A pirate’s life for me

What is the Davy Jones locker, anyway? 10 cool pirate terms explained

Image: David Dibert

Alongside cowboys and knights, pirates have always been a playtime staple. These historical figures have inspired countless childhood adventures, as well as several timeless characters from movies and books like Captain Hook or Long John Silver. In that sense, pirates’ carefree lifestyle also influenced their unique vocabulary, which has become as synonymous with their culture as their roguish exploits have. We have selected 10 of the most iconic terms and phrases from pirate slang to help us relive those endless afternoons playing with our friends. Enjoy!

Image: Steven Beyer

What’s a better way of welcoming you to this article than with a typical pirate salute? "Ahoy" is a versatile sailing term that can be used for greeting, bidding farewell, or simply catching the attention of someone. Being the seafaring adventurers that they were, this word is ever-present in pirate vocabulary and still playfully used by sailors everywhere.

Funnily, the origins of this word can be traced back to a landscape on which a pirate would not be particularly comfortable: Cattle herding. Apparently, "ahoy" comes from adding an extra letter to "hoy", a common English call to drive cattle.

Image: Palle Knudsen

The term "scallywag" (also sometimes spelled "scalawag") describes someone who is well-regarded, although he behaves in a somewhat mischievous manner. You can see how this term is now synonymous with pirates: Although these sea bandits were once deeply feared and despised, they are now looked at in a cheekier and devilish light.

What’s interesting is that scallywag was not a popular term during the time when pirates were most prominent (late 17th and 18th century). In fact, it most likely came into use during 19th century America, when the first pirate novels and plays were published.

Image: Sabina Kallari

Leave it to pirates to turn a simple wooden plank into a dreadful symbol. "Walking the Plank" describes a method of execution in which the accused is forced to walk on a wooden plank extended over the side of the ship, often bound and blindfolded.

While nowadays this technique is heavily associated with pirate culture, few (if any) real-life cases of people forced to walk the plank have been documented. In truth, it seems that it has become such a staple from its frequent use in literature and movies featuring pirates.

Image: Mateusz Dach

"Shiver me timbers" is an expression that was probably never uttered by a real pirate, but it has become so ingrained in this culture that it is difficult to find a fictional pirate who hasn’t said this phrase at least once. With hindsight, it seems only natural that this phrase has become so popular since it was first said by one of literature’s most iconic pirates.

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 classic "Treasure Island", the character of Long John Silver (considered by many to be the quintessential fictional pirate) says variations of "shiver me timbers" seven times throughout the novel. These exclamations were used to denote Long John’s surprise, anger, or annoyance, but they all denote an extreme shock, since the timbers referenced are the wooden support frames that hold a ship together.

Image: Anthony 🙂

Yeah, we know: "Argh" is not a word, but it is the go-to expression for any wanna-be pirate. Want to strike fear into the hearts of your seafaring enemies? Or maybe you just want to add an extra layer of drama to that Halloween costume. In any case, this onomatopoeia is the ultimate sound of anyone who chooses to impersonate a dreaded corsair.

This entry should be titled "sounds with an R associated with pirates", since other similar-sounding onomatopoeias like "yarr" or "‘arr" are also insanely popular. In that sense, trying to trace the origins of these sounds can be a rather daunting task. However, most sources agree that this type of pirate snarling was inspired by actor Robert Newton’s many groundbreaking pirate roles, including Long John Silver in the 1950s adaptation of "Treasure Island" and Blackbeard in 1952s "Blackbeard the Pirate".

Image: Jadon Barnes

No, we are not referring to a locked metal compartment where a man named Davy Jones might store his gym equipment. In truth, Davy Jones is the pirates’ very own boogeyman, a legendary spirit hellbent on taking sailors’ lives. In that sense, the expression "Davy Jones’ locker" is used to describe the final resting place of many dreaded pirates: The bottom of the sea.

