Friday, July 3, 2009
Pirate Talk 101: Important Part - Retorts
Retorts express surprise, ridicule, indignation or agreement of insults, epithets, curses or oaths.
Five General Forms:
Ain’t you the ADJECTIVE one?
Used with an adjective that mocks.
Ain’t you the pretty one.
And VERB + SUBJECT so?
Repeats the verb and subject from the insult/epithet/etc. to form a question.
And do ye so? And will he so?
The devil SUBJECT + VERB
The devil they have. The devil they do.
VERB + SUBJECT now?
Don’t ye now?
So now you’re + VERB PHRASE are ‘ee?
So now you’re askin’ me to trust you, are ‘ee?
| Pirate | Translation |
| Be you out of your head? | Are you crazy? |
| Do you threaten? | Response to a threat |
| Explain your meaning | What do you mean? |
| Flatterer | Take insult as compliment |
| Have you gone daft? | Have you lost your mind? |
| I admire your spirit much more that your discretion | Response to bold or assertive statement |
| I do my possible, which that ain’t | That is out of the question. |
| I ___ for no man, few women, and take orders from neither | Response to a command. |
| It is of no account/matter | It doesn’t matter |
| Passion is an ill word to steer by | Retort to hot-tempered remark |
| That’d be so? | Really? |
| That’s your sort, is it? | That’s what you’re like |
| ‘tis a foul tongue yours | Response to profane, uncivil, uncouth |
| ‘tis joy to me | That makes me happy. |
| Trifles | The things you speak of do not matter. |
| What mean you by this? | What is that supposed to mean? |
| What of it? | So what? |
| Who be you? | Who do you think you are? |
| You shall VERB with the devil | Go VERB in hell |
| You’re a diamond | You’re the best. |
| You’re a EPITHET to give me those words | See Epithets Table |
| You’re full of prating | You’re babbling |
| You’re neither mad nor a fool and yet talk like both | Crazy and stupid |
| You’re not talking to low sailor hand | Who do you think you are talking to |
| You’re overly apt with your tongue | You talk too much |
| You’ve the tongue of some fouled scupper | You have a filthy mouth |
This primer was summarized from the book "The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers and Rogues" by George Choundas and available here.
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