HOW TO BE A PIRATE

Ahoy there! If you want to be a pirate, you’ll need to be utterly ruthless, completely lacking in morals, handy with a cutlass, and motivated by greed. If that fits your description, read on . . .

TALK LIKE A PIRATE

Pirates have a vocabulary all of their own and you’ll need to understand it if you plan on joining their ruthless ranks. Here are a few words to start you off:

 

Avast		Stop
Bilge		The lowest part of a ship inside the hull – can also be used to mean ‘nonsense’ or ‘rubbish’. Bilgewater is the foul water that collects in the bilge
Bilge rat		Insult (see above)
Booty		Loot
Cat o’ nine tails		Whip made up of nine strands of rope
Fiddler’s Green		Pirate heaven
Grog		Alcoholic drink (usually rum mixed with water)
Hearties		Friends
Hornswoggler		Cheat
Landlubber		Land lover – someone who isn’t a sailor (can be used as an insult)
Jolly Roger		Pirate flag
Pieces of eight		Spanish silver coins
Sea dog		Experienced sailor
Shiver me timbers!		Surprised exclamation
Yarr!		Positive exclamation

YOUR PIRATE NAME

Simply choose any name from each of these three columns (or you could use your own first name instead of the middle column):

 

First Mate		Bart or Mary		Blackheart
Laughin’		Jack or Peggy		Diamond or
				Pearl or Ruby
Captain		Sam or Kate		Swagger
Jolly		Tom or Meg		Sharktooth
Peg-leg		Ben or Lizzie		Gold or Silver
Crazy		Pete or Annie		Hook

ACCESSORISE!

Of course, if you really were a pirate, you’d need to dress like one! Here’s how:

1. Grab a pair of canvas breeches, a shirt, a waistcoat and a bandana to go around your head – the older and filthier the better.

2. Place all the clothing on the ground.

3. Chuck a bucket of seawater and half a bottle of rum over it. Leave to dry before wearing.

4. Accessorise with a parrot, a monkey, an eye patch, or large golden earrings. And, of course, a gleaming cutlass.

You’re ready to terrorise the high seas!