A SOCIAL FAUX PAS: Aaargh! Ladies of English town misunderstand intent of pirate night.

A women’s group in southwest England had an embarrassing encounter at a recent meeting when members misinterpreted the idea behind a visiting speaker’s talk about pirates.

The Parkham Women’s Institute, a venerable institution traditionally devoted to home-spun handicrafts and good works, decided to get into the spirit of Captain Colin Darch’s talk by dressing in pirate garb. Neckerchiefs, eye patches and pirate hats were widely sported, with a toy parrot thrown in for good measure.

Unfortunately, Captain Darch’s topic focused on his 2008 ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, when he was held hostage for more than six weeks.

Pirates didn’t used to be figures of fun; that changed when piracy disappeared thanks to extensive pirate-suppression efforts by the British and American navies. Now that piracy is returning, the joke is likely to fade.