An Aye for an Aye on International Talk Like a Pirate Day 2012

You can walk the plank—but can you talk the talk? International Talk Like a Pirate Day, falling annually on Sept. 19, is one of the most spirited Internet-based holidays out there, where you can really let the Captain Morgan, parrot, and peg leg jokes fly. One might wonder what the thought process was behind the holiday—and the truth is, the people who created it are just as fun and wacky as the holiday itself.

Creators John Baur and Mark Summers were playing racquetball one day in 1995, and their groans and cheers during the game quickly turned into pirate slang. After many jokes, the idea for International Talk Like a Pirate Day was born. They pitched their idea to Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Dave Barry, who eventually featured it in one of his pieces, and the rest is history.

Everyone knows that a pirate is only as good as his vernacul-aarrrrrrr, which means that to get fully in character, you need to have the lingo down so well that Red Beard and Captain Jack Sparrow wouldn’t want to see your Jolly Roger flag in the distance. For any scallywag who needs to brush up a bit, John and Mark’s pirate translator offers everything from "ahoy" to "thar she blows!"

Just think: If you brush up today, you'll be in perfect form for Gasparilla events when they roll around again in January!

To get in the spirit of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, head over to the Upper Tampa Bay Library where you can don a pirate costume and enjoy stories, games, and trivia for International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Fun begins at 4:30 p.m. in the community room at the Upper Tampa Bay Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd. Tampa, Fl 33626.