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Part V
Common Phrases
and Expressions
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Common Phrases and Expressions
a fortióri for a stronger, more compelling reason 110
a posterióri from after, said of knowledge which depends on experience
a prióri from before, said of knowledge which is prior to experience 110
a tergo from behind
ab incunábulis from the cradle, from childhood ab inítio from the beginning
ab Iove princípium things begin with Jupiter (Virgil) ab ovo from the very beginning
ab ovo usque ad mala from the egg to the apples (i.e. for the whole meal) (Horace)
ab urbe cóndita from the founding of the city (the title of Livy’s history of Rome) 37
Ábeunt stúdia in mores Study builds character absit omen may what is threatened not happen
Abúsus non tollit usum Misuse does not preclude (proper) use ad acta to the files
ad finem at or near or to the end
ad hoc for this specific reason (e.g. ‘an ad hoc measure’) ad hóminem relating to a particular person
ad infinítum without limit, for ever ad interim meanwhile
ad Kaléndas Graecas on the Greek kalends (i.e. never) ad líb(itum) at will, freely; improvised
ad maiórem Dei glóriam to the greater glory of God (the motto of the Jesuits)
ad naúseam to an excessive or disgusting degree ad notam for guidance
ad persónam to the person, personally ad rem to the point
ad unguem factus homo an accomplished man right down to his fingertips (Horace)
Advérsus míseros . . . inhumánus est iocus It is not right to make fun of miserable people (Quintilian)
Common phrases and expressions
Aequam meménto rebus in árduis serváre mentem Remember to keep an even temper when things are rough (Horace)
Aliéna nobis, nostra plus áliis placent We prefer what belongs to others and other people prefer what belongs to us; the grass is always greener on the other side of the field (Publilius Syrus)
Aliquándo et insaníre iucúndum est Sometimes it helps to be mad (Seneca)
alma mater kind mother (used to refer to the university or school that one has studied at)
alter ego the other I; a trusted friend; one’s secondary or alternative personality
alter idem another I (Cicero)
Amícus certus in re incérta cérnitur A friend in need is a friend indeed (Ennius)
amícus humáni géneris a friend of the human race amor pátriae love of one’s country
anno aetátis suae . . . in the . . . year of his/her life
anno Dómini in the year of the Lord (i.e. dating from the birth of Christ, abbreviated as CE)
annus mirábilis a wonderful year
ante merídiem before noon (abbreviated as ‘a.m.’) antíquus antíqua antíquum old
aqua et igni interdíctus forbidden the use of fire and water, i.e. banished
aqua vitae the water of life
arguméntum ad hóminem an argument relating to a particular individual (see also ad hominem)
Arma virúmque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris Itáliam fato prófugus Laviniáque venit lítora I sing of arms and of the man who, made fugitive by fate, first came from the coasts of Troy to Italy and the Lavinian shores (Virgil, the opening lines of the
Aeneid)
arréctis aúribus with ears pricked up
Ars est celáre artem (True) art lies in hiding art
Arte et Marte By art and war
Atque in perpétuum, frater, ave atque vale! And forever, brother, greetings and farewell! (Catullus; from a poem at his brother’s graveside, far from Italy)
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Common phrases and expressions
Audiátur et áltera pars Let the other side also be heard (Augustine; basic principle of law)
aúream quisquis mediocritátem diligit whoever loves the golden mean (Horace)
auri sacra fames the hateful hunger for gold (Virgil)
Ave grátia plena! Dóminus tecum Hail, thou art highly favoured. The Lord is with thee (St Luke’s Gospel; the angel’s greeting to Mary at the Annunciation)
Ave, imperátor, moritúri te salútant Hail, emperor, those who are about to die salute you (Suetonius, the gladiators’ greeting to the emperor)
Beáti misericórdes Blessed are the merciful (St Matthew’s Gospel) bellum ómnium in omnes the war of everyone against everyone
