Fourteen years ago John Baur and Mark Summers concocted the Talk Like a Pirate idea. When playing racquetball, they began cursing each other in a pirate like language. They promoted this event annually with mild success. Once Dave Barry and Long John Silver’s restaurants got behind the idea, things went viral.

It served them well. T-shirts, books, and speaking engagements followed. John parlayed this into a move deep into pirate territory with his current home base now St. Croix.

Here’s primer to get you started on talking like a pirate.

At least it is not another Hallmark holiday. To find out more check out the Official Talk Like a Pirate Day website.

To read more about how this annual event got started, read the CNN article.