ifapirateimustbe reblogged
Pirate Terms and Phrases
- Batten Down The Hatches - tie everything down and put stuff away for a coming storm.
- Brig - a prison on a ship.
- Bring a Spring Upon 'er - turn the ship in a different direction
- Broadside - the most vulnerable angle of a ship that runs the length of the boat.
- Cutlass - a thick, heavy and rather short sword blade.
- Dance with Jack Ketch - to hang; death at the hands of the law (Jack Ketch was a famed English executioner).
- Davy Jones's Locker - a mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where drowned sailors are said to go.
- Dead Men Tell No Tales - the reason given for leaving no survivors.
- Flogging - severe beating of a person.
- Gangplank - removable ramp between the pier and ship.
- Give No Quarter - show no mercy.
- Jack - flag flown at the front of the ship to show nationality.
- Jolly Roger - black pirate flag with a white skull and crossbones.
- Keelhaul - a punishment where someone is dragged under the ship. They are cut by the planks and barnacles on the bottom of the ship.
- Landlubber - an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.
- Letters of Marque - government-issued letters allowing privateers the right to piracy of another ship during wartime.
- Man-O-War - a pirate ship that is decked out and prepared for battle.
- Maroon - to leave someone stranded on a. deserted island with no supplies, typically a punishment for any crew members who disrespected the captain.
- Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes by forcibly removing the old one.
- No Prey, No Pay - a common pirate law that meant crew members were not paid, but rather received a share of whatever loot was taken.
- Old Salt - experienced pirate or sailor.
- Pillage - to steal/rob a place using violence.
- Powder Monkeys - men that performed the most dangerous work on the ship. They were treated harshly, rarely paid, and were expendable.
- Privateer - government-appointed pirates.
- Run A Shot Across the Bow - fire a warning shot at another boat's Captain.
- Scurvy - a disease caused by Vitamin C Deficiency.
- Sea Legs - when a sailor adjusts his balance from riding on a boat for a long time.
- Strike Colors - lower a ship's flag to indicate surrender.
- Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen - an order to the crew to pull up the anchor and get the ship sailing.
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