Written by This is certainly one of the silliest celebration days of this month as everyone in the world is invited to talk like a pirate today. More than 20 years ago now, two guys were playing racquetball and inexplicably started encouraging each other using pirate slang. The day was selected because it was the birthday of the ex-wife of one of the guys, and later, popular columnist Dave Barry wrote about the event, and the rest, as they say, is history. We don’t actually have any recordings of actual pirates, so all of the slang associated with them today comes from books and cinema. It’s quite likely pirates talked pretty much like everyone else, but that’s no fun at all! It’s way more fun to think of them saying “shiver me timbers” or “thar she blows” mixed with a periodic “Arr!” Though the actual vernacular is a question of debate, it’s wildly thought that they did actually have parrots, so that’s what I chose to doodlewash for today. Whatever they actually said, I’m sure this little parrot pirate was happily chiming in along with them.
I’m not really hip to pirate speak, so I’m rather rubbish at celebrating this day properly. But I have to admire the concept. A day to just be absolutely ridiculous is a rather freeing and wonderful idea. What those crazy founders had discovered was that lapsing into a fit of pirate speak made their game far more enjoyable. I definitely think that it would! Anything in life is made more fun and interesting when you toss aside pretense and just act like a kid again. Or even a kid pretending to be a pirate, which is way cooler. As an actual kid, I enjoyed watching Disney’s version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. It was released years before I was born, but it had become a bit of a classic. The character name of Long John Silver, however, had already become more synonymous with a chain of fast food fried fish restaurants. This always made me giggle as though the restaurants had come along first and the character name was just an unfortunate choice. I actually did try to revisit the fried fish memory as an adult, but it wasn’t quite the same. That said, I did manage leave wearing a paper pirate hat.
I often wonder how weird my childlike tendencies will seem as I grow even older. Once the gray in my hair opaques all of the dark brown and the wrinkles become less of a cameo appearance to my face, but the entire show playing there. But, I simply don’t care at all. The only alternative is to act like those boring adults and I’ve no intention of ever doing that. Life isn’t something to sit on the sidelines and judge, it’s something to live with glee and wild abandon. Sure, I’ll always pay all of those silly bills and make sure to do the other basic bits of adulting required to survive. But after that’s done, I’m going to go outside and play a bit. Or stay inside and play with Legos. Whatever comes to mind in the moment. And to anyone who thinks I might ever be “too old” for such things, I’ll just nod at them sadly. It’s a shame they forgot how to access their inner child. But, I for one, am bound and determined to never lose that ability. So, even if I don’t quite know all of the lingo, I’m more than happy to celebrate the gloriously silly idea of talk like a pirate day!
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Aureolin, Vermilion, and Indigo (My “Vintage” Trio!). Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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“Polly wanta pirate . . .” Good painting now give him/her a pirate hat.
Aww…. that’s some sweet pirate slang you got there! 😃💕Yep… totally needs a pirate hat and eye patch! hehe
Ahoy, ye scallywag. Adulthood always seemed a rum go to me – I’d rather walk the plank! I mightily admire yer parrot. He’d be fine mate for any pirate whether pillaging, plundering or counting out pieces of eight.
hehe! Brilliantly spoken Sandra! 😃💕 You know way more pirate speak than I do!
He’s quite lovely! And as to holding on to the kid inside, I have one suggestion. Buy a Super Soaker and next summer, in a really hot day… Well, you get the idea. And if some one steals your SS, a really long hose is a great back-up!
Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕 And hehe! Yes to a super soaker! We actually enjoyed that one again at a family gathering a few years ago. They’re awesome!! I even doodlewashed one once – https://doodlewash.com/super-soaker/
I love that over the shoulder look in his eye.
It is a super grand parrot. The best of the best, IMO:
“And to anyone who thinks I might ever be “too old” for such things, I’ll just nod at them sadly. It’s a shame they forgot how to access their inner child.” says Charlie.
Thanks, Sarah! 😃💕Yeah, this parrot is definitely up to something! hehe And glad you liked that bit… I do think it’s a bit sad when I encounter someone who seems have left their inner child behind.
I love this parrot! Great colors.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕Glad you liked my pirate parrot!
Nice parrot..Love the colors..You wearing a paper pirate hat…Arre…that sounds interesting…Hmmm…
Thanks, Anita! 😃💕 I’m sure there were pics of me in that pirate hat, but none that I ever approved for Facebook! lol
Ahoy Me Heartis! What a nice choice to paint a colourful parrot rather than a pirate. How fun to just speak in pirate.
Thanks so much!! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, so fun to talk like a pirate. I wish I knew better how to do it properly. And yeah… painting people isn’t my thing, so a parrot was rather inevitable. 😉
Right on! Never grow up. It keeps you young. I have always loved dolls and still do. I still find myself roaming the doll aisle at Target looking for the latest cuteness. (However, some of today’s dolls are kind of scary.) Your parrot is wonderful. The colors are perfect as well as your sketch.
Thanks so much! 😃💕My mother collects dolls and still loves them as well! Perhaps it’s not surprising that I grew up to be a kid at heart!
Beautiful parrot!!
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕
Lovely picture and shivers my timbers my birdy friend pieces of eight my hearty
Thanks, Les! 😃💕 And impressive pirate speak ye have there!
Soon as I read the title, I knew I’d see a parrot here. And a gorgeous one at that, ready to burst out into parrot pirate patter. It’s always fun to read your stories here, Charlie, an gateway into my own memories.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Yeah, an actual pirate would have been shocking indeed! lol So happy you enjoy my little posts! I hope they are a good gateway for memories!