Companion photograph here.

Posted September 19, 2007 5:09 PM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Shiver me timbers, 'tis a likely lad.

Posted September 19, 2007 5:10 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Aye, sir!

Posted September 19, 2007 5:16 PM by P J Evans

I like the nautical print in the background, too!

Posted September 19, 2007 5:22 PM by anatidaeling

Aaarh, mateys! It be a fitting memorial, and so say all of us.

Posted September 19, 2007 5:22 PM by beth meacham

Spell it out, me lads --

Arrrrrrrrr --

Ayyyye --

Posted September 19, 2007 5:29 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Yargh! I'm not very good at this day. yargh :(

Posted September 19, 2007 5:31 PM by david

'Jim Rigney' even sounds like a pirate's name. Arrrrr!!!

Posted September 19, 2007 5:32 PM by Serge

Teresa @ 6

Garrrghh -- I think that's the next letter.

Posted September 19, 2007 5:35 PM by P J Evans

This would not seem remiss.

Posted September 19, 2007 6:00 PM by Doug

Yaar! That be a fine swashbucklin' buccaneer.

Posted September 19, 2007 6:06 PM by Dan

Yo heave ho. Now for the bottle of rum, swabbies.

Posted September 19, 2007 6:15 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Avast, ye lubbers! It's past six bells o' the first watch about here, and ye're only talkin' like pirates now?

At eight bells it'll be the feast of Saint Eustace, and we'll be roastin' people inside bronze bull statues, so we will, arrrrhh!

Posted September 19, 2007 6:16 PM by Dread Pirate Niall

I be gettin' together with friends for a mighty pillage over on Puzzle Pirates. Then, in the evening, rum! How better to celebrate such a day?

Arrr.

Posted September 19, 2007 6:19 PM by Fade Manley

Arrr, mateys! Me bf (a likely lad he is, aye, and fair and well-spoken too) texted me thus:

All hands on deck! Hoist the mainsail! Batten down the hatches! Weigh anchor! (someone shouts: the anchor weighs 45 lbs!)

Posted September 19, 2007 6:25 PM by Xopher

The big wheel o' the time be turnin', and captains come and go, leavin' t' memories that get fogged with lots of rum, wenching, fighting, and grog. Grog and head injuries fade the memories to myth, myth to legend, and even legend drowns in the deep sea of rum when the scurvy dog that birthed the bonny tale be comin' round again..."

Posted September 19, 2007 6:32 PM by jmmcdermott

doug, #10,

indeed, that's still the first thing i think of whenever "talk like a pirate day" is mentioned.

still cracks me up. & still makes me wistful to think of how late i came to both mr. ford & mr. o'brian.

Posted September 19, 2007 7:03 PM by miriam beetle

Ahoy for St Eustace! At eight bells all hands start roasting raw slices of bull and venison on slabs of bronze over bonfires. Mainbrace splicing to follow. Dance, me hearties, dance 'til ye drop! Arrrr! (Hopin' I'll need t' liberate a new shirt from some unlucky lubber by the end of the last watch.)

Dancin' Jenny Jade

Posted September 19, 2007 7:04 PM by Mez

Jim @ #16:

*applauds*

alas, said fair day be long past on this fine Southern island as I be inhabitin'.

Posted September 19, 2007 7:32 PM by Cass R

Call me Ishmaël.
Oops.
Wrong ship.

Posted September 19, 2007 7:33 PM by Serge

Yarr! NNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH is the next letter I be thinkin'

Posted September 19, 2007 8:49 PM by Nina Armstrong

Serge, I'm listening to Steve Goodman's Moby Book right now. ARRRR, and you can listen to it, too!

Posted September 19, 2007 9:21 PM by Marilee

re:Cass R #19

Who is this Jim person? My name's actually Joe.

Ishmael actually did originally compose his epic in his native Pirate tongue, which Melville transcribed into English:

"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago--never mind how long precisely--havin' little or no doubloons in me purse, and nothin' particular t' interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see t' watery part o' t' world. It be a way I have of drivin' off t' spleen and regulatin' t' circulation. Whenever I find meself growin' grim about t' mouth; whenever it be a damp, drizzly November in me soul; whenever I find meself involuntarily pausin' before coffin warehouses,and brin'in' up t' aft o' every funeral I meet; and especially whenever me grog gets such an upper hand o' me, that it requires a strong moral principle t' prevent me from deliberately steppin' into t' street,and methodically bustin' people's caps off with me cudgel--then, I account it high time t' get t' sea as soon as I can. This be me substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Captain Salty Cat-o-nine threw himself upon his cutlass; I quietly take t' t' ship. There be nothin' surprisin' in this. If they but knew it, almost all landlubbers in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly t' same feelin's towards t' ocean with me."

