20 Latin Phrases You Should Be Using - Mental Floss PDF

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20 Latin Phrases You Should Be Using
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You’d probably be surprised by how much Latin you actually already know. Hundreds of words
—like memo, alibi, agenda, census, veto, alias, via, alumni, affidavit and versus—are all used
in everyday English, as are abbreviations like i.e. (id est, "that is") and etc. (et cetera, "and the
rest"). Even some entire Latin phrases have become so naturalized in English that we use
them, in full, without a second thought—like bona fide (literally "in good faith"), alter ego
("other self"), persona non grata ("unwelcome person"), vice versa ("position turned"), carpe
diem ("seize the day"), cum laude ("with praise"), alma mater ("nourishing mother"), and quid
pro quo ("something for something," "this for that").
Besides fairly commonplace examples like these, however, English has adopted a number of
much less familiar Latin phrases and expressions that go criminally underused—20 examples
of which are listed here. So next time you spot a misbehaving child, or you want to seize the
night rather than the day, you’ll have the perfect phrase at hand.
1. AURIBUS TENEO LUPUM
It might seem odd to say that you’re "holding a wolf by the ears," but auribus teneo lupum—a
line taken from Phormio (c.161BC), a work by the Roman playwright Terence—was once a
popular proverb in Ancient Rome. Like "holding a tiger by the tail," it is used to describe an
unsustainable situation, and in particular one in which both doing nothing and doing
something to resolve it are equally risky.
2. BARBA TENUS SAPIENTES
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A man described as barba tenus sapientes is literally said to be "wise as far as his beard"—or, Witch in 1692
in other words, he might look intelligent but he’s actually far from it. This is just one of a
number of phrases that show how the Romans associated beards with intelligence, alongside
barba non facit philosophum, "a beard does not make a philosopher," and barba crescit caput
nescit, meaning "the beard grows, but the head doesn’t grow wiser."
3. BRUTUM FULMEN
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Apparently coined by the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, a brutum fulmen is a harmless or
empty threat. It literally means "senseless thunderbolt."
4. CAESAR NON SUPRA GRAMMATICOS
In a speech to the Council of Constance in 1414, the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of
Luxembourg happened to use the Latin word schisma, meaning "schism." Unfortunately for
him, he muddled up its gender—schisma should be a neuter word, but he used it as if it were
feminine. When the error was pointed out to him, Sigismund angrily proclaimed that because
Exactly When Do "Indicator
he was Emperor, even if the word was neuter (which it was) it would be feminine from now on, Bubbles" Tell Someone You're
at which point one member of the Council supposedly stood and replied, "Caesar non supra Typing?
grammaticos"—or "the Emperor is not above the grammarians." The phrase quickly became a
popular proverbial defence of the importance of good grammar and spelling.
5. CARPE NOCTEM
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N  W  L  T T  R
A  u p e r -  k i m m a  l e d a i l  d i g e  t .
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SIG N ME U P F O R F REE
Carpe noctem is essentially the nocturnal equivalent of carpe diem and so literally means
"seize the night." It too is used to encourage someone to make the most of their time, often in
the sense of working into the early hours of the morning to get something finished, or else
enjoying themselves in the evening once a hard day’s work is done.
6. CARTHAGO DELENDA EST
At the height of the Punic Wars, fought between Rome and Carthage from 264-146BC, a
Roman statesman named Cato the Elder had a habit of ending all of his speeches to the
Senate with the motto "Carthago delenda est," or "Carthage must be destroyed." His words
quickly became a popular and rousing motto in Ancient Rome, and nowadays can be used
figuratively to express your absolute support for an idea or course of action.
7. CASTIGAT RIDENDO MORES
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Literally meaning "laughing corrects morals," the Latin motto castigat ridendo mores was Wash 10 Household Items
coined by the French poet Jean de Santeul (1630-97), who intended it to show how useful
satirical writing is in affecting social change: the best way to change the rules is by pointing
out how absurd they are.
8. CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT
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Picture a politician sticking up for a colleague even in the face of widespread criticism—that’s
a fine example of the old Latin saying corvus oculum corvi non eruit, meaning "a crow will not
pull out the eye of another crow." It’s essentially the same as "honor amongst thieves," and
refers to complete solidarity amongst a group of likeminded people regardless of the
consequences or condemnation.