The first written mention of Davy Jones is attributed to Robinson Crusoe’s author, Daniel Defoe, who mentions in a book the story of an enraged captain threatening to throw his crew to "Davy Jones’ Locker". Some believe the legend was inspired by a real pirate called David Jones, who sailed through the Indian Ocean in the 17th century.

Image: Tanhauser Vázquez R.

You would think that, for an honest person, being called a pirate would be insulting enough, but did you know that there’s an adjective that can be added to give an extra kick to the deceitful nature of corsairs? By today’s standards, the word "hornswoggling" sounds downright silly, but its meaning is less charming: to "hornswoggle" someone means to cheat or deceive them, usually for monetary gain.

Although the phrase "hornswoggling buccaneer" perfectly describes most pirates, this quirky word is by no means exclusive to them, since it is also associated with cowboys and gunslingers. In any case, we can’t end this entry without reiterating this warning: It doesn’t matter if it sounds like a Dr. Seuss character; don’t trust any hornswoggler you come across.

Image: Amy Syiek

Have you ever wondered why the quintessential pirate flag is called a "Jolly Roger"? Don’t you agree that the name seems a little too cheerful for such an ominous and threatening symbol? Unless the sunny disposition of a fellow named Roger inspired the first of these black flags, this name doesn’t really make sense.

Well, the truth is that no one really knows when the term Jolly Roger was first used, although we can be certain that it is not connected to the name Roger. The most prevailing theory points to the fact that pirates originally raised plain flags to indicate their would-be targets their intentions, where a red flag meant that no quarter would be given. In that sense, many believe that the term "Jolly Roger" comes from the French expression Joli Rouge, which translates to "pretty red".

Image: N.

Would you believe us if we told you that this entry features the most insulting word on this list? Granted, for us non-pirate folks the term "landlubber" doesn’t seem that harsh, but trust us: If you ever call a pirate this, be prepared for a loud and angry response.

As you might have guessed, "landlubber" is a discouraging adjective used to describe anyone not versed in the seafaring ways of the pirates. Basically, anyone who is more comfortable at land than at sea. You can see how a pirate might take offense to this, seeing as how sailing skills are an incredible source of pride for any corsair worth their salt.

Image: Lisa Fotios

We’ll end this article with a pirate term for comradery, which at the end of the day is one of the many things that pirates can teach us: How it feels to belong in a crew. Although pirates were definitively deceitful outlaws, they were bound by a code of honor that focused on trusting in your commander and your crewmates with your life.

In that sense, the word "matey" is one of the most affectionate things a pirate can say to another. This term, which is used for a friend or a comrade, seems to come from the French word matelot, which means "sailor" or "seaman". If you want to end up with more than a few pirate friends, then this is the word for you!

Discover the true stories of 10 famous animals that changed the world

Image: Chalo Gallardo

Not every hero wears a crown—or even shoes. Some come with wagging tails, twitching noses, or wings built for long journeys. They don’t sit on thrones or sign treaties, yet their impact can be felt across centuries. A few stumbled into greatness by accident, and others simply followed instinct. From a humble sheep that made scientists question the limits of life to a lone wolf that turned a hunter into a wildlife protector, these 10 remarkable creatures remind us that not only humans can change the course of history.

Image: Fernanda Nuso

Long before anyone coined the term "therapy animal," a tiny Yorkshire Terrier named Smoky was already aiding the Allied forces in World War II. Weighing barely four pounds, she was discovered shivering in a foxhole in the Pacific and quickly became more than just a pet. Smoky learned to crawl through a 70-foot pipe so narrow that a person couldn’t fit, dragging a telegraph wire behind her and restoring a vital communication line that kept troops connected. Off duty, she became a one-dog entertainment show, performing tricks that made injured soldiers laugh when nothing else could. She didn’t bark orders, but had enough courage to earn eight battle stars.

Image: Stephan Widua

In 1996, a group of Scottish scientists achieved the unthinkable: they cloned a sheep from the cell of another adult specimen, a breakthrough that seemed straight out of a science fiction film. Dolly became the first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell—contrary to popular belief, she was not the first animal to be cloned. Overnight, her woolly face was everywhere: newspapers, TV screens, and even coffee mugs. Due to a lung disease, Dolly died just 6 years later, yet she inspired bold dreams for medicine, deep worries about ethics, and countless dinner-table debates.

