Sept. 19: Where to Celebrate 'International Talk Like a Pirate Day' in Westminster

Talk like a pirate day is a whimsical holiday meant to add some fun to the drab routine. With Sept. 19 falling on a Monday this year, it’s an even better excuse to say “Ahoy, me hearties!” and kick off the work week with some laughs.

According to the official website for the holiday, there are a few basic phrases to start with:

• Ahoy! - "Hello!"
• Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, as in, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"
• Aye! - "Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did."
• Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."
• Arrr!- This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

After talking like a pirate all day, here are some places in and around Westminster to celebrate like a pirate with a good old-fashioned toast of rum:

• Rafael's
  32 W Main Street
  410-840-1919

Rafael's happy hour specials include $1 off all mixed drinks, including top shelf drinks from 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Sakura Japanese Steak & Seafood House
  5 Westminster Shopping Center
  410-871-9898

While pirates weren't known for eating sushi, they would likely enjoy the Sakura special: a mixture of vodka, rum, Crème de Banana & fruit juice.

• Texas Roadhouse Restaurant
  21 South Cranberry Road
  410-871-1220

The Texas Roadhouse Jamaican Cowboy Margarita is a delicious mix of rum, peach schnapps, pineapple and orange juice.

• Legends Café
  532 Baltimore Boulevard
  410-840-7822

Legends has a full bar complete with rum drinks galore. If you’re hungry, extend the pirate theme to dinner with a taste of the sea.  Legends Captain Chesapeake crab cake meal has won "Best of the Bay" 2 years in a row.

• Johansson's Down Under
  4 West Main Street
  410-876-0101

Down Under’s happy hour specials include half priced appetizers.

If you’re a football fan, enjoy your rum while yelling “Arrgh!” at the St. Louis Rams vs. New York Giants game at:

• Maggie's Restaurant and Pub
  310 West Main Street
  410-848-1441

If you don’t make it to Maggie’s tonight, be sure to head there Wednesday. Ten percent of all sales will benefit the Carroll County Hospital Auxiliary Fundraiser, used to help with the emergency room expansion.

• Buffalo Wild Wings
  404 Englar Road
  410-386-3550

• The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille
  830 Market Street
  410-871-1525