While I agree it's not a pirate cliche, treating the lives of some people as more valuable than those of others on the basis of gender and age hardly qualifies as "civilized."
Only in the sense that it's something humans have in common with the rest of the animal kingdom. Protecting one's young and those capable of bearing them is a pretty basic animal instinct.
There's an oft-quoted anecdote where an anthropologist asserted that the first sign of civilization is not a tool, weapon, or artifact, but rather a femur that had broken, and then healed. The logic goes that in the animal kingdom if you break your leg, you die. A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone took time to stay with the victim, set the leg, and tended to them throughout their recovery. Putting other people's needs ahead of your own, especially those who are less able, is the epitome of civilization.
Happy "International Talk Like a Pirate Day", everyone! I enjoyed this even though the description needs to be changed a bit. (No "Arrr?") Check this out for some funny pirate sayings. http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html#advanced
A letter of marque and reprisal is what made the difference between a dirty pirate and a respectable privateer. The US has not issued one for a couple centuries though. I know some folks would like to bring them back, especially to deal with modern pirates plying the waters near the Horn of Africa, modern day practitioners of a long and honored tradition.
We use 'batten down the hatches' quite a bit in England in its original sense of get ready, protect yourself... the in-laws are arriving/it's about to pour with rain/the football stadium's about to empty onto the street.
Though we stop short of actually climbing thorugh a hole in the floorboards and nailing down the planks.
Got all but hatches, down, bow, boarders (tried enterers, cause a ship gets entered) sun and marque.
I guess hatches is known for some kind of popculture refernece? it is much higher than I would expect. Never heard of it.
And abandon ship is ridiculously low.
Though we stop short of actually climbing thorugh a hole in the floorboards and nailing down the planks.