In honour of International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September), Mensa member Colin Packer shares a pirate’s tale.
Hello friends. I have fun memories of this day at work. It’s always good to relax and have a bit of a laugh, especially in the serious world of finance and insurance. Talk Like a Pirate Day was such an opportunity, and keenly anticipated by some staff… who even made the effort to dress-up and get into character. All you needed was a suitable hat, an eye patch, a sword (health and safety approved), a few pieces of eight and a (fake) parrot.
Entering into the spirit meant channelling your inner ‘Jack Sparrow’ and dropping pirate intonations and phrases into your everyday work conversations. It was entertaining to see normally straitlaced actuaries discussing financial modelling and investment policy in piratical tones!
Checklists of key words and phrases would be shared and online translation tools could be used to convert normal language into pirate speak. The main catch was if the phone rang and you found yourself talking to a customer or senior colleague in ‘pirate speak’. Also, some people took exception to being greeted with “Avast behind”, which apparently wasn’t politically correct.
When I retired, I was kindly presented with a parrot (not real) by my colleagues. Sadly, that particular bird seems to have flown…
Or when converted into pirate:
Ahoy mates. I ’ave fun memories o’ this here day at work. It’s always jolly to relax an’ ’ave a bit o’ a laugh, especially in the serious world o’ finance an’ insurance. Talk Like a Gentleman o’ Fortune Day been such an opportunity, an’ keenly anticipated by some staff… who even made the effort to dress-up an’ get into character. All ye needed been a suitable ’at, an me good eye patch, a sword (’ealth an’ safety approved) an’ a parrot.
Enterin’ into the spirit meant channellin’ yer inner ‘Jack sparrow’ an’ droppin’ gentleman o’ fortune intonations an’ phrases into yer everyday work conversations. It been entertainin’ to see normally straitlaced actuaries discussin’ financial modellin’ an’ investment policy in piratical tones!
Checklists o’ key words an’ phrases would be shared an’ online translation tools could be used to convert normal language into Pirate Speak. The main catch been if the phone rang an’ ye found yerself blabberin’ to a customer or senior colleague in ‘pirate speak’. Also, some people took exception to bein’ greeted with “Avast behind”, which apparently wasn’t politically correct…
When I retired, I been kindly presented with a parrot (not real) by me colleagues. Sadly, that there particularrr bird seems to ’ave flown…