9. CUI BONO?
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Literally meaning "who benefits?," cui bono? is a rhetorical Latin legal phrase used to imply
that whoever appears to have the most to gain from a crime is probably the culprit. More
generally, it’s used in English to question the meaningfulness or advantages of carrying 42 Idiom Origins Explained
something out.
10. ET IN ARCADIA EGO
Arcadia was a rural region of Ancient Greece, whose inhabitants—chiefly shepherds and
farmers—were seen as living a quiet, idyllic life away from the hustle and bustle of nearby
Athens. The Latin motto et in Arcadia ego, "even in Arcadia, here I am," comes from the title of
a painting by the French Baroque artist Nicholas Poussin (1594-1665) that depicted four
Arcadian shepherds attending the tomb of a local man. Although precisely what Poussin
meant the title to imply is hotly debated, but it’s often interpreted as a reminder that no matter
how good someone else’s life appears to be compared to your own, we all eventually suffer
the same fate—the "I" in question is Death.
11. EX NIHILO NIHIL FIT
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Supposedly a quote by the Roman philosopher Lucretius, the Latin motto ex nihilo nihil fit
means "nothing comes from nothing," and is used as a reminder that hard work is always
required in order to achieve something.
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12. FELIX CULPA Need to Turn That Warehouse
Into an Apartment
Originally a religious term referring to consequences of the Biblical Fall of Man and the sins of
Adam and Eve, a felix culpa is literally a "happy fault"—an apparent mistake or disaster that
actually ends up having surprisingly beneficial consequences.
13. HANNIBAL AD PORTAS
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Expensive Steak'
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Hannibal was a Carthaginian military commander during the Punic Wars who, in the early 2nd
century BC, led numerous devastating attacks against the Roman Empire. To the people of
Rome, the threat of an attack from Hannibal soon made him something of a bogeyman, and
as a result Roman parents would often tell their unruly children that Hanniabl ad portas In Defense of Daylight Saving
—"Hannibal is at the gates"—in order to scare them into behaving properly. Time
14. HIC MANEBIMUS OPTIME
When the Gauls invaded Rome in 390BC, the Senate met to discuss whether or not to
abandon the city and flee to the relative safety of nearby Veii. According to the Roman
historian Livy, a centurion named Marcus Furius Camillus stood to address the Senate and
exclaimed, "hic manebimus optime!"—or "here we will stay, most excellently!" His words soon
came to be used figuratively of anyone’s unfaltering and dedicated intention to remain in
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15. HOMO SUM HUMANI A ME NIHIL ALIENUM PUTO
Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto is another line lifted from one of the works of the
Roman dramatist Terence, in this case his play Heauton Timorumenos, or The Self-
Tormentor. Originally in the play the line was merely one character’s response to being told to
mind his own business, but given its literal meaning—"I am a human being, so nothing human
is strange to me"—it has since come to be used as a motto advocating respect for people and
cultures that appear different from your own.
16. IGNOTUM PER IGNOTIUS
Also known as obscurum per obscurius ("the obscure by the more obscure"), the phrase
ignotum per ignotius ("the unknown by the more unknown") refers to an unhelpful explanation
that is just as (or even more) confusing than that which it is attempting to explain—for
instance, imagine someone asking you what obscurum per obscurius meant, and you telling
them that it means the same as ignotum per ignotius.
17. IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO
Meaning "an empire within an empire," the Latin phrase imperium in imperio can be used
literally to refer to a self-governing state confined within a larger one; or to a rebellious state
fighting for independence from another; or, more figuratively, to a department or a group of
workers in an organization who, despite appearing to work for themselves, are still answerable
to an even larger corporation.
18. PANEM ET CIRCENSES
Panem et circenses, meaning "bread and circuses," refers to the basic needs and desires—
i.e., food and entertainment—required to keep a person happy. It is taken from the Satires, a
collection of satirical poems by the Roman poet Juvenal written in the 1st-2nd century AD.
19. VELOCIUS QUAM ASPARAGI COQUANTUR
According to the Romans, when something happens quickly it happens velocius quam
asparagi conquantur —or "faster than you can cook asparagus." Some sources attribute this
phrase to the Roman Emperor Augustus, but there’s sadly little proof that that’s the case.
