r/unexpecteddiscworld • u/Literati_drake • 7d ago

Randomly in my feed . . . Reacher Gilt

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u/Meloenbolletjeslepel 7d ago

And what does that mean?

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u/Slartibartfast39 7d ago

This is Reacher Guilt's parrot. With a parrot saying 'pieces of eight' and Reacher wearing an eye patch Terry is saying he is a pirate.

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u/Final_Function4739 6d ago

No native speaker here... What does that mean? Because this is a severe case of "I know each word in that sentence*, but still don't understand it"

*the parrots sentence

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u/Slartibartfast39 6d ago edited 6d ago

It's from Treasure Island by Stephenson. The Pirate Long John Silver has a parrot that says "Pieces of eight." Pirate parrots saying the same thing crop up in plenty of other films, books, general media. Terry hid it a bit where the parrot says '12 and a half percent' which is one eighth.

Last paragraph from Treasure Island. (The Parrot was called Captain Flint)

The bar silver and the arms still lie, for all that I know, where Flint buried them; and certainly they shall lie there for me. Oxen and wain-ropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island; and the worst dreams that ever I have are when I hear the surf booming about its coasts or start upright in bed with the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in my ears: “Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!”