Arrr exclamation : An expression of frustration : “Arrr! I can never remember what letter comes after Q.”

A•vast exclamation : A command to stop or cease : “Avast! We’re about to hit a vast iceberg!”

Aye exclamation : Yes, definitely : “Aye, I have an eye patch.”

Boom noun : A large pole attached to the mast: “The first mate ducked under the boom but–BOOM!–struck his head on the mizzen.”

Boo•ty noun : Stolen money or treasure : “Lou hid the booty—his loot—in a boot in the loo.”

Buc•can•eer noun : A pirate, especially from the Spanish-American region : "The buccaneer sold the corn for a buck an ear."

Davey Jones’ Locker noun : A mythical place at the bottom of the sea where pirates go to die :“Even though it was deep under water, Davey Jones’ Locker still smelled like old gym socks.”

Feed the fish verb : To die : “The pirate forgot to feed the captain’s fish. Now he’s feeding the fish.”

Free•boot•er noun : A pirate or lawbreaker : “The freebooter didn’t pay for his shoes.”

Gang•way noun : A passage along the deck : “Gangway! The captain’s coming down the gangway.”

Hand•some•ly adverb : To do something well, with great care: “The ugly pirate swabbed the deck handsomely.”

Head noun : The toilet on a ship : “Because too many pirates were using the head incorrectly, the captain renamed it the toilet.”

Heart•y noun : A fellow sailor or comrade : “Although they were good guys, the captain’s hearties often gave him heartyburn.”

Heave to verb : To turn the ship so it makes little headway : “These
waves are making me sick. Heave to before I heave, too.”

Hogs•head noun : A unit of measure, approx. 64 gallons : “You smell worse than a hogshead of hogs’ heads.”

Jolly Roger noun : A pirate flag of skull and crossbones : “The sight of the Jolly Roger made Roger upset.”

Land•lub•ber noun : Someone who is not comfortable at sea : “Despite weeks on the ship, the landlubber never quite became a sealubber.”

Old salt noun : An experienced sailor : “The old salt passed the pepper.”

Pieces of eight noun : Spanish silver coins : “On the fourth, at five o’clock, six pirates found seven pieces of eight.”

Poop deck noun : The top, rear deck of a ship : “The poop deck was, ironically, the cleanest part of the ship.”

Pri•va•teer noun : A government-authorized pirate : “The privateer shed a private tear when his ship sank.”

Sal•ma•gun•di noun : A traditional dish served aboard pirate ships : “My friend, Sal McGundy, makes great salmagundi.”

Shiver me timbers! exclamation : An expression of shock or annoyance : “Shiver me timbers, this wood is cold!”

Smart•ly adverb : To do something quickly : “The stupid pirate swabbed the deck smartly.”

Spir•its noun : Alcohol, especially liquor : “The bad spirits put the pirate in bad spirits.”

Star•board: noun : The right side of a ship : “The sailor stood on the starboard side and drank his port, which was right where he left it.”

Walk the plank verb : Traditional pirate punishment : “The author who wrote the lousy pirate definitions was forced to walk the plank.”

All content © Matthew McElligott