# What is a pirate's smile? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513 "2006-07-07T16:06:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/1 "2006-07-07T16:06:24Z")
It’s in Elton John’s Tiny Dancer and the song about Sally’s pigeons by Cyndi Lauper. All I could find by google is that it has the corners of the mouth held back. Prior to that my best buess was a smile with missing teeth. Can anybody find me a pic of what they’re talking about? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/2 "2006-07-07T16:37:20Z")
I always thought it meant an inviting smile. As far as the lack of teeth, maybe like [Pirates smile](http://glaciereddog6.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/piratesmile.jpg) . ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/3 "2006-07-07T17:33:18Z")
In the context of the songs I assumed it meant a rogueish smile. But I have some recollection of a slit throat being referred to as a pirate smile too. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/4 "2006-07-07T17:46:53Z")
I always thought it referred to a slit throat. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/5 "2006-07-07T17:51:38Z")
And now: [Pirate Smile](http://www.smiling-faces.com/php/vote.php?lan=en&id=1357&smiletype=smile) ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/6 "2006-07-07T17:54:53Z")
Sounds like it’s kind of arrrguable as to what the real definition is. What’s the context in the songs? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/7 "2006-07-07T18:49:28Z")
From _Sally’s Pigeons_: > [@](#): > > When I was eight I had a friend > With a pirate smile > Make believe and play pretend > We were innocent and wild > > (then the friend dies from a botched illegal abortion) > > And me, I can’t remember when > A pirate smile hasn’t made me cry So probably nothing to do with slit throats in that instance. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/8 "2006-07-08T03:20:53Z")
And in the Elton John song > [@](#): > > Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band > Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man > Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand > And now she’s in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand The reason I thought it meant missing teeth was in Cyndi’s song their both young children. Certainly rogueish smiles sounds like a good possibility but i’ve seen it in several other places while searching and want an exact definition. I guess I’m defeated if there is no such definition. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/9 "2006-07-08T16:11:58Z")
No, no, no. [Pirate Smile](http://www.hometown.aol.com/playfulcottage/images/johnny_depp.jpeg)😃 ---
**Author:** ![erikwst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@erikwst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erikwst)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/10 "2011-07-10T01:18:49Z")
A pirate’s smile is a smile that will make you do anything. Your gonna do it, and you know it. Right or wrong, good or bad you’ll do it, and you’ll do it just for that smile. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/11 "2011-07-10T01:42:44Z")
> [@erikwst](#): > > A pirate’s smile is a smile that will make you do anything. Your gonna do it, and you know it. Right or wrong, good or bad you’ll do it, and you’ll do it just for that smile. Do zombie pirates smile? Hold me closer, Tony Danza! Count the headlice on my hiney… ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/12 "2011-07-10T01:47:52Z")
That’s the thing that occurs beneath a Pirate’s nose when their timbers are shivered. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/13 "2011-07-11T04:14:19Z")
Wouldn’t the lack of teeth be a hockey player’s smile? ---
**Author:** ![Hawkwynd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@Hawkwynd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkwynd)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/14 "2021-10-09T15:35:21Z")
Come on… it’s a smile that will steal your heart!! ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/15 "2021-10-09T15:37:19Z")
A rakish grin perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/16 "2021-10-09T16:07:17Z")
> [@Fern\_Forest](#): > > All I could find by google is that it has the corners of the mouth held back. Could be a reference to [this sort of thing.](https://www.google.com/search?q=pirate+with+knife+in+teeth&newwindow=1&biw=914&bih=456&ei=xL1hYbVWkIKFsg_ipKPoCg&oq=pirate+with+knife+in+teeth&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCAAQgAQyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB46BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABQzZ4BWM2eAWC3rAFoAXACeACAAXOIAXOSAQMwLjGYAQCgAQHIAQTAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz) (it’s pictures of pirates…) > [@Hawkwynd](#): > > Come on… it’s a smile that will steal your heart!! Welcome to the board. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/17 "2021-10-09T17:22:58Z")
Best explanation yet. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/18 "2021-10-09T22:05:03Z")
It’s what Depp was going for here: [![](https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2012%2F10%2Fjack-sparrow-depp.jpg&q=85) ](https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2012%2F10%2Fjack-sparrow-depp.jpg&q=85) ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/19 "2021-10-12T13:58:42Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Wouldn’t the lack of teeth be a hockey player’s smile? Of course in the Good Old Days, scurvy was a common problem on long sea voyages without fresh food, which probably describes some pirate life. One symptoms scurvy knaves experienced was teeth falling out. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513/20 "2021-10-12T15:35:02Z")
It’s a love letter. Why would anyone refer to his love’s missing teeth in a song about how wonderful she is? Not to mention that Maxine Feibelman didn’t have missing teeth. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-pirates-smile/363513.md?page=2)