Wired has takent the opportunity to post A Reality Check - 9 Pirate Myths Examined with useful links embedded in the text, including one to an article from Slate, published June 5, 2007, that examines the origins of what we think of as pirate-speech. Both articles argue strongly that we're really celebrating Talk Like Robert Newton Day.
Want to really talk like a pirate? Of course, pirates today probably speak like everyone else does, only possibly more strongly. (I would rather not find out for sure.) But Christopher Bonanos, the author of the Slate article, provides instructions for speaking like a historic pirate:
...onboard speech was most likely underclass British sailor with extra curse words, augmented with a polyglot slang of French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch picked up around the trade routes
Cheers, bon chance, and good [expletive deleted] celebrations!
6 comments:
Talk Like Robert Newton Day just doesn't have the same ring to it. It is interesting how popular this has become. I've received 5 separate emails reminding me of the Big Day. Aarg!
have you all seen any of this yet? The descendants of the Shackleton crew are going to give it another try:
http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200810/nimrod-shackleton-south-pole.html
Curse me eyes, I'd have fergot t'weren't for yer reminder, lass!
I hadn't heard about the Shackleton descendents' trip--the thought of it is a little scary! Oh! It's the 19th! I mean, it shivers me timbers!
Ahoy. You've got to check out Sea Fever Blog today!!! Just so many excellent videos - I've been laughing for the last 30 minutes...and a working.
Ahoy, Kelly! I'll have to check it out at home tonight--since I work for The Man, I'm forbidden access to YouTube from a gummint computer. We haven't figured out how to navigate around that particular shoal yet!
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