| AHOY |
What manly pirates shout at each other. Short enough to carry across the sea between ships, and an improvement on "Hey, pal, how's it hanging?" or "Dude, love the earring thing". |
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| AWASH |
What you'll need after a few days on board ship. Or what happens to the decks when fighting erupts and blood is spilled. ("The decks were awash with blood" - icky!) |
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| BRACE |
Foreplay. (Brace yersel' girl!). Or a rope used for sail rigging. |
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| BRIG |
What you get thrown into when you refuse the Captain's advances. Used today for military prison facilities. |
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| BULKHEAD |
Not something you should call the Captain while you are refusing his advances, no matter how dense he is. It's the interior wall of a ship. |
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| BUTT |
(Your..) What the Captain desperately wants to get his hands on! Also refers to a large barrel or cask for holding drinking water. |
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| CAREEN |
If someone suggests your bottom should be careened, do not slap their faces. It is a process for removing damaging barnacles and seaweed from the hull of your ship. |
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| CORSAIR |
The unrefined atmosphere below decks. Or a pirate who operated in the Mediterranean rather than the Caribbean. |
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| CROW'S NEST |
What your hair's going to look like after about 48 hours at sea. Also a lookout position at the highest point of the mainmast. (Originates from Vikings who actually carried crows on their voyages with them - the birds always headed to land when released. Neat tidbit of useless information.) |
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| DAVY JONES'S LOCKER |
A private cupboard belonging to a short, dark haired English lad who sang with three other friends in the 1960's. Actually, a combination of "Jonah" from the Bible and "Dhuffee" - a Caribbean term for ghost or spirit. Obviously not a place anyone wanted to go to, because it was a one-way trip! |
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| DECK |
What you're going to want to do to the Captain at various times during the voyage. When you're not trying to seduce him, that is. Also refers to the floor on board ship. Use caution with the Captain, because with one command he can have you scrubbing it with a holystone! |
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| DEVIL TO PAY |
What's going to happen if you continue to refuse the Captain's advances!! Also refers to one of the worst tasks aboard ship, that of caulking with pitch (known as "pay") the longest seam on a wooden ship (known as the "devil"). All seamen uniformly hated squatting in the bilges and performing this chore. Another useless tidbit for your next cocktail party. |
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| FATHOM |
What you simply can't do to the Captain! Or a measure of water - about 6 feet. |
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| FORE-AND-AFT |
The sort of behavior you get when you add a dash of erotica to a pirate romance. Or a way of describing the length of a ship. |
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| HEAD |
Oh no - I'm not going anywhere near this one! Today, refers to a ship's bathroom, but originated when the primitive facilites were small seats suspended over the water from the figurehead of the ship. See how much you're learning here? |
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| HEAVE TO |
A less-than-elegant way of inviting you into the Captain's bunk ("Heave to right here, lass..."). Or stopping the forward progress of a vessel. |
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| TAKE THE HELM |
What the Captain does when he finally gets your corsets unlaced! Also refers to taking over the steering of the ship, usually by tiller or wheel. |
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| HOLYSTONE |
Piece of sandstone used to scrub the teak decks of sailing ships - and a good way for the Captain to get you on your knees in front of him! So called, because it was felt a sailor on his knees looked like he was praying! Huh. (Actually, it was probably more like "Holy @#$%, my knees hurt!") |
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| MAINSHEET |
See Captain's bunk reference above. If you're lucky, it's clean. Also a rope at the lower corner of the mainsail. |
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| MAST |
Long, rigid and protruding from the belly of the - er - ship, the mast is one of the most important features of pirate life. They are hung - with sails, that is. Unlike its Captain, the ship has three masts, the foremast, the mainmast and the mizzenmast. And that's all we need say about masts. |
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| MOUNTED GUNS |
Yes, a pirate's life is a lonely life. Also refers to weaponry mounted on moveable carriages. |
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| QUARTERDECK |
Where the Captain spends the long, lonely, moonlit watches of the night waiting for you to overcome your maidenly scruples and allow him to take the helm (see above). A deck above the main deck that ran about halfway the length of the ship which served as a kind of "C and C" station for a pirate vessel. (Are you taking notes? There'll be a quiz later!) |
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| RIGGING |
What somebody was doing to the cards in the poker game where the Captain won you from your wicked uncle/guardian/brother/step aunt etc. Also refers to the position of the sails and sheets on the masts. |
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| SCUTTLEBUTT |
(With Mrs...) The name of your plump, middle-aged maid/companion who has been lured into a shameless affair with the ship's cook! Also means "rumor" and is linked to the fact that the gossip that could ruin a voyage (or 'scuttle' it) was discussed around the water container (see "Butt" above) - no kidding on this, it really is the 17th century origin of the "office water cooler" thing! (And you thought this was just a frivolous piece. Shame on you!!) |
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| SPAR |
(v.) Necessary dialogue between you and the Captain which will enhance and increase the sexual tension. (n). A stout wooden pole used for masts or yards of sailing ships. |
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| YARD |
Like men everywhere, pirates are also prone to exaggeration. Also refers to a spar suspended from the rigging to extend the sails. |
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I hope these definitions will be of help the next time you find yourself snuggled up with a novel featuring adventure and passion on the High Seas! In the course of researching this article, I came across a very special book - "Under the Black Flag", by David Cordingly.
This is an absolutely fascinating look at "The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates", and was as absorbing a read as any of the fictional romances I've come across lately. While I seldom recommend a reference book, I'm going to encourage you to take a look for this one - perhaps in your local library - because it's well written, with a light and humorous touch, and full of amazing, funny (and occasionally gruesome) facts! Don't forget, Moms and Dads, school projects can often benefit from a book like this - if nothing else, it will certainly open your eyes to the reality behind the myth. I would suppose that any writer who is considering a pirate for her hero would pounce on this volume for reference!
I also had a lot of fun surfing through the various nautical reference sites as well as those devoted solely to pirates. Especially useful was the U.S. Navy site Origins of Navy Terminology and also the many sites I visited in my quest for the perfect ocean sounds! Given that this article has been written in January in the Northeastern US, I must confess that a trip to the Caribbean, even though only in my imagination, has felt like a little vacation, and I've enjoyed every minute of it!
Submitted by Celia, February 2002
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A Romance Review
Copyright @ 2001-2012 A Romance Review All Rights Reserved.
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