Ad augusta per angusta.

To high places by narrow roads.

Alea iacta est. ( Julius Caesar )

The dice has been cast. The decision has been made.

Alter ego.

Another I. Soul mate, close friend.

Ars gratia artis.

Art for art's sake. Art has its own sense.

Audiatur et altera pars!

Let us hear the opposite side!

Carpe diem. ( Horace )

Seize the day.

Clara pacta, boni amici.

Clear agreements, good friends.

Cogito, ergo sum. ( Descartes )

I think, therefore I am.

Conditio sine qua non.

Condition without which not.

Curriculum vitae.

The run of life.

De facto.

In fact.

De iure.

By law. By right.

De gustibus non est dispuntandum.

Tastes are not to be argued.

Divide et impera.

Part and rule. Roman maxima of ruling the subdued nations.

Dum spiro, spero. ( Cicero )

As long as I breathe, I hope.

Et tu, Brute! ( Julius Caesar )

You too, Brutus! You have betrayed me too!

Ex libris.

From the library (of).

Ex cathedra.

From the chair. With authority.

Exempli gratia. (e.g.)

For example.

Facta, non verba!

Deeds, not words!

Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus.

False in one thing, false in all.

Festina lente!

Rush slowly!

Hannibal ante portas!

Hannibal is at the doors! The conquerer is at the doors!

Historia est vitae magistra.

The history is the tutor of life.

Homo homini lupus. ( Plautus )

Man is a wolf to man.

In medias res.

In the midst of things.

In memoriam.

In memory (of).

In vino veritas.

The truth is in wine. A drunk person tells the truth.

Inter caecos regnat luscus.

Among the blind people the one-eyed rules.

Lapsus memoriae.

Error of the memory.

Mea culpa.

My guilt.

Mens sana in corpore sano. (Juvenalis)

A sound mind in a sound body. Both physical and mental health are necessary.

Nemo ante mortem beatus.

Nobody is happy before his death.

nomen est omen.

The name is the sign.

Non omne quod nitet aurum est.

Not everything that is shining is gold. Not everything that looks beautiful is good.

Nosce te ipsum!

Know thyself.

Nulla dies sine linea. (Apeles, Greek painter)

Not a day without a line. Do something every day!

Omnia vinceat amor.

Love conquers all.

Per aspera ad astra.

Through the thorns to the stars.

Persona non grata.

An unwelcome person.

Que nocent, saepe docent.

What hurts, often instructs.

Repetitio est mater studiorum.

Repeating is the mother of learning.

Scio me nihil scire. (Seneca?)

I know that I know nothing. The total knowledge cannot be obtained.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

If you want peace, prepare for the war.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Thus passes the glory of the world. Glory in the world is short.

Si sapis, sis apis.

If you are wise, be a bee.

Status quo.

The present state of affairs.

Tabula rasa.

A clean slate. Person that knows nothing.

Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. (Ovid)

Times are changing, and we are changing within them.

Tempus fugit.

Times run.

Ubi bene, ibi patria.

Where you feel good, there is your home.

Ubi concordia, ibi victoria.

Where is the unity, there is the victory.

Ut ameris, ama!

To be loved, love!

Vade mecum.

Come with me A constant companion.

Varietas delectat.

The diversity is delighting.

Veni, vidi, vici! ( Julius Caesar )

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Verba docent, exempla trahunt.

Words are teaching, examples are pulling.

Vis maior.

Higher force.

Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat. (Roman clocks)

Every hour wounds, the last kills.

Vulpem pilum mutare, non mores.

The wolf changes the skin not its habits. People change behaviour but not their aims.

"a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi"

(The modern version would either be "between the devil and the deep blue sea" or "between a rock and a hard place" but I actually prefer the literal translation which translates as ... "a precipice in front, wolves behind"!)

"Absconde obesito illegitimo"

(Get outta here you fat bastard (Buddy Hacket))

"Anicularum lucubrationes"

(Old wives' tales.)

"Ars longa, vita brevis." Hypocrates

The work (art) is long, the life is short.

"Astra non mentiuntur, sed astrologi bene mentiuntur da astris."

The stars never lie, but the astrologs lie about the stars.

"Cave cibum, valde malus est."

(Beware the food, it is very bad.)

"Cogito Ergo Doleo."

(I think therefore I am depressed.)

