EDMOND — Ahoy, matey, International Talk Like a Pirate Day is Wednesday, and ye’d best be gettin’ prepared for it.
Bruce and Mindy Baldwin, owners of Java Dave’s at 9 S. Broadway, did their part to get in the spirit Saturday by hosting a gang of swarthy pirates in their downtown coffeehouse.
Several members of the Redland Rogues from the Redland Fencing Center in Oklahoma City staged a brawl at the restaurant to get people in a pirate mood, said Chas Fagans, one of the testy pirates.
The group acts out stage combat scenes from historical times and places, carefully choreographing their action with authentic costumes and weapons. They travel to schools, medieval and renaissance fairs and other events throughout the metro area.
“But we love doing pirates,” Fagans said.
According to the Web site www.talklikeapirate.com, two friends named John Baur and Mark Summers had the bright idea to institute a new national holiday, Talk Like a Pirate Day, in 1995. They declared Sept. 19 as the official date, because it was Summers’ ex-wife’s birthday and therefore easily remembered.
The two celebrated on a small scale until 2002, when they decided to contact syndicated columnist Dave Barry and tell him about their holiday.
Barry obligingly wrote a column about the event, and the news piqued the interest of pirate wannabes across the world. Now there are Web sites, books, magazines, songs, T-shirts and social groups dedicated to pirate speak.
Baur and Summers say pure silliness is the holiday’s best selling point, and they don’t intend to glorify the bad deeds committed by pirates of old. They just think it’s entertaining for people across the world to have a chance to say things like “Arrr” and “Shiver me timbers” in polite conversation.
As for the Redland Rogues, they found themselves banished to the street after “disrupting” customers at Java Dave’s, but they took it all in good humor, as did the restaurant’s owners.
“We like to do crazy things around here,” Mindy Baldwin said.
“We encourage everyone to talk like a pirate and have some fun in the middle of the week for Talk Like a Pirate Day.”
acollinsworth@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 117
The Details
A quick guide to basic pirate speak
“Ahoy!” — Hello.
“Avast!” — Stop and give attention.
“Aye!” — Yes.
“Arrr!” — Can mean pretty much anything, from “My team is going to win it all” to “That was a clever remark you or I just made.”
Source: www.talklikeapirate.com
Features
Related Photos
-
Drew Harmon
-
Drew Harmon
-
Drew Harmon
-
Drew Harmon
Discussion
Arrr! Pirates swing into downtown Edmond
Local restaurant previews Talk Like a Pirate Day on Wednesday
- Features
-
-
Facebook's organ donor status sends registrations soaring
Facebook's addition of a way for its users to tell people their organ-donor status helped boost the number of people who registered as donors 21-fold in one day.
-
White House, NASA want help hunting asteroids
The White House and NASA on Tuesday will ask the public for help finding asteroids that potentially could slam into the Earth with catastrophic consequences.
-
Is it really possible to not know you're pregnant until the birth?
Trish Staine had just finished running 10 miles while training for a half-marathon when she started going into labor. The mother of three said she hadn't gained any weight or felt any fetal movement in the months before and had no idea she was pregnant. Is it possible for a woman not to know she's pregnant before she starts giving birth?
-
VIDEO: Rapper steps on American flag
Lil Wayne sparked a controversy when he stepped on an American flag during the filming of his new music video, but the rapper later said it was a mistake and unintentional.
-
VIDEO: Britney Spears' sons to make acting debut
Britney Spears recorded a new song for the "The Smurfs 2," and her sons Sean Preston and Jayden will make a cameo in the music video.
-
Expert panel will tackle gardening issues
Every community garden in Oklahoma serves as a reminder of what people can do if they come together to work towards a single purpose and goal.
That’s one reason the Oklahoma County Master Gardeners are offering a “Community Gardening” workshop from 1-3 p.m. July 9. -
Pope, archbishop of Canterbury meet
The neophyte holders of two of Christendom’s most venerable posts met for the first time Friday and spoke of fostering unity and understanding between their sometimes rival branches of the faith.
-
OCU Hebrew students to study Dead Sea scrolls
Students in a Biblical Hebrew class at Oklahoma City University will get a chance to study one of the Dead Sea Scrolls during the fall 2013 semester.
-
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever remains a real threat
Q: My dog Candy died last year from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Is this that common in Oklahoma and how can I be sure neither one of my other dogs get it?
A: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a disease that can affect any of our pets as well as us. It is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and is transmitted by a variety of ticks. Three ticks can be found in Oklahoma that carry it. They include the Lone Star Tick, The Gulf Coast Tick (more common in the southeast U.S.) and the American Dog Tick. -
VET Q&A: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever remains a real threat
Q: My dog Candy died last year from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Is this that common in Oklahoma and how can I be sure neither one of my other dogs get it?
- More Features Headlines
-
