Friday, July 3, 2009

Pirate Talk 101: Second Part - Commands

Today, we will review Commands. A command is an authoritative direction or instruction to do something. Below are various parts to build and respond a command. They include pre-command phrases, command responses, negative command phrases and a few of the nasic ship commands.

Pirate

Translation

Phrases before a command

Be so good to

You had better / Please

I’ll thank you to

You had better

There’s a good lad

That’s a good boy

You best be

You should be

Phrases after a command

If you please

Please

Negative Commands

Don’t be <verb>ing

Do not <verb>

He that  <verb phrase> makes an enemy of me

If you <verb phrase>, I will be your enemy.

There will no

You will not

Command Openers

Here now

Pay attention

Mind you

Bear in mind

Command Closers

And lively

Hurry

And look sharp about it

Act like you like it

Say I

I said

Command Responses

As you say

I’ll do as you say

Aye Cap’n

Yes Captain

Very well

Alright.

General Commands

About ship

Turn around

Aft here

Come back here

Avast and likewise belay

STOP!

Away with

Go away

Batten down your hatches

Shut up

Be comforted

Cheer up

Be easy

Calm down

Be seen and not heard

Shut up

Be warned

Be careful

Belay

Stop

Bend you ear to this

Listen

Clap a stopper on your eyes

Stop crying

Clear the turn and run him up

Hang him

Come hither

Come here

Don’t stir either hand or foot

Don’t move an inch

Give way

Get out of the way

Heave ahead

Let’s go / Keep going / Move on

Hold

Stop / Wait

Hold Fast

Stop right there

Keep a weather eye open

Keep a close watch

Lay your back into it

Put your back into it

Let’s to it

Let’s go for it

Look at the cut of you

Take a look at yourself

Make Haste

Hurry up

Make you ready

Get Ready

Never say it

Watch your tongue

Never you mind

Never mind

No more of that

Drop the subject / Stop talking

Not a word

Keep quiet

Off with you

Go away

Put a name on what you’re at

Say what you have to say

Remove yourself

Go away

Set yourself down

Sit down

Show no quarter

Show no mercy

Speak of it later

We’ll talk about this later

Stand ready

Get ready

Steady

Relax; Take it easy

Stow that

Forget that / Shut your mouth

Think on it

Think about it

What you will

Do whatever you want

Ship Commands

Go About

Turn around

Hard a-larboard / Hard to Larboard

Hard turn to the left

Hard a-port / Hard to port

Hard turn to the left

Hard Alee / Helms Alee

Hard to leeward (away from the wind)

Hard a-starboard / Hard to Starboard

Hard turn to the right

Keep her so / Keep her steady

Maintain present heading

Lay a course for

Prepare to go

Make Speed

Increase velocity

So

Just like that



This primer was summarized from the book "The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers and Rogues" by George Choundas and available here.

2 comments:

Vermithrax said...

What's the proper terminology for "Kill Powdermonkey?"

Annabella said...

One possability would be....

"As sure as God sees me, I'll be death for that half-masted Powdermonkey, be sure of that!"