To Whom It May Concern

[davidlevine]

Pirates say "arr," or possibly "ahrr." Pirates do not say "argh." There is no G in there. Get it? Got it? Good.

You may now go about your business.

Comments

[eleri.livejournal.com]

have you ever dropped an anchor on your toe? I'd say ARRRGH! and probably ()*+$)!@&)&@$(*^_(*&!@(_!*^$*)&%__)($*+)@&! along with it.

[davidlevine]

That's not the same thing, and you know it. :-)

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Always fun to try to guess the context of a stream-of-consciousness comment!

[davidlevine]

It was this comic in Monday's paper that finally put me over the edge. It was one of like five incorrect pirate references this week alone. That made me go "argh."

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

I stick to reading "Luann" on comics.com. Much safer!

strangely enough...

[librarygrrl]

I had the same thought myself a few days ago. Max got a book from the library for beginning readers - "Pirate Pete and Pirate Joe" do something-or-other. I was distressed to find that the author thought pirates said "argh". Glad I'm not the only one! ;)

[zellandyne.livejournal.com]

"Get it? Got it? Good."

Are you a Danny Kaye fan?

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Arrrr you and Kate coming to the final Clarion West party, or just going straight to the Scottish Convention?

Inquiring minds want to inquire, and say arghh if the answer is no (Aaargh, arrgh, or arghh; it's spelled correctly if at least one letter is at least doubled, or no more than tripled, but you're correct that it's not a pirate saying).

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

I just thought the "gh" was silent, like in "through" or "although" or "plough".

[numbat.livejournal.com]

Actually I'm pretty sure pirates will say argh if you knee them in the balls.

[sallytuppence.livejournal.com]

It's a silent g, David. Geez!

Kind of like when Lucy pulls the football away and Charlie Brown says "AUGHHH!"

[davidlevine]

Who isn't?

[davidlevine]

Alas, it looks like this is the first year since I went to Clarion that we won't be able to attend any of the parties. Too much other summer travel. Argh.

[davidlevine]

Nice try, but I've heard too many pirate wannabes pronounce the G, and writing it that way only encourages them.

And, at least as Kate pronounces it, the "G" in Charlie Brown's "Aughh" is half of a soft, Germanic "gh", whereas the "gh" in "Argh" is a hard G, almost indistinguishable from the G in "Arg". Why is that, I wonder?

[davidlevine]

Maybe. But not as part of the phrase "Arr, matey."

[eleri.livejournal.com]

yes dear :)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

See. Pirates do say "argh." We'll miss you at the party, tho.

[davidlevine]

See. Pirates do say "argh."

I'm not a pirate (but a man'o'war cried he (and if anyone catches that reference I'll be stunned)).

We'll miss you at the party, tho.

Ditto.

getitgotitgood and a chalice and some pellets and *snap!*

[dawnsister.livejournal.com]

hooray for synchronicity! I just watched Court Jester for the first time in many years, last night!

ahhh. such a great movie.