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Avast Matey: Ready Your Pirate Parlance!

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - Ahoy Tri-State residents! There's something special happening this weekend and everyone can be part of it!

This Sunday, September 19, is the annual International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

The purpose is to talk like a pirate and, perhaps, even dress like one. You might also consider visiting a pirate-themed bar. In the end, you should just have some hearty fun.

It was founded in 1996 by two guys named John Baur and Mark Summers.

They were playing racquetball on June 6 of that year when, for reasons that escape them, the "encouragement" they were yelling at each other started coming out in pirate slang.

They decided to create a special day for talking like a pirate, but realized that June 6 was the anniversary of D-Day. So, Mark came up with September 19.

Here are some basics for talking like a pirate, courtesy of the official International Talk Like a Pirate Day website:

Ahoy! - "Hello!"

Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"

Aye! - "Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did."

Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."

Arrr! - This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

There are a number of bars in the New York City area with a pirate theme.

Iggy's Keltic Lounge
132 Ludlow Street, Manhattan
212-529-2731
http://www.myspace.com/iggys

Wicked Willy's
149 Bleecker Street, Manhattan
212-254-8592
http://www.myspace.com/wickedwillysnyc

The Exchange (having special event for Talk Like a Pirate Day)
160 East Main Street, Rockaway, NJ
973-627-8488
http://www.exchangefood.com/

John and Mark even came up with some pirate pickup lines. Here are a few of them.
- "Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?"
- "Ya know, darlin', I'm 97 percent chum free."
- "Prepare to be boarded."

There are many more pirate pickup lines, including some for the pirate ladies.

There is even a newsletter called "The Poopdeck."

LINK: International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Official Website)

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