Ahoy maties, how the time flies. It is "Talk Like A Pirate Day" once again and the science communities be awash in pirattitude.

Or not, perhaps 'tis just me.

But if it's not just me, and the little Buccaneer in you is also seeking others to celebrate with and to find out more information on this important event, abandon all hope ye who blog here because I just don't have a lot more than you could find in 4 seconds of a Google search.

Talk Like A Pirate Day began, so the legends go, in 1995, when John 'Ol Chumbucket' Baur and Mark 'Cap'n Slappy' Summers' were engaging in a friendly game of tenpins or raquetball or whatever it is pirates do and one of them yelled "Arrrgh!" in pain. A holiday was born.

So it was September 19th, 1995, you ask? Not at all, but that was Summers' ex-wife's birthday, reason enough to cause him pain, and it was the only day on the calendar that didn't already have something important happening, like 'What if Cats&Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day?' (March 3rd) or Happy Brandied Fruit Day (October 20th).

Yes, "Chase’s Calendar of Events" has more than 12,000 awareness days, which is tough to fit into a year containing only 365 days. So they took what they could get.

"Talk Like A Pirate Day" first came to my attention because Fount Of All important Wisdom Dave Barry wrote about it and at least 8 other people now feel the same way, so every year we celebrate by making meaningless pirate-related blog posts and using phrases it is reasonably certain no actual pirates ever used.

So join with me. Here are some handy catchphrases:

"Surrender your booty" (of course, but use this judiciously)

"Would you like to haul some keel?" (ditto)

Okay, they are all to be used judiciously, namely not at work or at home to anyone except that one person you should be saying them to...

Actually, just stick with "aye", arrrrgh!" and "ahoy matey" - I refuse to be responsible for your relationships.

Need more science pirattitude?

Want To Become A Pirate? Go To MIT

Pirate Evolution

What Blackbeard The Pirate Can Teach Us About Economics And Politics

Piratology: The Science Of Swashbuckling

A New Golden Age Of High Seas Piracy?

Piratology: Free Market in Pirate Hunting?

Was The Recent Credit Crunch Caused By Modern Day Pirates?

Somali Pirates Who Actually Look Like They Could Be In 'Pirates Of The Caribbean'