DaytonDailyNews.com

site web

Ahoy, me hearties! Praise be to the wench of the sea. Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, Arrgh.

It be the only day ye can call ye boss a scurvy dog and git away with it. Arrrrrr.

(Don't be lily-livered, but ye might be wantin' to rethink that. Wouldn't wantin' to be sent to Davy Jones' locker for insubordination. Dead men tell no tales and git no raises).

Now don't git ye'self excited, ye scallywags still have to swab the deck or feel the cold steel of ye cap'n's hook. Talk like a Pirate Day is not an official government holiday, and it ain't fer ev'ry salty sea dog.

Accordin' to the day's founders, Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers and John "Ol' Chumbucket" Baur, the day is celebrated by millions around the world. Harr and Yo-ho-ho! The Oregon buccaneers came up with it in 1995 durin' a game of racquetball. Last year they released the book Pirattitude! So You Want to Be a Pirate? Here's How (New American Library, $12.95). It be includin' an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Dave Barry.

Besides the vocabulary, ye landlubber will need some swaggy, and plenty of it, to make this a successful International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Smartly, hop to it dogs! Git ye'selfs a fool-mouth parrot at the pet shop next to Starbucks. I named me wee bucko Morgan Freeman. Do what ye like wit ye'rs. Just don't let um nip ye sprogs.

To arms lads and lassies, ye be needin' a spyglass for spottin' Jolly Rogers and when the copyin' machine is jammed with meatpie. Argh!

And ye will need an eye patch — me not sure if they be sellin' em at Macy's. Ye might be wantin' to takes ye pieces of eight down to ye local Halloween store. The closest location be dependin' on what sea ye be sailin' next. Yarr! No matter where ye be shoppin', leave ye six pounders on ya bilge rat or face the cat o' nine tails.

As for ye office cap'n, hopefully he be loaded to the gunwales and won't notice if ye be 15 minutes late. Arrgh.

Already at work? Blimey! Don't hang the jib. Raid the supply closet for booty ye can use to enhance ye look.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2384 or arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Speak pirate

like a pro

So me matey, ye got a bite of the background, but not so fast. Ye need a bite ole practice before ye can count ye'self in the ranks of Cap'n Long John Silver or Cap'n Jack Sparrow.

Check out the links below to before searching for Treasure Island or that cursed Black Pearl. Arrrrrr.

Talk Like a Pirate Day official Web site: www.talklikeapirate.com

Talk Like a Pirate Personality Inventory (TOTLAPPI): talklikeapirate.com/ppi.html

English to Buccaneer translator: www.syddware.com/cgi-bin/pirate.pl

Pirate vocabulary: www.puzzlepirates.com/Vocabulary.xhtml or www.yarr.org.uk/talk/

Another useful Web site: Talklikeapirateday.com