20. VOX NIHILI
While vox populi is "the voice of the people," vox nihili is literally "the voice of nothing." It
describes an utterly pointless or meaningless statement, but can also be used for the kind of
spelling mistake or textual error in which one word is mistakenly substituted for another—like
an Autocorrect mistake.
All images courtesy of iStock unless otherwise noted
December 17, 2015 - 10:51am
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Paul Anthony Jones
Paul Anthony Jones is a writer and musician from Newcastle upon Tyne. He is the
author of word origins guide Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons, and he runs
@HaggardHawks.
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शाद के
11 मह ने
बाद हु
ई थी द या क मौत, जान या हु
आ था हादसे
क रात
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Laudelau • 2 years ago
Number 12 was echoed by Bob Ross.
⛺
24 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Rex Kwon Do > Laudelau • 2 years ago
Bub Ross got pwned by Picasso who would have said Number 11.
▶
Robyn McIntyre • 2 years ago
Carpe actually means 'pluck' rather than 'seize'. But 'seize' is a more masculine verb,
which makes the phrase more dynamic.
donny > Robyn McIntyre • 4 days ago
Funny cuz in Dutch the phrase is translated as: ''Pluk de dag''.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Angela Wilkinson • 2 years ago
Ahh #6. My friends and I actually spent a couple of weeks in high school ending every
discussion with "Carthage must be destroyed". We Latin geeks are wild and crazy bunch.
jdgalt > Angela Wilkinson • 2 years ago
I always read that phrase as meaning, "Carthage is destroyed." It certainly makes
more sense that way, at least if spoken after the event.
Angela Wilkinson > jdgalt • 2 years ago
It's actually the gerundive (?) so I think the most literal translation is
'Carthage is to be destroyed' but he it hadn't been and he was using it as a
call to do so. Sort of the ancient equivalent of 'Bomb 'em all and turn it into
a parking lot!'
just_some_guy > Angela Wilkinson • 2 years ago
Angel, the fact that you just pulled out the tense like that makes me
want to declare my love and adoration for you. Now, are you also a
Firefly fan?
Another Guy > just_some_guy • 2 years ago
Be careful, just_some_guy...it's a gerundive working within a
passive periphrastic construction, which indicates necessity, so it
translates "Carthage MUST be destroyed." And I have it on good
authority that Miss Wilkinson watches Big Bang Theory.
(Sorry, Angela. Are you free later?)
just_some_guy > Another Guy • 2 years ago
I will consider myself warned. And if I remember correctly the
MUST part of Carthage must be destroyed was the point of the
statement wasn't it? Wait... are you asking if I am free later or if
Angela is free later. Angela, it is possible people are vying for your
attention due to your linguistic prowess. In this case it's not even a
double entendre. I love the internets...
Crape Diem > Angela Wilkinson • a year ago
You're like a character from a Donna Tartt novel.
Austin Gag > jdgalt • 2 years ago
Yeah its not "(Carthago) (delenda) (est)" as three distinct aspects of the
sentence its "(Cathago) (delenda est)" as two aspects.
just_some_guy > Austin Gag • 2 years ago
Sorry Austin but you're just being a show off... :)
Gunilla Leavitt > jdgalt • 2 years ago
The way I recall it from Latin class, he ended every speech with
"Praeterea censeo Carthaginem esse delendam", which means "and
furthermore I am of the opinion that Carthage should be destroyed."
Carthago delenda est (Carthago is destroyed) is what was said once that
had happened.
Jeremy J. > Gunilla Leavitt • 2 years ago
Indeed he did, the silly bugger.
Bjorn > Gunilla Leavitt • a year ago
'Carthago delenda est' still contains the gerundive and therefore still
means 'Carthage must be destroyed.' The part 'Carthaginem
delendam esse' is part of an accusative plus infinitive, also
containing the gerundive of deleo, but in the accusative.
Instead, 'Carthago deleta est' would translate to 'Carthage is
destroyed'.
Mom_In_High_Heels > jdgalt • 2 months ago
I've been to Carthage. It has, in fact, been destroyed. Perhaps we should
use it with 'is,' or 'was.'
Steve Redding > Angela Wilkinson • 2 years ago
Isn't the implied meaning here something like "look guys, let's talk about the
crucial thing, and stop dealing with extraneous details" After all, Carthago delenda
est, right?
Sillius Soddus > Angela Wilkinson • a year ago
Why you always be buggin' on Carthage? Is it that thing from what happened in
the bathroom? We gots the pictures you know can't make them just disappear
like no rabbit on a hat.