"De gustibus non est disputandum."

Ther's no accounting for tastes.

"De recta non tolerandum sunt!"

(No assholes will be tolerated!)

"Diligite justitiam quid indicatis terram."

Admire The Law, judges of the earth.

"Errare humanum est"

(mistakes are human)

"Exemplum de simia, quae, quando plus ascendit, plus apparent posteriora eius" --Saint Bonaventure

(He doth like the ape, that the higher he clymbes the more he shows his ars. --Translation by Sir Francis Bacon)

"Homo homini deus est."

A man to a man is like a God.

"in flagrante delicto"

(red-handed)

"In his ordo est ordinem non servare."

In this case the only rule is not obeying any rules.

"Morituri te salutant!"

(which means "the one(s) who are going to die salute you" it was used when gladiatiors were about to undergo their punishment during the Roman Circus celebrations. They hailed Cesar with that saying.)

"Multa ferunt anni venientes commoda secum, Multa recedentes adimiunt" --Horace, Ars Poetica

(The years as they come bring may agreeable things with them; as they go, they take many away.)

"O diem praeclarum!"

Oh, what a beautiful day!

"Primum viveri diende philosophari"

(Live before you philosophize. or Leap before you look.)

"Quid pro quo?"

(what for what?)

"Quod omne animal post coitum est triste." Aristoteles

Every animal is sad after a copulation.

"Re vera, potas bene."

(Say, you sure are drinking a lot.)

"Semper ubi, sub ubi" -

always where, under where.

"si hoc legere scis nimium eruditiones habes."

(essentially it says, "if you can read this, you're overeducated.")

"Sic transit gloriae mundi"

(thus passes the glory of the world)

"Veni Vidi Vici"

(I came, I saw, I conquered)

"Vita luna"

(crazy life)

(At a barbeque) Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri?

(Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face?)

Ab ovo usque ad mala-

from start to finish (from horsd'oeuvre to dessert)

Ad hoc.

For one reason

Adversus incendia excubias nocturnas vigilesque commentus est.

Against the dangers of fires, he (=Augustus) conceived of the idea of night guards and watchmen. (Suetonius, Life of Augustus)

Aeronavis abstractio a prestituto cursu.

(Hijacking.)

Agnus Dei-

Lamb of god

Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est.

(Yes, that is a very large amount of corn.)

Alea iacta est.

The die has been cast. (Caesar as he was crossing the Rubicon river )

Alma Mater.

Old school

Alter ego.

Different personalities like Bruce Wayne ----->Batman

annuit coeptis-

God has favoured us

Ante bellum-

before the war

Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.

(In the good old days, children like you were left to perish on windswept crags.)

Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!

(Let's all wear mood rings!)

Avarus animus nullo satiatur lucro.

A greedy mind is satisfied with no (amount of) gain.

Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare.

(Well, if you don't understand plain Latin, I'm not going to dirty my hands on you.)

Braccae illae virides cum subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur!

(Those green pants go so well with that pink shirt and the plaid jacket!)

Braccae tuae aperiuntur.

(Your fly is open.)

caeca invidia est-

envy is blind

Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris.

(If Caesar were alive, you'd be chained to an oar.)

Canis meus id comedit.

(My dog ate it.)

Carpe Diem!

Seize the day (Horace)

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

(I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.)

Cave Canum

(Beware of the dog.)

Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules.

(If I were you, I wouldn't walk in front of any catapults.)

Caveat emptor

(Let the buyer beware.)

Cogita ante salis.

Look before you leap.

Cogito Ergo Sum.

I think Therefore I am.

Conditio sine qua non- condition,

nexessarily to be fulfilled

Coruscantes disci per convexa caeli volantes .

(Flying saucers.)

Credo nos in fluctu eodem esse.

(I think we're on the same wavelength.)

cui bono-

for what good?

Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.

(When catapults are outlawed, only outlaws will have catapults.)

Da mihi sis bubulae frustrum assae, solana tuberosa in modo Gallico fricta, ac quassum lactatum coagulatum crassum.

(Give me a hamburger, french fries, and a thick shake.)

Da mihi sis cerevisiam dilutam.

(I'll have a light beer.)

De mortuis nil nisi bonum

(Say nothing but good from the dead.)

Dei gratia

(By the grace of God.)