(Hobbes)
Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (St Matthew’s Gospel)
Bibámus, moriéndum est Let us drink for we must die (Seneca the elder)
bona fide in good faith
bonis auspíciis with good auspices
Brevis esse labóro, obscúrus fio I strive to be brief and I end up being obscure (Horace)
Caelum, non ánimum, mutant qui trans mare currunt Those who travel overseas change their sky but not their heart (Horace)
Caésarem vehis Caesarísque fortunam You carry Caesar and Caesar’s fate (Caesar)
cánticum canticórum the Song of Songs (Latin name of the Song of Solomon)
Carpe diem, quam mínimum crédula póstero Seize the day; trust as little as possible in the morrow (Horace)
casus belli a justification or cause of war cave canem beware of the dog
cáveat emptor let the buyer beware cáveat lector let the reader beware
Cedant arma togae Let arms yield to the toga (i.e. military power should give way to civil authority) (Cicero)
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Common phrases and expressions
chaos, rudis indigestáque moles chaos, a raw formless mass (from which the universe was formed) (Ovid)
círculus vitiósus vicious circle
citius altius fortius faster higher stronger (the motto of the Olympic Games)
Cito aréscit lácrima, praesértim in aliénis malis Tears are quickly dried, especially when they are for other people’s troubles (Cicero)
Civis Románus est He is a Roman citizen (Acts of the Apostles, concerning Paul, who thus avoided imprisonment and torture)
Cógito, ergo sum I think, therefore I am (Descartes) 144 compos mentis complete of mind; sane
conféssio fídei declaration of faith
Consuetúdine quasi álteram quandam natúram éffici Through practice it is as if things become second nature (Cicero)
Consuetúdinis magna vis est The force of habit is great (Cicero) contradíctio in adiécto contradiction in terms, oxymoron
coram público |
in public |
cornu cópiae |
horn of plenty |
corpus delícti the body in the crime (a clear proof such as a body or the murder weapon)
Credo quia absúrdum est I believe because it is absurd Credo ut intélligam I believe in order that I may understand
(Anselm of Canterbury)
Crescit amor nummi, quantum ipsa pecúnia crescit Love of money grows as fast as money grows (Juvenal)
cui bono? to whose advantage? (Cicero, a principle used in investigating crimes)
cum grano salis with a grain of salt
Cur non ut plenus vitae convíva recédis aequo animóque capis secúram, stulte, quiétem? Why not, like a guest at dinner, satisfied with life, take your leave, and with mind content take now, you fool, your sure rest? (Lucretius)
currículum vitae the race of life (Cicero) (the important points in one’s career, abbreviated as ‘CV’)
cursus honórum sequence of honours (the steps in the career of a public official)
276
Common phrases and expressions
Da mi básia mille, deínde centum Give me a thousand kisses and then a hundred more (Catullus)
Da mihi castitátem et continéntiam, sed noli modo Give me chastity and restraint but not just now (St Augustine)
De brevitáte vitae On the shortness of life (title of a work by Seneca) de facto in fact, in reality (whether by right or not)
de gústibus non est disputándum There can be no discussion about tastes
de íntegro anew, once more, from the beginning de iure in law; rightful
De mórtuis nil nisi bonum speak nothing but well of the dead de novo starting again; anew
De profúndis clamávi ad te, Dómine Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord (Psalm 130; De profundis is the title of a work by Oscar Wilde written when he was in prison)
Dei grátia by the grace of God (used in royal and other titles)
… delineávit . . . drew (a formula with which an artist signed a piece of work)
Deo favénte with God’s favour Deo grátias thanks be to God
Deo volénte God willing
Deus ex máchina god from a machine (a god who could be lowered mechanically to resolve the plot at the end of a play, hence any artificial device introduced at the last minute to solve a problem)
Deus vult God wants (motto of the first crusade)