Ted_Fontenot • 2 years ago
How about the latin phrase Jeeves taught Bertie: rem acu tegisti. And Bertie is always
issuing a nolle prosequi to something he is asked to do (usually by an aunt or young
blister), then doing it anyway.
Xio Gen > Ted_Fontenot • 2 years ago
You hit the nail on the head?
Ted_Fontenot > Xio Gen • 2 years ago
Yes.
Doz Altair > Ted_Fontenot • 2 years ago
Righto Teddie old boy!
Levi Löwenherz • 2 years ago
But please, do me a favor and pronounce it correctly (as in "not english")
Jacobs_43 • 2 years ago
As the word "nihil" is indeclinable in Latin, and as such would have no genitive ending, I
would like to see a citation on "vox nihili." Although, its entirely possible that it's a form in
Medieval Latin and not Classical.
Xio Gen > Jacobs_43 • 2 years ago
Probably Vulgar.
Jacobs_43 > Xio Gen • 2 years ago
Good point, Xio. That's very likely.
Doz Altair > Xio Gen • 2 years ago
Do you mean Latina vulgaris or cussing in Latin? :)
Xio Gen > Doz Altair • 2 years ago
Latina vulgaris.
Pedantphile > Jacobs_43 • 2 years ago
*partially indeclinable. You see "nihilo" as an ablative and occasionally "nihilum" as
an accusative in classical Latin.
Kennon Gilson > Jacobs_43 • 2 years ago
Ex nihilo nihil fit.
HITOMI KENNEY > Jacobs_43 • 5 months ago
Incorrect. It acts like a 2nd declension neuter noun if it needs to take a case other
than the nominative/accusative which uses "nihil". So: nihil est, nihil video, plus
nihili, da nihilo, de nihilo.
Jacobs_43 > HITOMI KENNEY • 5 months ago
Hitomi That is (mostly) incorrect. Any of the declined forms of 'nihil' are
from vernacular and are not considered to be grammatical. Classical Latin
will very seldom employ these forms. This blog does a nice job of
explaining it:
"The genitive nihilī or nīlī and ablative nihilō are rare constructions, from an
imagined noun nihilum.
Nihilī and nīlī appear in statements that describe a genitive of value.
Their use is colloquial, and rare."
https://latinforaddicts.wordpr...
Wallis Lane • 2 years ago
ROMANI ITE DOMUM !
⛺
Paul > Wallis Lane • a year ago
Romanus eunt domus...
Wallis Lane > Paul • a year ago
People called Romanes, they go, the house?
Mom_In_High_Heels > Wallis Lane • 2 months ago
Romans go home.
jdgalt > Mom_In_High_Heels • 2 months ago
This.
Joe Lynn • 2 years ago
You only told half the story for "Panem et Circenses."
It actually means giving people the basics of food and entertainment to distract them from
the nastiness that a governing body is doing. The phrase has become quite useful and
poignant in the last few decades.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B...
Xio Gen > Joe Lynn • 2 years ago
But then that becomes the point of debate: if the government is providing for the
citizenry, are they really so evil?
Esther Barnett > Xio Gen • 2 years ago
It's down to motive and track record.
bicyclebill > Xio Gen • 2 years ago
But then you must ask yourself cui bono?
"BB"
gvanderleun > bicyclebill • 2 years ago
Would that be Bono or Sonny Bono?
Old Hippie > gvanderleun • 2 years ago
And why did "Bono" pick that word, of all things, to describe
himself? Unless he just wanted all the benefits.
Xio Gen > bicyclebill • a year ago
...the people, that's the point.
sgk1212 > Xio Gen • a year ago
Yes they are!!
Mom_In_High_Heels > Xio Gen • 2 months ago
If they're doing it to keep the people too happy to really pay attention to the
other things the government is doing.
Esther Barnett > Joe Lynn • 2 years ago
Yup. Quite familiar, isn't it?
Madeleine > Joe Lynn • 2 years ago
Exactly. Panem et circenses has a distinctnegative connotation. It refers to
keeping the people dumb, fat and happy (or their own willingness to be distracted
by the panem et circenses and remain ignorant).
sgk1212 > Madeleine • a year ago
Today's professional politicians have subscribed to this dogmatic ideology
and embrace it gleefully!
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