Image: sanjiv nayak

If Dolly was an example of what science could achieve, Cher Ami proved what determination looks like. In the thick of World War I combat, this small homing pigeon flew through gunfire and smoke to deliver a message that saved nearly two hundred American soldiers. Shot, blinded in one eye, and with one leg barely hanging on, Cher Ami still made it home. His tiny body carried more bravery than most armies. Today, the original pioneer of "airmail" rests proudly in the Smithsonian, honored as a true hero.

Image: Kanashi

And speaking of deliveries, Pickles delivered something a little shinier. In 1966, the clever collie made headlines when he sniffed out the stolen FIFA World Cup trophy tucked under a hedge in a London suburb—just days before the big tournament! One moment, he was simply following scents on his daily walk; the next, he was Britain’s most celebrated detective on four legs. The whole country cheered, the case was closed, and Pickles wagged his way into legend. Move over, Sherlock Holmes, this sleuth preferred biscuits to pipe smoke.

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What Pickles did for trophies, David Greybeard did for science. In 1960, British primatologist Jane Goodall saw this patient chimpanzee calmly insert a twig into a termite mound. Suddenly, the world had to rethink what it meant to be "human." Until then, tool-making was supposed to be our exclusive superpower. David shattered that illusion with one flick of a branch, proving that curiosity and intelligence weren’t ours alone. The discovery didn’t just change science; it humbled it.

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In the brutal winter of 1925, Balto, a tireless Siberian Husky, led his sled team through 50 mph winds and whiteout blizzards to deliver lifesaving medicine to the isolated town of Nome, Alaska. Frost bit at his fur, ice crusted his muzzle, but Balto kept pushing forward. He didn’t care about fame or glory; he just knew others were depending on him. Today, his statue stands proudly in New York’s Central Park, tail raised against the wind.

Image: Em Hopper

From dogs in the snow to a cat who cracked a mystery. Snowball, a fluffy white cat from Prince Edward Island, became an accidental pioneer in forensic science when a few stray hairs from his coat helped police link a suspect to a crime. It was the first time animal DNA was ever used as evidence in a criminal trial, and it worked like a charm. Not exactly the "cat-and-mouse" chase detectives had in mind, but justice was served.

Image: Science History Institute, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Long before humans ever dreamed of boarding planes, a sheep named Montauciel—meaning "climb to the sky" in French—was already blazing the trail. In 1783, he took off in one of the Montgolfier brothers’ very first hot-air balloons, sharing the basket with a duck and a rooster in what must have been history’s strangest flight crew. The trio floated high above the French countryside and, against all odds, landed safely. Their brief but groundbreaking journey proved that living creatures could survive in the air.

Image: Michael LaRosa

Lobo, known as "the King of Currumpaw," reigned over the open plains of New Mexico in the late 1800s. Having been deprived of their natural prey, this brave wolf and his pack had to survive on the settlers' livestock. Ranchers tried to catch him for years, but Lobo always outwitted them. His skills became frontier legend until naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton finally caught him. When Seton saw Lobo’s strength, dignity, and fierce loyalty to his mates, something shifted. The experience profoundly changed his outlook, helping transform him into one of America’s first voices for wildlife protection. Sometimes, it’s the wild creatures that teach us how to be human.

Image: Pexel

Of course, not every animal changed the world on purpose. Take Jim, a calm bay horse from St. Louis in the early 1900s, whose blood was used to produce lifesaving serum against diphtheria, a disease that was once often fatal. When a batch of his serum was accidentally contaminated, it led to sweeping public outcry, new health regulations, the creation of the first federal laws ensuring drug safety, and paved the way for the foundation of today’s FDA. Jim never knew it, but his quiet work reshaped modern medicine. Turns out, progress sometimes gallops in on four legs and a steady heart.