Assassin’s Creed IV has a story strewn with wonderful-sounding but decidedly unfamiliar words. Many of the strange (and often obsolete) words and terms are of British origin, but even citizens of the modern United Kingdom or Ireland would likely struggle to offer a definition for “billy-huff” or “cully”. For everyone raised outside those sceptered isles, there are countless instances where certain utterances might only trigger a flicker of comprehension through context.
In part to elucidate, then, but mostly to amuse, we have assembled a glossary of the most enjoyable yet obscure pieces of language that you may hear during Kenway’s exploits in the Caribbean. As we employ dozens of direct quotes from the game, purists should be aware that this section contains numerous (though usually mild) story-related spoilers. If you are wary of such things, you may wish to return after completing Sequence 11 of the main storyline.
avast
An interjection of nautical origin that means “stop” or “cease”. Just after Kenway receives his blowpipe from James Kidd, one of the Mayan prisoners attempts to flee from his British captors – to which, a soldier shouts: “Avast, you bloody heathen!”
“bag of shite”
British vulgar phrase primarily used to signify that something is utter nonsense. When Charles Vane learns of the King’s Pardon offered to the pirates of Nassau, he decries it in this fashion: “Bag of shite! Do you hear me? It’s a bag of bloody shite!”
betty
A woman, usually attractive. Benjamin Hornigold uses this word when castigating Kenway for caring about his estranged wife: “Still dreaming on about that strumpet back in England, when you could have any betty you wanted, here and now.”
billy-huff
A “billy” is a male goat. An archaic use of “huff” was a synonym for “braggart”: someone possessed of an inflated sense of their own worth and ability. James Kidd uses this creative epithet when describing the fate of Calico Jack Rackham after his earlier act of treason: “This billy-huff didn’t last two months with your ship before he came limping back to Nassau.”
bit of rough
A sexual partner, usually of a lower class. Calico Jack enquires about the availability of such individuals on his arrival in Nassau: “Oy. Where can a man find a bit of rough, eh?”
bollocks
A vulgar British term meaning “testicles”, but most commonly employed as a rebuttal to senseless talk. “Ah, that’s bollocks, that is!”
bravo
Slang for “soldier” or – in the context that a cynical Kenway employs it when appraising the earnest nature of the Brotherhood – “assassin”. “By God, you bravos are a cheery bunch. All frowns and furrowed brows.”
breeches
A garment worn from the waist down that fell out of favor in the eighteenth century; forerunner to pantaloons and, later, trousers. When Blackbeard and James Kidd express alarm at a thick fog that envelops the Jackdaw, Edward Kenway is quick to reassure them: “Don’t soil your breeches, lads. I got this.”
“by Jove”
Archaic British interjection used to express surprise. It is a so-called “minced oath”, a curse with the potentially offensive element (in this instance, “God” – as in “by God!”) omitted in favor of “Jove”, the Roman deity Jupiter. This exclamation is used not only by the singular Stede Bonnet (“By Jove, you’re alive!”), but also by Bartholomew Roberts shortly before his death: “By Jove, Edward Kenway! How can I not be impressed by the attention you’ve paid me!”
“catch you up”
An obsolete British form of farewell (in its “see you soon” context) that has evolved into “catch up with you later” or, indeed, “catch you later”. Favored by Edward Kenway.
chap
A man; a fairly neutral term with no obvious negative connotations. Though perhaps dated, it’s still used in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
codger
An old man; can be delivered with a measure of affection or, as James Kidd intends in the following quote, in an entirely derogatory fashion: “See that mangy old codger? He’s a Dutch slaver called Laurens Prins.”
corker
Dated slang used to signify that a thing or person is remarkable, even exceptional: “This tale of pirates is a corker!” Used by Edward Kenway in a curious (possibly conciliatory, perhaps mocking) context when marooned with the increasingly unhinged Charles Vane: “I mean you no harm, you corker! Now let’s work this out like gentlemen.”
cur
Archaic; a detestable or despicable person. An insult directed at Kenway by Charles Vane: “I see you coming, cur!”
cully
A fool, or someone who is easy to mislead or trick. Used by the Templar hatchetman Cockram to describe Kenway: “A cocksure cully, just like Hornigold said.”
dandy
Used to describe a man who appears overly concerned with his apparel. James Kidd uses it as a playful insult while ascertaining the origin of Kenway’s Brotherhood garb. “Did you steal that costume from a dandy in Havana?”
