Pirate Phrases
Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! - exhortation of discontent or disgust
Ahoy! - Hello!
Ahoy, Matey - Hello, my friend!
Ahoy, me Hearties! - the same as saying "Hello, my friends!"
All hand hoay! - comparable to all hands on deck
Avast ye - stop and check this out or pay attention
Aye - yes
Batten down the hatches - put everything away on the ship and tie everything down because a storm is brewing
Bilge-sucking - insult
Blimey! - exhortation of surprise
B*****e down! - expression of shock of disbelief akin to "Holy C**p!"
Blow the man down - command to kill someone
Boom About -
When a ship turns in the wind the boom can swing violently enough to injure or kill a person on board. "Boom about" may be shouted to warn others the boom is about to move
Booty - treasure
Buccaneer - a pirate
Bucko - a buccaneer
Cat O'Nine Tails - a whip with nine strands
Cleave him to the brisket - to cut across the chest, from one shoulder to the lower abdomen
Corsair - pirates in the Mediterranean Sea
Crow's nest - small platform atop the mast where the lookout stands
Cutlass - short heavy curved bladed sword used by pirates
Davy Jones' Locker - fabled, mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where the evil spirit of Davy Jones brings sailor and pirates to die
Dead men tell no tales - phrase indicating to leave no survivors
Doubloons - other coins or found in pirate hoards and stashes
Feed the fish - will soon die
Furl - To roll up and secure, especially a ship’s sail
Hang 'im from the yardarm - punishment of those captured in battle
Head - the pirate ship's toilet
Heave Ho - give it some muscle and push it
Hempen Halter - a noose for hanging
Hornswaggle - to defraud or cheat out of money or belongings
Jacob's Ladder - the rope ladder one uses to climb aboard a sloop
Jolly Roger - pirate's flag including white skull and crossbones over a black field
Keelhaul - punishment in which a person where dragged underneath the pirate ship from side to side and was lacerated by the barnacles on the vessel
Lad, lass, lassie - a younger person
Landlubber - big, slow clumsy person who doesn't know how to sail
Letters of Marque - letters issue from governments during wartime to privateers endorsing the piracy of another vessel
Man-O-War - pirate's ship outfitted for battle
Me - my
Mizzen - third mast from the bow of the ship on ships that have three or more masts
Old Salt - an experienced sailor
Parley - A conference or discussion between opposing sides during a dispute, especially when attempting a truce, originating from the French, "parler," meaning "to speak."
Pieces of eight - coins or found in pirate stashes
Pillage - rob, sack or plunder
P**p deck - the part of the ship farthest to the back, which is usually above the captain's quarters. This is not the bathroom.
Privateer - government-sponsored pirates
Reef Sails - To shorten the sails by partially tying them up, either to slow the ship or to keep a strong wind from putting too much strain on the masts.
Rum - pirate's traditional alcoholic beverage
Run a shot across the bow - warning shot to another vessel's captain
Savvy? - do you understand and do you agree?
Scallywag - mild insult akin to rapscallion or rogue
Scurvy dog - the pirate is talking directly to you with mild insult
Scuttle - to sink a ship
Seadog - old pirate or sailor
Shark bait - will soon join Davy Jones' Locker
Shipshape - cleaned up and under control
Shiver me timbers! - comparable to "Holy C**p!"
Son of a Biscuit Eater - insult directed towards someone you don't like
Splice the mainbrace! - give the crew a drink!
Thar she blows! - Whale sighting
Three sheets to the wind - someone who is very drunk. One sheet is mildly drunk and four sheets is passed out.
Walk the plank - punishment in which person walks off a board jutting over the side of the ship while at sea. The consequence is drowning and a visit to Davy Jones' Locker.
Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! - pull up the anchor and the sail and let's get going
Ye - you
Yo Ho Ho - cheerful exhortation to demand attention
Anatomy Of A Ship
Aft -
At, in, toward, or close to the rear of the ship
Amidship -
The middle of a ship.
Ballast -
Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship to enhance stability.
Beam -
A piece of timber perpendicular to the sides of a ship which supports the deck. Also used to identify objects in relation to objects perpendicular to the ship that are visible from the port or starboard side.
Bilge -
The lowest part inside the ship, within the hull itself which is the first place to show signs of leakage. The bilge is often dank and musty, and considered the most filthy, dead space of a ship.
Nonsense, or foolish talk.
Bilge Water -
Water inside the bilge, sometimes referred to as "bilge" itself.
Bittacle (or bitacola and later “binnacle”) -
A box on the deck of a ship holding the ship’s compass.
Boom -
A horizontal pole along the bottom edge of a mast to which the mast is fastened.
See also boom about.
Boom chain (also boom defence, harbour chain, river chain, or chain boom) -
A chain or other obstacle strung between two points across a body of water to impede navigation, sometimes strung between a boat and shore.
Bow -
The front of a ship.
b
Bowsprit -
The slanted spar at a ship's prow jutting out in front of the ship. It is usually used as a lead connection for a small navigational sail.
Tack -
The lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail.
The position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails.
The act of repositioning a sail in order to change which side the wind catches it.
