Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! - disgust or frustration
Ahoy - hello
Ahoy Matey - hello friend!
Ahoy me Hearties - hello my friends
Aft - toward the rear of the ship. Short for after.
Avast - "Who goes there?"
Belay - stop that or quit talking.
Bilge - expression that meant silly or foolish talk. (The bilge of a ship or
the lower part fills with stinking bilge water.)
Black spot - to accuse another pirate of wrong doing or mark him for death
Blimey- means surprise
Booty - loot
Buccaneer - Caribbean pirates
Bucko - my friend
Cap'n - short for captain
Shanty - a sailor's work song
Chest - a treasure container
Crow's nest - a lookout or small platform near the top of a sailboat's mast
Cutlass - a curved sword or a traditional pirate's weapon
Davy Jone's locker - the bottom of the sea
Deadlights - eyes
Dead men tell no tales - excuse for leaving no survivors
Fair winds - goodbye and good luck
Feed the fish - men being thrown into the sea dead or alive
Gangway - "Get out of my way!"
Grub - food
Flogging - Punishment by caning
Hands - the crew of a ship
Jack tar or tar - a sailor
Jollyboat - a small boat or little dinghy
Jolly roger - the pirates' skull-and-crossbones flag. It was an invitation to surrender
and be treated well. A red flag meant "no quarter" or chance to surrender.
Lad, lass, or lassie - someone younger than you
Landlubber or just lubber - a non-sailor.
Letters of marque - papers issued by a national government during wartime which allowed a
privately owned ship to raid ships of hostile nations. A ship bearing such letters, and operating within their limits, is
a privateer rather than a pirate. The problem was that privateers often ignored the marque and did what they
pleased. Also, letters of marque weren't always honored by the government that issued them.
Maroon - to leave a victim on a deserted island with usually only a gun
and a little water. Pirates often suffered this fate for going against the ship's articles or rules.
Me - pirates often said this word instead of "my"
No quarter - surrender will not be accepted
On the account - a pirate was said to be this
Pillage - to raid and rob
Pirate - a seagoing robber that was not under orders from a country like a privateer
Port - the left side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow.
Poxed - diseased. Used as an insult.
Privateer - a ship or crew bearing a letter of marque with orders from a country
to attack hostile nations' ships.
Sail ho - to see a sail over the horizon
An old salt - an experienced seaman
Scurvy - a disease due to lack of vitamin C which often afflicted sailors.
Often used as an insult.
Sea dog - an experienced seaman
Shiver me timbers - expression of surprise or strong emotion
Starboard - the right side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow.
Walk the plank - a victim, usually blindfolded or with bound hands, is forced to walk
a plank off of the side of a boat
Weigh anchor - to haul the anchor up to leave port