Yo Ho My Hearties!

You've been waiting all year, I know. What other holiday (okay, "holiday") is as awesome as one on which you can use a pick-up line like "Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?"

Yes, that's right, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

According to Mashable, It all started in 1995 on a YMCA racquetball court in Oregon (that explains it). John “Ol’ Chumbucket” Baur and Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers, being Oregonians, randomly started talking like pirates. From there it was a short plank-walk to the conclusion that everyone should have the wonderful opportunity to call his boss a rapscallion at least once. The best part of this story is that they chose September 19 as the date for the holiday because today is Summers’ ex-wife’s birthday. (Note to self: if you ever get married to Mark Summers, do not divorce him).

The idea didn't catch on beyond the two friends until they sent a letter about it to humor writer Dave Barry, who likes nothing better than a silly idea. In 2002, Barry wrote about it for the Miami Herald, and then the Internet took over and the idea caroused its way to all corners of the Earth.

So now you too can be a buccaneer once a year. There are multiple guides and glossaries to get you started: Try the How-to Guide on the official site, the "How to Be Speakin' Pirate-LIke" guide on the Official British HQ or the excellent Pirate Glossary. At the latter site, you can learn a variety of excellent insults, including "bilge rat," "boatswain," "scallywag" and "landlubber."

A vast (avast!) number of activities and events are going on around the world, but I imagine the most common form of celebration will be to grab that tankard of rum and sing a shanty.

Image courtesy of stock.xchng