Posted September 19, 2007 9:25 PM by jmmcdermott

After a hard day carousing, looting, and pillaging, the older pirates have turned in to their bunks and are reading their favorite comic artist (ARRRRRGH Crumb), listening to their favorite hip-hop singer (ARRRRRGH Kelly), and shooting pieces off the bust of their least favorite philosopher, Marcus ARRRRRGHelius...

In the spirit of the thread, this post is brought to you by the letter EARRRRRGH (the REAL name of a certain slow-talking donkey of literary and cinematic fame). A.A. Milne just couldn't spell...

Posted September 19, 2007 9:29 PM by Scott

Aye, me beauty. I see ye be tuggin' on yer braids again.

I am going to hell for that.

Posted September 19, 2007 9:37 PM by JerolJ

The two bits of the series I wanted to see pirated have now been done. Arrrrrrrrr. I be happy.

Posted September 19, 2007 10:10 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Q: What goes "Pieces of seven, pieces of seven?"

A: (now now, don't yell out if you know the answer - you'll spoil it for the lifeform/s that haven't)

A Parroty Error.

Posted September 19, 2007 10:50 PM by Vian

Aargggh ... snicker ... arrgh ... oh me achin' ribs ... uurrgh!

Posted September 19, 2007 11:29 PM by P J Evans

Well, you can't work all the time, even parroty has to take a vacation, so any remaining bird must be odd.

Posted September 20, 2007 12:25 AM by Bruce Cohen (SpeakerToManagers)

But seven has the same parity as eight! It wouldn't be a parroty error at all. Pieces of nine, now, that'd be the ticket.

Posted September 20, 2007 12:53 AM by coffeedryad

Ye have *no* idea how happy seeing this entry made me, on so many levels (not the least of which is the fact that I just removed my own Elise-ian pirate hair ornaments at the end o' a looooong day of listening to other people talk like pirates...)

Posted September 20, 2007 1:19 AM by Pat Kight

22: Are you listening to it on NPRRRRRRR?

Posted September 20, 2007 4:21 AM by Doug

Vian @ #29: No, a parroty error is `pieces of nine, pieces of nine'.

Posted September 20, 2007 8:26 AM by Nix

Has anybody read The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire,
by Susan Ronald?

Posted September 20, 2007 9:45 AM by jsq

Numbers 16, 20 and 25 are responsible for coating my keyboard in a fine spray of tea. Arrrgh. :)

Posted September 20, 2007 10:42 AM by MW

Just for the record, last night's dinner toast was a rousing "aaarrrr". (Usually we toast the weather or something.)

Posted September 20, 2007 12:43 PM by joann

"Went the day well, Jack?" Doctor Maturin passed his cloak to Bonden, shrugging energetically to settle his jacket. "Was it not some nautical ceremony?"

"You mean International Talk Like A Pirate Day? It is but an American conceit of little significance, but I found it refreshing to recall my time as a common sailor."

"I know your tale Jack," said Maturin, hoping to defuse the retelling. "And I admire you for it."

"Why... ...You do?" Jack was taken aback by the comment.

"Indeed," said Maturin. He stepped across the room to look out of the window. "How many of your brother officers could have adapted to the change. You know of my activities: it is a talent which is of value. But, unlike me and my associates, you would have struggled to meet the need to lie." He smiled slightly. "Avast there you lubbers!" There was a clatter outside the room, as if somebody might have dropped a plate. "Is that the style, Jack?"

Jack laughed. "You have the voice, but I can never imagine you as a sailor."

"Nor can I," came the admission. "I have my talents, you and your crew have theirs, and I am deeply grateful for your tolerance."

"As we have reasons to be grateful to you." Jack came and stood by his friend. "I could imagne you as a storybook pirate."

"You could?"

"Oh yes. And if some enemy had arranged to have a letter of marque disavowed, we would have been as piratical as Captain Kidd."

Maturin bowed his head for a moment and crossed himself. Jack murmured something that might have been a prayer.

"Arrrrrrrr!"

"Matey!"

It didn't really matter which of them said what.

Posted September 20, 2007 2:47 PM by Dave Bell

You guys, I should tell you that I was down in Charleston for the funeral while this was being posted, and everybody's good wishes were much appreciated, as was the humor. (Niall, your #13 in particular was much quoted by Harriet, who was greatly amused.)

Posted October 2, 2007 4:44 PM by elise