Avast, matey!

Posted by Pdianek on November 11, 2003

In Reply to: Avast, matey! posted by Andrew on November 11, 2003

: Why are pirates always running around saying "Avast, mateys!" Just what does it mean to "avast"? What if I'm approached by a pirate to "avast"? What if I decide to humor him? How do I go about avasting?

From dictionary.com (the site also contains a thesaurus, so if you write using a computer, you don't have to flip pages, just keep the site available in case of need):
Avast: interj. (Nautical): Used as a command to stop or desist. [From Middle Dutch hou vast, hold fast : hou, houd, imperative of houden, to hold + vast, fast; see past- in Indo-European Roots.]