Avast Ye, Ya Scurvy Bilge Rat

Yes, it's hard to believe that a year has passed, but Monday, September 19, is "Talk Like A Pirate Day" again.  I'm giving you a few days notice so you can get your T-shirts ordered.

And for the Math Pirates

                       








If you are a little light on knowing your pirate lingo, here's a little primer to get you started:

Ahoy! - "Hello!"

Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can also 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 beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made."And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

You can find more here. It will help you make it successfully through what can be a stressful day (depending on how heavily your co-workers / students are into "Talk Like A Pirate Day"). I'm guessing you will hear enough "lubber"s and "scurvy bilge rat"s to keep you smiling all day.

And if you need more reason to join in, read Dave Barry's column in the Miami Herald which includes some historical examples:

REPORTER: Could you please explain either your foreign or your domestic policy?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Arrrrr.