15 September 2006
‘TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY’ COMES TO THE SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW Tuesday 19 September 2006, Mayflower Park
Yo, ho, ho me hearties, we’ve some bountifully bombastic pirate fun planned for the Southampton Boat Show; follow the information below for a guaranteed ship-shape day out.
On Tuesday 19 September, for the first time ever, the Southampton Boat Show in association with ITV Meridian, will be the official venue for national ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day.’ The now notorious day began in the mists of the 1990s when two Americans John Baur (Ol' Chum Bucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy) decided to dedicate a special day each year to talking like a pirate. Coinciding with the treasure island themed Southampton Boat Show, the unique waterside setting is the perfect location to kick-start the nationwide day of fun and festivities. This year’s Southampton Boat Show has live interactive pirate shows, colourful tall ships, face painting and lots of pirate fun guaranteed to entertain the whole family. Visitors to the Southampton Boat Show, as well as people the length and breadth of the UK are encouraged to dust off their fancy dress pirate costumes, roll-out their best pirate accents, and get in to the swing of ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day.’ For anyone that needs a bit of help getting in to character, Mad Cap'n Tom, the UK organiser of the ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’, has put together a guide to talking like a pirate. The Southampton Boat Show website has a dedicated pirate zone featuring pirate jokes and cut out fancy dress props. For more information please visit www.southamptonboatshow.com
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 the boat show press office on 023 8022 2903 or call Gillian Stark, Amanda Mills or Gareth Streeter at Seventy Seven PR on 020 7492 0977 or email boatshows@77pr.co.uk 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 and its proud sponsors are Honda and Hydropool. For photos, please visit http://www.w-w-i.com/southampton_boat_show_2006/ Attention: RADIO STATIONS Keep up to date with the latest news from the 2006 Southampton Boat Show. Feeds will be available via ISDN (G722 or APTX) Glennsound or via the telephone during the show. For more information, contact Tracey Clarke on 07768 806699 or via the Show press office 023 8022 2903.