# Pirate accent **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130 "2005-08-22T16:25:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/1 "2005-08-22T16:25:59Z")
Where does the stereotypical speech pattern of movie pirates come from? Did anyone ever really talk like that, or is it purely a creation of the movies? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/2 "2005-08-22T16:57:46Z")
[The movies](http://www.bonaventure.org.uk/ed/language.htm), specifically Robert Newton’s portrayal of Long John Silver in Disney’s 1950 “Treasure Island”. It seems to be the standard English West Country farmer accent that any British actor would be familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/3 "2005-08-22T19:08:31Z")
About a month ago, I heard a radio interview that was putting on a production of a Shakespeare play using the “original accent,” which he and some linguists had pieced together. The host pointed out, and I agreed, that the accent sounded very similar to the stereotypical pirate accent. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/4 "2005-08-22T19:22:29Z")
Well, it’s probably partly true. Regions tend to pick up distinct accents, and most of the sailors in the classic era of piracy would have been relatively low-class characters who would speak a mishmash of languages from the Carribean area. They might indeed develop an accent based on the regional hashes. Of course, other pirates in other places would have a different one. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/5 "2005-08-23T01:32:22Z")
My understanding is that a large percentage of English-speaking pirates back in the day were from Bristol, one of England’s major ports. The “pirate accent” that’s been wrung through Hollywood movies is still similar to a Bristol accent. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/6 "2005-08-23T10:55:34Z")
> [@Max the Immortal](#): > > My understanding is that a large percentage of English-speaking pirates back in the day were from Bristol, one of England’s major ports. The “pirate accent” that’s been wrung through Hollywood movies is still similar to a Bristol accent. I’d vouch for that. I’m not a Bristolian originally myself, but have been here long enough to hear the resemblance. In particular the rolling Rs as in ‘Aharrr me hearrrties!’ and the Ss pronounced like Zs (i.e Bristol pronounced ‘Brizzel’) are common vocal features of West Country accents. I’ve heard that a pub here - The Llandoger Trow - features in ‘Treasure Island’. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/7 "2005-08-23T12:15:51Z")
The word “Mummerset” is used, a humorous construction from “mummer” and “Somerset”. Let’s not forget that there were seafarers all along the Devon and Cornwall coasts, too, all broadly “West Country” speakers tho’ there’s a discernible difference between Bristol and Cornwall for a start (and that’s before you consider Cornish-speakers themselves). Llandoger Trow? I’m guessing you mean as a film set then, 'cos the only licensed premises I can think of in the book are the “Admiral Benbow” and the “Spy-Glass”. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/8 "2005-08-23T12:26:21Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Llandoger Trow? I’m guessing you mean as a film set then, 'cos the only licensed premises I can think of in the book are the “Admiral Benbow” and the “Spy-Glass”. I haven’t read the book, but I’ve heard it from various proud Bristolians, making it out to be Long John Silver’s local or something. Maybe they haven’t read the book either… The pub is well-gabled and worryingly leans to one side, so it is definitely pretty old. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/9 "2005-08-23T16:00:47Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > Where does the stereotypical speech pattern of movie pirates come from? Did anyone ever really talk like that, or is it purely a creation of the movies? Several years ago I took a snorkeling trip to Roatan, an island off of Honduras. The island chain has a bit of a checkered history, in that Great Britain never actually relinquished control to Honduras. Anyway, the English-speakers, as opposed to the Spanish-speakers, sound like pirates. It’s a lovely accent, and I recommend a trip there to all just to hear it. Just watch out for the no-see-ums and malaria. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/10 "2005-08-23T16:28:46Z")
If nothing else the Llandoger Trow looks like it _should_ be an old pirate haunt 🙂 We used to pop in before visiting the Old Duke for some chin-stroking jazzy goodness ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/11 "2005-08-23T18:21:50Z")
> [@e-logic](#): > > If nothing else the Llandoger Trow looks like it _should_ be an old pirate haunt 🙂 > > We used to pop in before visiting the Old Duke for some chin-stroking jazzy goodness I’ve just looked it up because Llandoger sounded more Welsh than West Country to me and there’s a bit about it in [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llandoger_Trow) plus a link to the history and a picture. Looks like my sort of pub. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/12 "2005-08-24T16:01:01Z")
Did you know that _Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl_ was watered down to get a PG-13 rating? Originally it was rated “Arrrrr!” :: rimshot :: Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/13 "2005-08-24T18:39:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week. Not if Sam catches you cluttering up his Forum with that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/14 "2005-08-24T18:42:35Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Did you know that _Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl_ was watered down to get a PG-13 rating? > > Originally it was rated “Arrrrr!” > > :: rimshot :: > > Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week. Hey that’s what I was going to say!!! _pouts_ I think I’ll get over it ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/15 "2005-08-24T19:11:24Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Not if Sam catches you cluttering up his Forum with that stuff. Are you really scolding me for posting that joke? Or are you joking with me as well? As far as I know, jokes are allowed in GQ. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/16 "2005-08-24T19:15:03Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Are you really scolding me for posting that joke? Or are you joking with me as well? > > As far as I know, jokes are allowed in GQ. 😕 **Tom** must have meant that was better suited for **Cafe Society.** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/17 "2005-08-24T21:08:28Z")
Pirates and other sailors came from the same places of origin - and many men were both at different times. Sailors will have had just as much of a country-bumpkin influence in their accents (for example Nelson was the son of a Norfolk clergyman) ---
**Author:** ![bobk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@bobk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobk2)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/18 "2005-08-25T02:05:30Z")
On a related note…what exactly does “shivver me timbers” mean? I sounds like some general-purpose exclamation. I’m pretty sure the ‘me’ is really ‘my’ but what are ‘timbers’ and why would you want them ‘shivvered’ ? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/19 "2005-08-25T02:19:39Z")
With a lack of the original OED to consult, [Etymonline](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=shiver) gives ‘shiver me timbers’ a fictitious cold shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130/20 "2005-08-25T02:49:49Z")
> [@bobk2](#): > > On a related note…what exactly does “shivver me timbers” mean? I sounds like some general-purpose exclamation. I’m pretty sure the ‘me’ is really ‘my’ but what are ‘timbers’ and why would you want them ‘shivvered’ ? **GorillaMan’s** cite indicates that it is made up. However, it was presumably meant to mean “shatter my [ship’s] timbers,” that is, destroy the hull of the ship. This would be a distressing and astonishing turn of events, hence its use as an oath. Similarly with “Blow me down!”, which you wouldn’t want to have happen to your ship either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirate-accent/318130.md?page=2)