Yar har har, me hearties. It be International Talk Like A Pirate Day today, a holiday endorsed by scurvy Dave Barry himself (so it must be legit!). Talking like a salty sea dog is quite simple, thanks to Robert Newton. He be the scurvy dog what gave Long John Silver a West Country accent (which, ta most landlubbers, is Cornwall) in the 1950 version of Treasure Island, simply since he were from that area. Nowadays, all pirates either talk like Cornwall natives, or like Keith Richards. (Thanks, Johnny Depp.)

In honor of this momentous occasion, set a course for one of these links about Cornish accents:

BBC – The Voices
Audio clips of speech from all over merry old England, including Cornwall.

BBC – Calling All Bristolians
Information on modern Bristol (also part of the West Country) slang and dialect.

English Accents and Dialects
A treasure trove (Arr! See what I did there?) of more than 650 audio clips.

International Dialects of English Archive
When ye find yerself sick of Cornish accents, look here for English speakers from all over the world. Intended as a resource for actors, it’s fascinating to anyone interested in dialect.

Now I sadly put me ship into port and wait until next year..