoundrel.
• Scurvy dog!: a fine insult!
• Shiver me timbers!: an exclamation of surprise, to be shouted most loud
• Son of a Biscuit Eater: a derogatory term indicating a bastard son of a sailor
• Sprogs: raw, untrained recruits
• Squadron: a group of ten or less warships
• Squiffy: a buffoon
• Swaggy: a scurvy cur's ship what ye be intendin' to loot!
• Swashbucklin': fightin' and carousin' on the high seas!
• Sweet trade: the career of piracy
• Thar: The opposite of "here."
• Walk the plank: this one be bloody obvious
• Wench: a lady, although ye gents not be wantin' to use this around a lady who be stronger than ye
• Wi' a wannion: wi' a curse, or wi' a vengeance. Boldly, loudly!
• Yo-ho-ho: Pirate laughter

Pirate jokes

• A pirate with an eye patch seemed down at a bar. The bartender asked, "What's wrong?" The pirate replied, "Arrrgh, they wanted me to be a teacher... but I only had one pupil!"

• What did the pirate say to the jokester?

Aye, walk the prank!

• What is a Pirate's favorite movie series?

STARRRRRR WARRRRRRS!

• Where can a pirate with two wooden legs go?

Not very fARRRRR!

• What does a pirate call his Mum?

MotheARRRRRrrrrrggghhh!

• What's a tongue-tied Pirate called?

InARRticulate!

• What is a pirate's favourite planet?

Marrrrrs!

• What did the pirate say when someone asked him if he knew any pirate jokes

Arrrrr you kidding me...

• How do pirates navigate their ships?

With the staaaaaarrrrrs.

• Why does a pirate's phone go beep beep beep beep beep?

Because he left it off the hook!

• How did the pirate know he found land?

He was shore of it!

• Why did the pirate get his phone cut off?

Argh! Cos' he be makin' too many plank calls!

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

For more information call Gillian Stark, Amanda Mills or Gareth Streeter at Seventy Seven PR on 020 7492 0977 or email firstname.surname@77pr.co.uk

For more information on Talk Like A Pirate Day, please visit http://www.yarr.org.uk/

For photos, please visit http://www.w-w-i.com/

The Southampton Boat Show is organised by National Boat Shows Ltd (NBS). NBS is a subsidiary of the British Marine Federation (BMF), the trade association for the UK boating industry. The Southampton Boat Show is in association with ITV Meridian.

Attention: RADIO STATIONS

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