Daily Photo – Garage Door on the Otago Peninsula

It’s Robert Louis Stevenson we can thank for the term “Shiver me timbers.” The phrase first appeared in his 1883 classic Treasure Island, tumbling out of the mouths of salty sea dogs like Long John Silver. Despite what people think, before Stevenson, there’s no written record of pirates – or anyone else – actually saying it. What we do know is that the “timbers” were the wooden ribs of a ship, and to have them “shivered” meant they were splintered or shaken by cannon fire or rough seas. So, when a pirate bellowed “Shiver me timbers!” he’s really just expressing shock or alarm, the way we might say today “Good grief!” or “You’re kidding!”. Over time, it became one of those wonderfully pirate catchphrases, cemented by Hollywood and Halloween costumes. So next time you hear it, tip your hat to Stevenson – without him, our pirates might be a lot less colourful, and a lot less fun.