| Pirate Speak of the 1700s |
| a few words, terms, and phrases used aboard sailing ships during the 18th century |
EXECUTION DOCK : A point on the river Thames in London where prates where hanged.
FACK : The dead end of a line was sometimes coiled about in a neat pile on the deck. This coil was called a fack.
FAG END : The frayed end of a line.
FAGGED OUT : A length of line that has been over used and frayed at the end is said to be "fagged out."
FATHOM : A depth of six feet of water, commonly measured on a length of line held on outstretched arms.
FEND OFF : Using a boat hook, an oar, or other implement to push off another boat or a dock in order to avoid
damage.
FID : A wooden hand tool pointed on one end for working into a line in order to separate the strands for splicing.
FIRESHIP : A ship sacrificed to battle by setting the ship aflame and sending it sailing into a amongst the enemy fleet.
FISH BROTH : Seawater
FISHMONGER : A harlot; whore.
FLASH IN THE PAN : A misfire, or brief celebrity. Muskets would oft misfire with only the priming powder in the
pan igniting and not firing the powder in the chamber, hence a flash in the pan; a brief, bright, but uneventful action.
FLOG, FLOGGING : To beat, or beating. Sailors would oft be flogged for minor infractions aboard ship. Also: a
term used to describe a sail flapping in the wind.
FLOTSAM : Things lost off a ship by accident and left floating in the sea; barrels or crates washed overboard, or
things that float to the surface when a ship sinks.
FLUKE : The wide fin on the pointed end of an anchor, like the fluke of a whale's tail. Also, an irregularity, as a
sudden gust of wind on a becalmed sea.
FREEBOOTER : A pirate.
FRENCH GOODS, FRENCHIFIED : Syphilis, to become infected with syphilis.
GALE : A strong wind.
GALLOWS DANCE : A man hanged but not killed quickly would kick and squirm in the noose; The Hempen Jig.
GALLEYPEPPER : Ash and soot from the cooks fire would float about the galley of a ship and land in the sailors
meal, giving the appearance of pepper.
GIBBET : A wooden gallows, a structure upon which pirates were hanged as exhibits over time, often inside and iron
cage.
GONE BY THE BOARD : Any item lost over the side of a ship.
GRAPPLING HOOK, GRAPNEL : A small, three to four pronged anchor of sorts tied to a line and used to draw
close to enemy ships by flinging the grapnel to the other ship then hauling on its line.
GRIBBLES : Any of the 56 or so varieties of wood boring isopods from the family Limnoriidae. Something of a "sea
termite", these small creatures are a plague to the hulls of wooden ocean going vessels.
GROMMETS : Novice seamen, usually young boys assigned simple tasks.
GUNNER'S DAUGHTER : A punishment for the young boys aboard ship might be to 'kiss the gunner's daughter,'
meaning the were to be tied over the barrel of a cannon to be flogged.
FACK : The dead end of a line was sometimes coiled about in a neat pile on the deck. This coil was called a fack.
FAG END : The frayed end of a line.
FAGGED OUT : A length of line that has been over used and frayed at the end is said to be "fagged out."
FATHOM : A depth of six feet of water, commonly measured on a length of line held on outstretched arms.
FEND OFF : Using a boat hook, an oar, or other implement to push off another boat or a dock in order to avoid
damage.
FID : A wooden hand tool pointed on one end for working into a line in order to separate the strands for splicing.
FIRESHIP : A ship sacrificed to battle by setting the ship aflame and sending it sailing into a amongst the enemy fleet.
FISH BROTH : Seawater
FISHMONGER : A harlot; whore.
FLASH IN THE PAN : A misfire, or brief celebrity. Muskets would oft misfire with only the priming powder in the
pan igniting and not firing the powder in the chamber, hence a flash in the pan; a brief, bright, but uneventful action.
FLOG, FLOGGING : To beat, or beating. Sailors would oft be flogged for minor infractions aboard ship. Also: a
term used to describe a sail flapping in the wind.
FLOTSAM : Things lost off a ship by accident and left floating in the sea; barrels or crates washed overboard, or
things that float to the surface when a ship sinks.
FLUKE : The wide fin on the pointed end of an anchor, like the fluke of a whale's tail. Also, an irregularity, as a
sudden gust of wind on a becalmed sea.
FREEBOOTER : A pirate.
FRENCH GOODS, FRENCHIFIED : Syphilis, to become infected with syphilis.
GALE : A strong wind.
GALLOWS DANCE : A man hanged but not killed quickly would kick and squirm in the noose; The Hempen Jig.
GALLEYPEPPER : Ash and soot from the cooks fire would float about the galley of a ship and land in the sailors
meal, giving the appearance of pepper.
GIBBET : A wooden gallows, a structure upon which pirates were hanged as exhibits over time, often inside and iron
cage.
GONE BY THE BOARD : Any item lost over the side of a ship.
GRAPPLING HOOK, GRAPNEL : A small, three to four pronged anchor of sorts tied to a line and used to draw
close to enemy ships by flinging the grapnel to the other ship then hauling on its line.
GRIBBLES : Any of the 56 or so varieties of wood boring isopods from the family Limnoriidae. Something of a "sea
termite", these small creatures are a plague to the hulls of wooden ocean going vessels.
GROMMETS : Novice seamen, usually young boys assigned simple tasks.
GUNNER'S DAUGHTER : A punishment for the young boys aboard ship might be to 'kiss the gunner's daughter,'
meaning the were to be tied over the barrel of a cannon to be flogged.
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