Di! Ecce hora! Uxor mea me necabit!

(God, look at the time! My wife will kill me!)

Die dulci fruere.

(Have a nice day.)

dies irae

the Day of Wrath, or Judgment Day

Diis aliter visum

(The Gods decided otherwise.)

Divide et impera

(Divide and rule.)

Docendo discimus

(We learn by teaching.)

E Pluribus Unum.

One from many

Eheu, litteras istas reperire non possum.

(Unfortunately, I can't find those particular documents.)

Escariorium lavator.

(Dishwashing machine.)

Estne tibi forte magna feles fulva et planissima?

(Do you by chance happen to own a large, yellowish, very flat cat?)

Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?

(Is that a scroll in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?)

ex cathedra

with authority

Ex nilhilo nihil fit

(From, or out of, nothing, nothing comes; nothing begetes nothing.)

Exegi monumentum aere perennius.

I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze. (Horace)

Exterioris pagina puella.

(Cover Girl.)

Fac me cocleario vomere!

(Gag me with a spoon!)

Fac ut gaudeam.

(Make my day.)

Fac ut vivas.

(Get a life.)

Fama nihil est celerius.

Nothing is swifter than rumor.

Fama volat.

Fame has wings.

Fax mentis incedium gloriae

(The passion of glory is the torch of the mind.)

Feles mala! Cur cista non uteris? Stramentum novum in ea posui.

(Bad kitty! Why don't you use the cat box? I put new litter in it.)

Fiat lux.

Let there be light (Vulgate Genesis)

Fides Punica.

Treachery (Livy)

Flamma fumo est proxima.

Flame follows smoke. (Plautus, Curculio)

Forsan miseros meliora sequentur.(Virgil)

For those in misery perhaps better things will follow.

Fortunatus sum! Pila mea de gramine horrido modo in pratum lene recta volvit!

(Isn't that lucky! My ball just rolled out of the rough and onto the fairway!)

Furnulum pani nolo.

(I don't want a toaster.)

Gaudeamus igitur (iuvenes dum sumus).

Therefore, let us rejoice (while we are young)

Gramen artificiosum odi.

(I hate Astroturf.)

Haec trutina errat.

(There is something wrong with this scale.)

Heu! Tintinnuntius meus sonat!

(Darn! There goes my beeper!)

Hic puer est stultissimus omnium!

This boy is the stupidest of all!

Hocine bibo aut in eum digitos insero?

(Do I drink this or stick my fingers in it?)

Homines quod volunt credunt.

Men believe what they want to. (Julius Caesar)

Homo homini lupus.

A man to a man is like a wolf

Illiud Latine dici non potest.

(You can't say that in Latin.)

In dentibus acticis frustrum magnum spinaciae habes.

(You have a big piece of spinach in your teeth.)

In hoc signo vinces.

(It reads: Under this sign (the cross of God) thou shalt conquer. This Latin phrase was said to have been writen in the sky before Consantine, with the sign of a burning cross, previous to the battled at Milvian Bridge north of Rome in 312ad.)

In vino veritas

(There is truth in wine.)

infra dignitatem.

undignified (beneath (our) dignity).

Instrumentum aeri temperando.

(Airconditioner.)

Insula Gilliganis.

(Gilligan's Island .)

Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europe vincendarum.

(Sometimes I get this urge to conquer large parts of Europe .)

Labra lege.

(Read my lips.)

lapsus alumni

error made

lapsus calumni.

A slip of the pen

Latine loqui coactus sum.

(I have this compulsion to speak Latin.)

Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.

(The designated hitter rule has got to go.)

Magister Mundi sum!

(I am the Master of the Universe!)

Malum consilium quod mutari non potest.

It's a bad plan that can't be changed.(Publilius Syrus 403)

Maxima debetur puero reverentia.

We owe the greatest respect to a child.

Mea mihi conscientia pluris est quam omium sermo.

My conscience is more to me than what the world says.

Mellita, domi adsum.

(Honey, I'm home.)

Mihi ignosce. Cum homine de cane debeo congredi.

(Excuse me. I've got to see a man about a dog.)

mirabile dictu.

Wonderful to say

Modus operandi-

method of work

Multi famam, conscientiam pauci verentur.(Pliny)

Many fear their reputation, few their conscience.

naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret

You can drive nature out with a pitchfork but she always comes back. Literally, "Nature can be expelled with a fork, but nevertheless always returns"

Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum!

