September 19 · Talk Like a Pirate Day
Talk Like a Pirate Dayparty kit
Thirty phrases ready to send, twenty pirate names to hand out, and a group challenge with rules and forfeits — enough to keep a chat, a classroom or an office in character for one full day.
Every September 19, people around the world spend a day saying “ahoy” instead of “hello” — at work, in class, in group chats — for no reason except that it is fun. The day started as a private joke between two friends, John Baur and Mark Summers, in 1995, and went worldwide after humor columnist Dave Barry wrote about it in 2002 (the founders still run the official talklikeapirate.com).
This kit is everything you need to actually play along: lines you can copy and send as they are, a pirate name for everyone in your crew, and a simple game that keeps the whole group talking pirate until sundown.
Kit step 01
The sixty-second crash course
You do not need to memorize anything to sound convincingly pirate. Four small moves carry the whole voice — learn these and you can improvise everything else on the spot.
- 01
Swap the pronouns
You becomes ye, your becomes yer, my becomes me: “me ship”, “me crew”, “me lunch”. This one change does more than any accent.
- 02
Drop the final g
Needin, wantin, sailin, meetin. Every verb that ends in -ing loses the g, in writing as well as out loud.
- 03
Bookend with Arrr and matey
Open sentences with Arrr, and close them with matey! One Shiver me timbers! per conversation is plenty — save it for real surprises.
- 04
Trade land words for sea words
Money is doubloons, a drink is grog, friends are mateys, leaving is settin sail, and nobody dies — they go to Davy Jones.
Kit step 02
Thirty phrases ready to send
Copy these straight into your group chat, email sign-offs or party toasts. Each line shows the plain English first, then the pirate version exactly as the translator produces it.
Greetings & check-ins
Open every conversation of the day in character.
Hello
Ahoy there, matey!
Good morning
Ahoy! Fine mornin on the high seas, matey!
Good night
Fair winds and calm seas to ye this night, matey.
Thank you
I be thankin ye, matey. Ye have me gratitude.
Welcome aboard, friend!
Arrr, welcome aboard, matey! By Davy Jones, matey!
Are you awake yet?
Arrr, are ye awake yet? Matey!
Group chat & work
For the office, the class group and the family thread.
I need more coffee right now.
Arrr, i be needin more hot grog right right now, matey!
The meeting starts in five minutes.
Arrr, the council of the crew starts in five minutes! Blimey, matey!
I am late for work.
Arrr, i am late for swab the decks, matey!
See you later, friend.
Arrr, spy ye when the tide turns, matey! By Davy Jones, matey!
Who wants food? I am buying.
Arrr, who wants grub? I am buying! Blimey, matey!
Quiet! The captain is speaking.
Arrr, quiet! The cap'n is speaking, matey!
Party lines & toasts
Raise a glass without breaking character.
Raise your drinks, friends!
Arrr, raise yer drinks, friends, matey!
To good friends and good adventure!
Arrr, to fine friends and fine voyage, matey!
This party needs more music!
Arrr, this party needs more music! Shiver me timbers, matey!
Where is my drink?
Arrr, where is me grog? Matey!
One more drink and then I go home.
Arrr, one more grog and then I set sail port! Blimey, matey!
Let the games begin!
Arrr, let the games begin, matey!
Love & compliments
Sweet things sound better with salt on them.
I love you
Shiver me timbers, I hold ye dearer than all the treasure in the seven seas!
You look great tonight.
Arrr, ye look-out mighty fine tonight, matey!
You are my best friend.
Arrr, ye are me finest matey!
You are the smartest person I know.
Arrr, ye are the smartest person I know, matey!
I miss you. Come back soon.
Arrr, i miss ye. Come aboard back soon! By Davy Jones, matey!
You make me happy.
Arrr, ye make me merry! Arrr, matey!
Playful insults & comebacks
For duels between friends only — deliver with a grin.
You have no honor
Ye be a scallywag with no honor! Walk the plank!
My grandmother fights better than you.
Arrr, me grandmother fights better than ye, matey!
Say that again, I dare you.
Arrr, say that again, I dare ye! By Davy Jones, matey!
You could not find water in the ocean.
Arrr, ye could not discover grog in the briny deep, matey!
You are slow and you smell of old fish.
Arrr, ye are sluggard and ye smell of old fish! Blimey, matey!
Back to work, you lazy dogs!
Arrr, back to swab the decks, ye lazy dogs! By Davy Jones, matey!
Kit step 03
Twenty pirate names to hand out
A crew needs names before the day starts. Claim yours, assign the rest, and use them all day — in the group chat, on sticky notes, in email signatures. Matching a name to the right person is half the fun.
Captains & officers
Cap'n Saltwhisker
For whoever organizes the day — they earned the title.
Cap'n Tempest-Born
For the friend who thrives on chaos.
Cap'n Gallows-Grin
For the one with the darkest sense of humor.
Cap'n Brasshook
For the boss, if the boss is playing along.
Cap'n Galewhip
For the fastest typer in the group chat.
Quartermaster Quill
For the note-taker, planner or group admin.
First Mate Marrowbone
For your second-in-command or oldest friend.
Deck crew & scoundrels
Saltboots
For the one who is always outside, rain or shine.
Tar-Fingers
For whoever fixes things — or breaks them.
Bilgewater
A proud insult-name for a good sport.
Grog-Whistle
For the loudest singer after one drink.
Anchorbite
For the stubborn one who never changes plans.
Mastclimber
For the restless one who cannot sit still.
Keel-Knuckle
For the gym friend or the arm-wrestling champion.
Office legends
The Dread Accountant
Finance, feared across the seven spreadsheets.
Spreadsheet Scourge
For whoever owns the pivot tables.
Keelhauler of Kitchens
For the one who polices the office fridge.
Terror of the Break Room
For the loudest lunch-table storyteller.
The Grog Corsair
For the coffee-run volunteer.
Deadline-Dodger
Self-explanatory. They know who they are.
Kit step 04
The game: Walk the Plank
A day-long challenge for any group — office, classroom, friend group or family chat. It needs no equipment, no preparation and about one minute of explanation.
Setup (2 minutes)
Everyone picks a pirate name from step 03 and renames themselves in the group chat (or wears a sticky-note name tag). Appoint one Cap'n — they settle disputes.
The one rule
From the moment the game starts, five words are forbidden in their plain form: hello (say ahoy), yes (aye), no (nay), friend (matey) and you (ye).
Getting caught
Catch someone using a forbidden word and shout (or type) “Walk the plank!” — they take a strike. Three strikes and they owe a forfeit.
Forfeits
Keep them small and fun: fetch the next round of coffee, deliver one message in full pirate voice out loud, or change their profile picture to a parrot until sundown.
Kit step 05
A one-day plan that runs itself
- The night before: send the kit to your group, let everyone claim a name from step 03, and agree when the game starts.
- Morning: open with a greeting from step 02 — the good-morning line sets the tone for the whole day.
- Midday: raise a toast from the party lines at lunch, and keep the Walk the Plank strikes counted.
- Afternoon: settle scores with a friendly insult duel — two players, three comebacks each, the group votes a winner.
- Sign-off: end the day with the good-night line and tally the forfeits. The most-caught landlubber pays up.