Do you know any interesting
Latin phrases? Have you spotted any errors?
If so, I would love to hear from you on
webmavenATr2didi2.com
A dictionary of some of the more unusual words of the English language
Yes, I know I am sad, but I really like Latin! And it can really impress people if you can sneak a little Latin phrase into your conversations or e-mails, though you have to be careful not to overkill this because otherwise, well, you will just look silly! Enjoy...
- Ab initio: From the beginning
- Absit omen: May the presentiment not become real or take place
- Ad hoc: For a particular purpose only
- Advocatus diaboli: The devil's advocate
- Ad valorem: In proportion to the estimated value of the goods taxed
- Annus mirabilis: A year of wonders
- Annus horibilis: What the Queen said that time
- Arbiter elegantiae/ium: Judge in a matter of taste
- Ars longa vita brevis: Art is long, life is short
- Aut vincere aut mori: Death or victory
- Bis dat, qui cito dat: The person who gives promptly gives twice
- Carpe diem: Enjoy the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future
- Casus belli: An event or act used to justify a war; the immediate cause of a quarrel
- Caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware
- Cetera desunt: The rest is missing
- Ceteris paribus: Other things being equal
- Cogito, ergo sum: I think, therefore I am
- Compos mentis: Of sound mind
- Coram populo: In the presence of the people; openly
- Corpus delicti: The body of facts that constitute an offence
- Corrigenda: Things to be corrected
- Corpus vile: Person or thing fit only to be the object of an experiment
- Cum grano salis: With a grain of salt; not too literally
- De gustibus non est disputandem: There is no arguing about tastes
- De jure: According to law; by rights; legally
- De mortuis nil nisi bonum: Say nothing but good of the dead
- De profundis: Out of the depths of misery or dejection
- Deus ex machina: literally 'God from the machine'. A device used in fiction where our hero escapes from a seemingly impossible dilemma by the action of an unexplained/impossible force/entity. A fave of her wot wrote Harry Potter. Thanks to my mate Frank Hollis for this one.
- E pluribus unum: One out of many
- Errare est humanum: To err is human
- Exempli gratia: For example
- Facile princeps: An obvious leader
- Festina lente: More haste, less speed
- Fiat lux: Let there be light
- Fidus Achates: Faithful friend or companion
- Fons et origo: The source and origin
- Genius loci: The guardian spirit of a place; the special atmosphere of a place
- Hinc illae lacrimae: Hence those tears
- Ibidem: In the same place
- Ignotum per ignotius: An explanation that is more obscure than the thing being explained
- Ignis fatuus: Will O'the wisp
- In rerum natura: In the nature of things
- Inter alia: Among other things
- In vino veritas: In wine there is truth
- Ipsissima verba: The very words
- Lapsus linguae: A slip of the tongue
- Lex loci: The law of the place
- Magna cum laude: With great praise
- Magnum opus: A great work of art or literature
- Mens sana in corpore: A healthy mind in a healthy body
- Mutatis mutandis: With the necessary changes
- Nemo me impune: No one provokes me with impunity
- Nulli secundus: Second to none
- Pax vobiscum: Peace be with you
- Per ardua ad astra: Through difficulties to the stars
- Primus inter pares: First among equals
- Pro tempore: For the time being
- QED - Quod erat demonstrandum: Which was to be proved
- Quot homines, tot sententiae: There are as many opinions as there are people
- Quo vadis?: Where goes though?
- Res ipsa loquitur: The thing/matter speaks for itself
- Sempa in excreta solus solum profundum variat: I am always in the shit, only the depth varies (!)
- Sic itur ad astra: Such is the way to the stars
- Sic transit gloria mundi: So passes the glory of the world
- Uberrima fides: Utmost good faith
- Ultra vires: Beyond ones power
- Vade in pace: Go in peace
- Veni, vidi, vici: I came, I saw, I conquered
- Verbatim et litteratim: Word for word and letter for letter
- Vox populi: The voice of the people
