So You Want To Be A Pirate? Trivia Quiz

Answer: I understand your order and will carry it out!

As a cabin boy I am to be at the disposal of all the crew members of the pirate ship; however, my most important job is to be there when the Captain needs me to run errands or even hold the helm to keep the ship steady on its course. Many notable seamen began their career in this way, including Admiral Sir Francis Drake and Admiral Sir John Hawkins.

Answer: Anything that is valuable.

Contrary to what you may have heard, we pirates do not bury our collected booty or draw treasure maps. To tell you the truth, most of the crew members take their share of the loot and head for the nearest tavern to eat, drink, gamble, or whatever else they think might be fun!

Answer: Raise the pirate flag!

Contrary to popular thought, a pirate flag is not always black. In fact, we have quite a variety of flags on board, which are used to mask our true identity until it is too late for our victim to flee. When we get into range, we raise the flag and fire a warning shot. Many times the ships will automatically surrender, but sometimes we have quite a fight on our hands!

Answer: Gold coins

The doubloon was originally valued at two escudos in Spanish currency. In 1537 the Spanish government revalued a doubloon to eight and the weight was set at 27.4680 grams of 22 carat gold. Doubloons are made both in Spain and in their New World colonies.

Answer: The ship could sink!

Shiver me timbers! If the ship sinks, we could lose a valuable addition to our fleet. It is customary to repurpose any ship we take. A ship must be fast, seaworthy and well-armed in order to be a good pirate ship.

Answer: Drink it.

The term "grog" can mean any type of alcoholic beverage. Usually we drink the type which we call "bumbo"; it consists of water and rum with sugar and nutmeg added.

Answer: Friends

There are several pirate terms that mean "friend". For example, I could have called you "matey". Now, if I had called you a "scurvy dog" or "lubber", I would have meant that as an insult!

Answer: It is a pirate ship.

It is customary for every pirate captain to have his own variation of the Jolly Roger. That makes communication between ships easier from a distance. While flags can be different colors, usually flying under a black flag means that we pirates give quarter, while a red flag means no such luck!

Answer: On the bottom.

A keel runs in the middle of the bottom of the ship, and is the beam around which the hull is built. The laying of the keel is an important part of the construction of a ship, and is often marked with a celebration.

Answer: Hurry up!

A cabin boy's work is never done. If I'm asked to "look lively" it means I need to move quickly. What does the Captain need? Food? The sails to be trimmed? Stand watch? I am at his disposal!