“dash my buttons”
Another wonderful example of euphemistic language (“dash” was classically used in place of “damn”) by Stede Bonnet, whose penchant for the “well X my Y!” school of profanity-free exclamations is an endearing character trait: “Dash my buttons! Your life seems a grand one, if I may say. So full of adventure!”
do
A party or social gathering. Used by a British soldier to explain the drunkenness of his peers to the plantation owner as Kenway lurks nearby: “Bit of a do, sir. That’s all. It’s Wilmington’s birthday.”
“doing my head in”
British idiom, still in use. To “do someone’s head in” is to cause mental anguish, ranging from minor irritation to events that temporarily preclude rational thought. Kenway uses it to express his profound shock at the interior of the Observatory: “Look at this place. It’s doing my head in.”
dose
An informal term for venereal infections: to “catch a dose” is to contract one.
drawers
A slang term for underpants; also used to describe other forms of clothing covering the legs, such as trousers. When Stede Bonnet timidly enquires if Kenway might retrieve his impounded sugar cargo, the pirate replies with a laugh and another question: “What, in me drawers? We’ll see what happens.”
doubloon
A Spanish gold coin, discontinued as currency midway through the nineteenth century. Many of these were minted in the New World, which explains their popularity in pirate tales: a ship bearing doubloons for return to Spain would be a fine prize.
“dust up”
A fight or quarrel; usually a fist-fight. Used in a taunt when Kenway starts a tavern brawl on arrival in Havana: “You want a dust up, I’ll give you one.”
filch
To pilfer, pinch or snatch: to steal another’s belongings. Kenway actually uses it to describe the thief who made off with Stede’s purse: “That filch was no fuss.”
flash
In addition to its more universal meanings, “flash” is also used as an adjective in British English to describe someone who is conspicuously wealthy, or prone to ostentatious displays (usually involving possessions or money). Kenway uses it to tease Stede Bonnet when the latter expresses his wish to avoid being identified as a pirate again: “Right. Flash rogue like yourself must be cautious.”
fussock
A fat and unwieldy woman. Used by Blackbeard in a disparaging description of a Spanish galleon that he proposes to steal: “She’s a fussock she is. Fat and slow.”
gob
Slang for “mouth”. When a sailor recognizes Kenway at an inopportune moment, he attempts to avoid identification as a pirate with the following harsh whisper: “Shut your fucking gob or I fill it with shot. You hear me?”
gobshite
Still a popular insult in the UK and Ireland. Fairly offensive when used to describe an individual prone to talking too much (“Will that gobshite never shut up?”), but also employed as a more contextually damning character appraisal to suggest stupidity. The latter use is favored by a dying captain when he directs the following insult at Blackbeard: “Suck a muzzle, gobshite.”
hampers
Slang for trousers or underpants. Can be contracted to “hams”. Used in a fantastic battle cry by Benjamin Hornigold: “Over the top, lads! Kick ‘em in the hams and give ‘em a taste of British steel!”
“I haven’t the foggiest idea”
Means “I don’t know”; to have no satisfactory answer to a question.
