As you know, we’re going to celebrate international Talk Like a Pirate Day next Tuesday. It is going to be a huge hit. As we get geared up for it, it dawned on me that perhaps you would like to get in on the festivities as well. Here’s some basics from the official site on how to insert some great piratey words into your vocabulary for a great holiday.

Ahoy! – “Hello!”

Avast! – Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, “Whoa! Get a load of that!” which today makes it more of a “Check it out” or “No way!” or “Get off!”

Aye! – “Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did.”

Aye aye! – “I’ll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over.”

Arrr! – This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. “Arrr!” can mean, variously, “yes,” “I agree,” “I’m happy,” “I’m enjoying this root beer,” “My team is going to win it all,” “I saw that television show, it stunk!” and “That was a clever remark you just made.” And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

Have you read Dave Barry’s original column on it that popularized the non-paid holiday? Man, I can’t wait until “No-Shave November” rolls around again, too.

JG