Deus, creátor ómnium God, creator of all things (beginning of a well-known hymn by St Ambrose)
Di nos quasi pilas hómines habent The gods treat us humans as their playthings (Plautus)
Dictum sapiénti sat est A word is enough to a wise man (Plautus) dies irae day of wrath
Diffícile est sáturam non scríbere It is hard not to write satire (Juvenal)
Diffugére nives, rédeunt iam grámina campis arboribúsque comae
and the leaves to the trees (Horace)
Dimídium facti qui coepit habet A job begun is a job half done (Horace)
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Common phrases and expressions
dira necéssitas dire necessity (Horace)
disiécti membra poétae the limbs of a dismembered poet (Horace, about a quotation taken out of context)
Dívide et ímpera! Divide and rule! (Louis XI of France)
Dixi et salvávi ánimam meam I have spoken and I have saved
my soul |
|
Docéndo díscimus |
By teaching we learn |
Dómine, quo vadis? |
Lord, where are you going? |
(St John’s Gospel) |
|
Dóminus dedit, Dóminus ábstulit: sit nomen Dómini benedíctum
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord (Job)
Dóminus vobíscum The Lord be with you
Dulce est desípere in loco It is sweet to relax on the right occasion (Horace)
Dum excusáre credis, accúsas When you think you are excusing yourself you are really accusing yourself (Jerome)
e contrário on the contrary
e plúribus unum out of many (is made) one (motto of the United States of America)
Ecce agnus Dei qui tollit peccáta mundi Behold the lamb
of God who takes away the sins of the word (from the Catholic Mass) Ecce homo Behold the man (St John’s Gospel: the words of Pontius
Pilate when he showed Jesus to the people) edítio princeps the first printed edition
Ego sum alpha et ómega, princípium et finis, dicit Dóminus deus
I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord God (The Book of Revelations; alpha and omega are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet)
Ego sum pastor bonus I am the good shepherd (St John’s Gospel)
Eheu fugáces, Póstume, Póstume, labúntur anni Alas, Postumus, Postumus, how quickly the years slip away (Horace)
eiúsdem géneris of the same kind eo ipso by that itself
Equi donáti dentes non inspiciúntur Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth (Jerome)
Erráre humánum est To err is human (Cicero)
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Common phrases and expressions
Esse quam vidéri bonus malébat He preferred to be good than to seem good (Sallust writing about Cato the younger)
et consórtes and friends
Et in Arcádia ego Even I have been to Arcadia or I ( death) am present even in Arcadia
Et semel emíssum volat irrevocábile verbum And once spoken the word flies off and cannot be called back (Horace)
Et tu, Brute Even you, Brutus (Caesar) 25
Ex África semper áliquid novi There is always something new out of Africa (proverb quoted by Pliny)
ex ánimo from the heart
ex cáthedra from the Pope’s seat (and in general of anything said with the highest authority)
ex grátia as a favour (rather than from obligation) ex hypóthesi according to the hypothesis proposed ex libris NN from NN’s books
ex níhilo out of nothing
ex offício by virtue of one’s office
ex post facto with retrospective action or force ex siléntio by the absence of contrary evidence ex témpore on the spur of the moment éxeunt omnes all leave the stage
Éxitus acta probat The end crowns the work (Ovid)
Expérto crédite Believe the person who has experience (Virgil)
Expértus dico: nemo est in amóre fidélis I speak as an expert: no one is faithful in love (Propertius)
Extra ecclésiam nulla salus There is no salvation outside the Church
Faber est suae quisque fortúnae Everyone is the architect of their own destiny (Appius Claudius Caecus)
Faciéndi plures libros nullus est finis Of making many books there is no end (Ecclesiastes)
Fácilis descénsus Avérno The descent into Avernus (the realm of the dead) is easy (Virgil)
Facis de necessitáte virtútem You make a virtue out of a necessity (St Jerome)
Facit indignátio versum Indignation prompts the poem (Juvenal)
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