How Well Do You Know Your Pirate Lingo?

By: J.P. Naomi
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Well Do You Know Your Pirate Lingo?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Ahoy matey! Yo, ho, all hands on deck for the ultimate quiz for pirate lingo! Think you have what it takes to bring a spring upon her? Try your luck now and blow me down!
If you hear a pirate say, "Ahoy!" he's really just saying...
I'm hungry!
Hello!
The word “pirate” is derived from the Latin term “pirata” which means sailor or sea robber, and from the Greek word “peirates” which literally means “one who attacks ships.”
Get out!
Walk the plank!
An agreeable pirate says this instead of "yes"...
Blimey
Aye
The earliest documented instance of piracy was in the 14th century BC, when the Sea Peoples, a group of ocean raiders, attacked ships in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
Booty
Aaaargh
Pirates are always on the hunt for "booty"...
Food
Treasure
Julius Caesar was once kidnapped and briefly held prisoner by Sicilian pirates. His ransom was set at 20 talents (or $600,000 in today's value.)
New clothes
Eye patches

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If a pirate shouts "Blimey!" he is expressing ________.
Hatred
Anger
Disappointment
Surprise
Pirates are not only found in the Caribbean (as in Pirates of the Caribbean), they are also found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.
If you're heading to the ship's toilet, better look for the sign that says, _______.
Toilet
Bathroom
Potty
Head
The "head" is the name given to the facilities on any ship, not just a pirate's ship!
You won't hear a pirate saying, "My boat," but you'd sure here him say, "_____ boat"!
His
Me
The skull and cross bones traditionally seen on the flag waving from a pirate ship is called the "Jolly Roger."
Her
This

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The part of the ship farthest to the back, usually above the captain's quarters is known as the ____ deck.
Top
Lido
Poop
Blackbeard was the most feared pirate of all. Blackbeard (AKA Edward Teach) was known as the most terrifying pirate in the world.
Rum
A pirate's favorite alcoholic beverage is _______.
Pina Colada
Vodka
Wine
Rum
"Grog" was the drink of choice for pirates. It is a mixture of rum, water, lemon juice, and sugar!
An old pirate or sailor is known as a ________.
Old pirate
Seadog
Women were pirates too! Famous female pirates include Mary Read, Anne Bonny, Grace O’Malley, and Ching Shih.
Privateer
Eater

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_______ is a reward for capturing a known criminal or pirate.
Bounty
It has been said that one of the reasons pirates wore eye patches was to help keep one eye adjusted to night vision for seeing below deck.
Anchor
Wench
Sheets
A _______ or a buccaneer is a friend or fellow pirate.
Spy
Bow
Mizzen
Bucko
A pirate’s treasure didn’t always include gold or silver. Much of it was actually food, lumber, cloth, and animal hides.
If you've got a "Grog Blossom," you must have a red ______ from drinking too much.
Hand
Nose
A Rum Swizzle is a famous rum-based cocktail often called the national drink of Bermuda. It is thought that pirates would enjoy this drink.
Leg
Toe

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Don't "hang the jib!"
Celebrate
Laugh
Pout
Turn that frown upsidedown! It's much better to smile than to 'hang the jib.'
Speak
If a pirate tells you to "heave to," you better _____!
Eat
Stop
One of the most common rules among pirates is 'no fighting onboard'. They would wait until they reached land to have an argument!
Sing
Start dancing
"Heave _____" means to put your weight and muscle into it!
High
Slow
Ho
One can imagine this being called out as a crew member raises a mast of the ship.
Me

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"_______ Ladder" was a rope ladder used to climb aboard the pirate ship.
Samantha's
Susan's
Jacob's
The meaning of Jacob's Ladder originates as a staircase to heaven from a dream Jacob had, which was described in the Old Testament.
Sarah's
The _____ is the pirate who keeps watch for land or oncoming ships.
Lookout
Pirates didn't really make people 'walk the plank,' but they did 'keelhaul' - meaning they would drag a tied sailor in the water from the back of the ship!
Main Man
Peeking One
Dreamer
The pirate's term for stolen money or belongings is ______.
Hands
Head
Loot
Looting is an expression used in today's language for the same purpose, particularly after a natural disaster, abandoned stores may experience looting.
Hearties