“I’ll be buggered”
A more ribald and playful equivalent to “I’ll be damned!”
jackanape
An upstart; a person marked by impudent behavior, and aspirations above their accepted station. Though dated and rarely used, its modern form is closer to “mischievous”, but this is certainly not the intended meaning of the slaver captain when he shouts at Kenway and Charles Vane: “You made hash of my sails and rigging, jackanapes!”
jagabat
A loose woman or prostitute. Used by Adewalé as he motivates the Jackdaw crew: “Save your singing for Davy Jones, you jagabats! It’s a hard wind coming.”
kip
To sleep; similar to the more contemporary “crash”. Kenway uses it after the journey to Havana at the start of the story: “I’m dying for a quick kip. Or a siesta, should I say.”
knave
Archaic insult: a scoundrel, deceitful and unreliable. Hurled at Charles Vane by a furious Kenway: “You goddam fucking knave, Vane!”
“lay off”
Leave alone. “Lay off me, mate!”
lily-livered
Easily frightened; a coward. Derived from a medieval belief that the liver was the source of a person’s courage.
lobster
Derogatory term for British imperial soldiers, due to the distinctive color of their uniforms. In Nassau, a pirate makes the following claim: “If a lobster sticks his nose in my business, I’ll slice it off, I swear!”
lubber
A person who is awkward and stupid, or an inexperienced sailor. Used by a British soldier to describe Stede Bonnet: “The Commodore’s gone ahead to Kingston. We’re to commandeer this lubber’s ship and follow.”
mate
Ostensibly a friend or buddy, though additional meaning is conveyed via inflection; it could be used to address a close companion, casual acquaintance or even an enemy – as when Kenway assails a cutpurse. “You robbed the wrong man, mate. A fella with dangerous friends.”
mucker
Friend; buddy. More readily used as a term of endearment, as in this greeting made by a British sailor: “Ryder, me old mucker. Bit warm tonight, ain’t it?”
muckworm
A person who derives their wealth from the exploitation of others. Kenway uses it to describe his father-in-law: “That old muckworm. He’s wrong about me.”
mug
In addition to its more common usages, can also mean “face”. When Charles Vane resolves to kill Kenway, he cries: “I’m not going to sail again in a world cursed by your ugly mug!”
natty
Used by James Kidd when Kenway prevents an attempt to kill Laurens Prins (“Keep your natty hands off me!”). This is Jamaican slang meaning “knotty” – covered in knots – and used here to suggest old age.
pickled
Extremely drunk. Uttered by the plantation owner followed by Kenway when he discovers that his guards are worse for wear: “And you saw fit to get pickled on duty!”
pie-hole
Mouth. When disturbed by the shouts of the imprisoned Anne Bonny, a British soldier shouts: “Hush your bloody pie-hole.”
pillock
An idiot. Used on a number of occasions, but Benjamin Hornigold’s use of this word is probably the best example: “It were Blackbeard who struck first. Opened fire on a British Man-O-War, the bloody pillock!”
piss-pot
Used by Kenway to insult a drunk British sailor (“Lucky King George, having a piss-pot like you flying his flag”). Probably employed to mean “contemptible person”, derived from the vulgar slang for a chamber pot, rather than the contemporary Australian meaning of “drunkard” – though both are equally appropriate here.
prattling
Incessant chatter. Just before the Assassins attempt to liberate the Sage, Julien Ducasse makes the following warning: “Enough prattling! We must be quiet and cautious, or everyone dies!”
puffer-duff
Another marvelous interjection by Stede Bonnet (“Oh, puffer-duff… I have led us astray, Duncan”). A “puffer” is an archaic word used to describe someone employed to unscrupulously drive up prices during an auction. Based on the context, “duff” could mean any number of things – something fake or worthless, perhaps, or even coal dust, dough or crumbs.
“Put a cork in it”
Shut up; sometimes in a “don’t be stupid!” fashion. When Stede Bonnet laments his advancing years, Kenway replies: “Oh, put a cork in it, Bonnet. You’re twenty-six going on ten.”
