Word of the Month

Word of the Month was a section of the Pirates Online Newsletters for a very short time. They were quickly replaced during a Newsletter style redesign.

=Pirate Words= it's cramped. mess with. earn some extra booty in the game!
 * Broadside: To fire all guns simultaneously on one side of a ship - a great way to clear traffic jams.
 * Cutlass: A short bladed single-edged sword usually slightly curved and only sharpened on the outer blade...ouch, sounds pointy!
 * Gibbet: Public gallows used for displaying criminals to the public. It was custom to display pirates in this way as a warning to would-be pirates entering a city, town, or harbor - not the nicest "Welcome to town" sign!
 * Mutiny: When the crew rises against those in charge of the ship, taking over command - we've been told not to get any ideas...
 * Scuttle: to sink a ship - good if you're the sinker, bad if you're the sinkee.
 * Forecastle: below deck bow sleeping quarters... don't let the word 'castle' fool you -
 * Dredgie: ghost or ghosts of pirates dead by betrayal - A.K.A. guys you don't want to
 * Black Jack: large drinking cup made of leather and stiffened with tar - or one of the ways to
 * Clipper: A fast moving ship. If you see a clipper a comin' towards you, you should probably get out of the way. Either that, or man your cannons and unleash your fury!
 * Shark Bait: Anyone thrown overboard without a life jacket. Don't trust a pirate - if you're thrown overboard without a life jacket, you're about to feed the fish.
 * Stink Pot: Glass container that is first filled with rotten meat or other putrid items, then with gunpowder, and is then detonated. Basically, it's the pirate version of tear gas...smells so bad, it will make you cry.
 * Shiver: A wooden splinter. The timbers of a hip splintering during battle gave rise to the infamous pirate phrase, "Shiver me timbers."
 * Careen: To turn over a ship and clean the barnacles and seaweed from its bottom.
 * Sink Me!: An expression of surprise -- as in: "Your friend hasn't made a Pirate yet? You've got to be sinking me!"
 * Flank: The maximum speed of a ship. Faster than "full speed."
 * Squall: A sudden, violent wind often accompanied by rain. Better put on a coat!