Facebook Fun: Aaarg…Change Your Language to Pirate English

by Ron on May 18, 2009

The other day my wife, who speaks fluent German, stumbled across the Language selector in Facebook. It’s not easy to find, actually, located at the bottom of your Facebook stream way down at the bottom of the page. While there she was curious about the choice, “Pirate English.” Naturally she had to try it and it comes as advertised. It changes your Facebook language to Pirate English.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Scroll way down to the bottom of the page until you see the Facebook copyright as below.

facebook-fun-1

  • Click the current language (which is most like English) and the Languages dialog overlays the screen.

facebook-fun-2

  • Select Pirate English. Facebook begins to transform itself and when it stops, your page should look something like this.

facebook-fun-3

Be sure to check your email from Facebook while you’re at it because it continues the Pirate theme. It’s a lot of fun and when you want to change back to regular English, just follow these instructions and choose English. Have fun.

__

2013 update

The directions have changed since I first wrote this back in 2009:

1) Click the Gear icon at the top of the Facebook page and select Account Settings.
2) The account settings page opens and the language setting is the last one in the list.
3) Click the Edit link next to it. The Choose Primary drop-down list appears.
4) Click the drop-down list and you’ll still find Pirate English as an option.

{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Morriss Partee May 18, 2009 at 2:31 pm

No way, this is too hilarious! I love it!

If they have Pirate English, I’m surprised they don’t already have lolcat-ese, which has it’s own set of grammar… Cats can has grammar, Kitty Pidgin and asymmetrical tail-wags, and LOL-lexicography.

(Can you tell my parents are linguistic professors? Naaaaaah.)

2 ron May 18, 2009 at 2:41 pm

You hide it well. :-)

Perhaps there are other surprises in the wings. Who knows? Those wacky Facebook programmers have to do something to keep themselves amused.

Regardless, glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was pretty funny myself.

3 Ashley December 18, 2009 at 4:44 pm

i did it and its aswsome!!!!!!!!

thx alot!!

4 Emily January 16, 2010 at 10:39 am

This is so cool! I hope I don’t get more addicted to Facebook than I already am xD

5 January 20, 2010 at 3:29 pm

I have done that and how do i get it back to english ?

6 Ron Miller January 20, 2010 at 3:39 pm

Follow the same instructions above, but choose English instead of Pirate English.

Ron

7 Maryjane Cassidy November 28, 2010 at 10:42 pm

It’s not there anymore :( now they have English upside down and I really wanted to try it out!

8 Maryjane Cassidy November 28, 2010 at 11:04 pm

Nevermind I Found It! Thank You So Much For Helping Find This Because I Was Wondering How You Do It!

9 Hannah May 18, 2011 at 2:23 am

How does it work on iPad? I don’t have pirate English in it T.T

10 Ron Miller May 18, 2011 at 10:30 am

Hannah:
Access Facebook using the browser on the iPad. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click the language name (probably English). Click the down arrow next to English and choose Pirate.

Ron

11 Danielle Gualteiri June 20, 2011 at 6:24 pm

I couldn’t find it, all i see is upside down english :( . Maryjane Cassady where did you find it?

12 nadirBendaif November 29, 2012 at 11:07 am

13 nadirBendaif November 29, 2012 at 11:08 am

jfjhifuifI couldn’t find it, all i see is upside down english . Maryjane Cassady where did you find it?

14 claudia February 21, 2013 at 11:12 pm

It is still there. Dang some of y’all dumb! On side under Facebook © 2013
click English (US) or whatever lingo u got it. Menu will pop up. Click English(Pirate) Enjoy & Yer doom be at hand, ye lice-infested swabbie… Sail ho!. I’ll giv’ ye a taste o’ the cat, ye scrappy sea bass… Blimy!. Ye’ll not get our treasure, ye mutinous swine… Hoist the Jolly Roger!.

15 February 22, 2013 at 5:07 am

Folks,
I wrote that piece a long time ago. The interface has changed a lot since then. To change your language, click the little gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and select Account Settings. Click Language (the last setting) and you’ll find Pirate English as an option.

Ron

16 Christine August 11, 2013 at 9:13 pm

It seems to be gone now :(

17 Ron Miller August 11, 2013 at 9:55 pm

Hi Christine:
It’s still there. Just that the interface has changed dramatically since we wrote this back in 2009. To find it now:

1) Click the Gear icon at the top of the Facebook page and select Account Settings.
2) The account settings page opens and the language setting is the last one in the list.
3) Click the Edit link next to it. The Choose Primary drop-down list appears.
4) Click the drop-down list and you’ll still find Pirate English as an option.

18 comment pirater un compte facebook avec logiciel September 7, 2013 at 3:43 am

Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thanks, However I
am having difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know the reason why I can’t join it.
Is there anybody having identical RSS problems?
Anyone who knows the solution will you kindly respond?

Thanks!!

19 Tona September 19, 2013 at 9:59 am

happy Pirates Day!!

20 Jennee September 20, 2013 at 12:38 am

how does this work?

21 Ron September 20, 2013 at 7:14 am

I wrote this a long time ago. The instructions have changed:

1) Click the Gear icon at the top of the Facebook page and select Account Settings.
2) The account settings page opens and the language setting is the last one in the list.
3) Click the Edit link next to it. The Choose Primary drop-down list appears.
4) Click the drop-down list and you’ll still find Pirate English as an option.

22 February 13, 2014 at 9:14 pm

I do not know if it’s just me or if perhaps everyone else experiencing issues with your website.

It looks like some of the written text in your posts are running off the
screen. Can somebody else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening
to them too? This may be a issue with my browser because I’ve had this happen previously.
Many thanks

23 February 14, 2014 at 7:03 am

Sounds like a browser issue.

24 liam thomas July 1, 2014 at 2:17 pm

OH MY GOD THERE IS UPSIDE – DOWN ENGLISH TOO!!

25 Erika September 18, 2014 at 7:17 pm

Hmmm…I’ve changed my language option to Pirate on Facebook and whilst the page itself has translated…the posts I write havent. I’m sure they used to??

26 Alicia April 5, 2015 at 9:00 pm

I go to account settings then general and there is no language button

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