“raise a cloud”
To light a pipe of tobacco.
rapscallion
Equivalent to “rascal” or “rogue”.
royster
Archaic; a reveler or drunkard. In a fight, Charles Vane uses it to insult his assailants: “Come at me you roysters! You scurvy maggot brains!”
sauced
To be extremely drunk; the state of a person who has imbibed a little too much sauce.
scallywag
Now more appropriate for playfully scolding a child, but once an insult equivalent to “knave” or “rogue”. Used by Bartholomew Roberts: “If this scallywag gives us away, I’ll paint the quarterdeck with his brains.”
“old scratch”
A curious insult uttered by James Kidd when tackled by Kenway (“Damn you, old scratch!”). “Old scratch” is a colloquialism for a monster, demon or devil.
shanker
Obsolete form of “chancre”; a skin lesion or hard nodule, which may topically refer to the dreaded syphilis. An insult directed at Charles Vane by Kenway after he savagely beats the crazed pirate: “Don’t save me a spot in hell, shanker. I ain’t coming soon.”
shilling
A defunct British coin worth one twentieth of a pound.
shitbird
An objectionable or unpleasant person. Kenway employs this vulgarity when chasing a thief: “I’m close at heel, shitbird!”
shite
British and Irish cognate of “shit”; can be (and indeed is) used in exactly the same way.
skint
Poor or destitute; short of money. “Oy! Lend us a doubloon, sir. Or a peso if you’re skint!”
skulk
As a noun, someone who is known or witnessed to hide, sneak or actively avoid labor. A drunk sailor uses it to address Kenway prior to a tavern brawl: “Oy! Skulk! I seen your face before.”
sneaksby
Now obsolete; used to describe a sly or sneaky individual. Kenway memorably utters it during his pursuit of Duncan Walpole: “I’m on to you, Sneaksby!”
sourpuss
A person characterized by a miserable nature and facial expression: “What a sourpuss he is.”
squat
Obsolete slang term for an affordable boarding house or inn. On arrival in Havana, Kenway asks: “So where’s the best squat in town?”
strumpet
A disreputable or promiscuous woman. Benjamin Hornigold uncharitably opts to use it while discussing Kenway’s wife, Caroline: “Are you still dreaming on that strumpet back in Bristol? Jaysus, let ‘er go, lad.”
tabarnak
A sacre, a form of profanity used in Quebec French. It’s an all-purpose expletive and intensifier. In the present-day portion of the story, Olivier Garneau employs it after a tense conference call with Laetitia England: “Tabarnak! It’s a little too early for that kind of abuse.”
tinderbox
A box carried for holding tinder, material for starting a fire; precursor to matches and lighters. Benjamin Hornigold, regarding the Jackdaw for the first time, uses it to gently disparage Kenway’s new ship: “Not a bad looking tinderbox you got there.”
tippler
A drunkard. Someone known to regularly enjoy a “tipple” – an alcoholic drink.
tosh
Rubbish; delivered as a rebuttal to (or description of) nonsensical, silly or pretentious words. When Kenway says of piracy “It ain’t work if you love it”, Ed Thatch laughs and responds with “Tosh!”
tosspot
An idiot; once also used to mean a chronic drinker. Used to appraise a drunken Kenway by his disapproving father-in-law: “This tosspot is a ruined man, Caroline.”
trick
Kenway employs a less common use of the word, meaning a period of work or duty: “I did a decent trick at the helm some time ago. Two years before the mast as a privateer.”
twaddle
Nonsense. Blackbeard was entirely unconvinced by tales of the Observatory, and the riches it would bring: “Not that twaddle again, Kenway. That’s a story for schoolboys.”
tyro
A novice. After naming the Jackdaw, Kenway asks Adewalé: “And as Quartermaster, have you any immediate counsel for this tyro captain?”
welcher
Someone who swindles you. Charles Vane uses it as a damning character appraisal of Kenway, who he blames for their predicament while marooned: “It’s either you or me who’s leaving this island alive, welcher!”