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To be _______ is to be abandoned with no food, drink or possessions - a form of punishment!
Marooned
If you 'maroon' someone, you leave them stranded on a deserted island with no supplies. "Marooned" is the verb form of the word.
Shot
Flogged
Fired
If you "run a ______", you are playing a joke or trick on someone.
Job
Rig
To 'rig' something also means to manipulate dishonestly for personal gain.
Muck
Line
A pirate of the worst kind is known as the ____________.
Scourge of the 7 Seas
There is also a board game titled "Scourge of the 7 Seas." It was created by The Game Crafter.
Beast
Worst Pirate Ever
Scrooge

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Well "Shiver me _____!" I'm completely shocked!
Cuddles
Cockles
Cheerio
Timbers
Most pirates didn't actually use a Jolly Roger as their flag. Instead, they just used black flags.
You might say you're going to take a nap, but a pirate would say he's "taking a _____."
Tube
Play
Caulk
Fun fact: September 19th is the annual "International Talk Like a Pirate Day."
Piece
"______ in the hole!" is the warning given to the crew before a cannon is fired.
Down
Rock
Fire
"Fire in the hole" is not only used by pirates, but is said to have originated by miners. The phrase appears in state mining regulations across the United States.
Time

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Crew members or sailors on a ship are known as _______.
Sailmen
Shippers
Sub Pirates
Hands
"All hands on deck" is an expression meaning everyone chip in and help complete a task.
If you're going to "Dance with Jack Ketch," they're going to _____ you!
Dance with
Hang
Jack Ketch was a famous English executioner who was employed by King Charles II. He died in November 1686.
Promote
Fire
A ________ is an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.
Joker
Old Salt
Landlubber
An old salt is the opposite of a landlubber. An old salt is an experienced pirate or sailor.
Privateer

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When another ship is in sight, the lookout might shout, "______, Ho!"
Sail
Sometimes a superior pirate might call a rookie pirate a 'scallywag.' Well, that's better than being called a scurvy dog!
Hoy
Ho
Hi
If a pirate calls you a "scurvy dog," this is a(n) ______.
Insult
Avast, ye scurvy dogs! A pirate uses this term to describe or call out insubordinates.
Compliment
Positive reinforcement
Joke
When everything is under control and the ship is managed and clean, one might say it is _________.
Uptight
All right
Shipshape
Is everything shipshape? This word, though originating on the seas, is used in everyday English language as well to mean trim or tidy.
Contrite

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If you "splice the mainbrace," what have you just passed out to the crew?
A round of drinks
Originally this was an order for one of the most difficult emergency repair jobs aboard a sailing ship. However, it became a euphemism for authorized celebratory drinking.
Death sentences
Swords
Eye patches
I don't like you, you "Son of a _______ eater!"
Fast
Slow
Biscuit
There is no shortage of insults or name-calling in pirate lingo. They even have an insulting name for a peasant girl, "wench."
Pretty
Take a look through the telescope, or _______.
Spyglass
Pirates are often seen with a long and skinny spyglass. This may be more portable than the one used by the lookout pirate.
Yellow Jack
Swab
Tar

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If a pirate shouts, "Thar She Blows!" what has he just seen?
A whale
"Thar she blows" is what the lookout on a ship would shout when he saw a whale surface and blow out its blowhole. This phrase is heard often on present-day whale-watches.
A bee
His wife
A horse
_____ Ho Ho! and a bottle of rum!
Hey
Yo
Dead Man's Chest is a fictional sea song that originated from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel, Treasure Island.
Hello
Howdy
You Got:
/35
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