(Don't you dare erase my hard disk!)

Neutiquam erro.

(I am not lost.)

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.

(I'm not interested in your dopey religious cult.)

Nihil est--in vita priore ego imperator Romanus fui.

(That's nothing--in a previous life I was a Roman Emperor.)

Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo.

(Don't call me, I'll call you.)

Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat.

(It's not the heat, it's the humidity.)

Non carborundum illigitimi:

(Roughly Translated: Don't let the bastards grind you down.)

Non curo. Si metrum non habet, non est poema.

(I don't care. If it doesn't rhyme, it isn't a poem.)

Non erravi perniciose!

(I did not commit a fatal error!)

Non Gradus Anus Rodentum!

Not Worth A Rats Ass!

novus ordo saeculorum-

a new order of ages

Nullo metro compositum est.

(It doesn't rhyme.)

Nullum Gratuitum Prandium.

There is no free lunch!

Nummus americanus.

(Greenback ($US).)

O! Plus! Perge! Aio! Hui! Hem!

(Oh! More! Go on! Yes! Ooh! Ummm!)

Oblitus sum perpolire clepsydras!

(I forgot to polish the clocks!)

post proelia praemia.

After the battles come the rewards

Postremo pensandum

Quanta doctrinae commoditas sit in libris

Quam facilis, quam arcana!

Quam tuto libris humanae ignorantia paupertatem

sine verecundia denudamus!

Hi sunt magistri qui nos instruunt

sine virgis et ferula,

sine verbis et cholera, sine pannis et pecunia.

si accedis, non dormiunt;

Si inquirens interrogas, non abscondunt;

Non remurmurant si oberres;

Cachinnos nesciunt, si ignores.

(Richard de BuryPhilobiblon, I, 9)

And finally, one must consider how great the ease of learning there is in books, how yielding, how trusty !

How safely we reveal, without shyness, in the face of our books

the poverty of our human ignorance !

They are teachers who instruct us without switches or rods,

without slaps or anger, without notice of rags or riches.

If you approach them , they are not asleep;

If you ask a question, they do not hide;

They do not mutter at you if you make a mistake;

When you are ignorant, they do not know how to laugh at you.

Prehende uxorem meam, sis!

(Take my wife, please!)

Prescriptio in manibus tabellariorium est.

(The check is in the mail.)

Pro di immortales!

Good heavens!

Prospice tibi--ut Gallia , tu quoque in tres partes dividareis.

(Watch out--you might end up divided into three parts, like Gaul .)

Purgamentum init, exit purgamentum.

(Garbage in, garbage out.)

qualis pater talis filius.

As is the father, so is the son; like father, like son

Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

(How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?)

Qui tacet consentit.

He who is silent agrees.

Qui vir odiosus!

(What a bore!)

Qui vult dare parva non debet magna rogare.

He wh o wishes to give little shouldn't ask for much.

Quid Novi .

What's New?

Quid quid latine dictum sit, altum viditur

(Anything said in Latin sounds profound.)

Quidquid id est timeo puellas et oscula dantes.

Whatever it is, I fear the girls, even when they kiss.

Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.(Vergil, Aeneid II.49)

Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts.

Quo signo nata es?

(What's your sign?)

Quomodo cogis comas tuas sic videri?

(How do you get your hair to do that?)

Radix lecti.

(Couch potato.)

Raptus regaliter.

(Royally screwed.)

rara avis

a rare bird

Re vera, potas bene.

(Say, you sure are drinking a lot.)

Recedite, plebes! Gero rem imperialem!

(Stand aside plebians! I am on imperial business.)

Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat.(Horace, Satires)

What prevents me from speaking the truth with a smile?

Romani quidem artem amatoriam invenerunt.

(You know, the Romans invented the art of love.)

Sane ego te vocavi. Forsitan capedictum tuum desit.

(I did call. Maybe your answering machine is broken.)

Scio cure summae inter se dissentiant! Numeris Romanis utor!

(I know why the numbers don't agree! I use Roman numerals!)

Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

(Who watches the watchmen? (Juvenal))

Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.

(I think some people in togas are plotting against me.)

Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinus alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes!

(If you can read this sign, you can get a good job in the fast-paced, high-paying world of Latin!)

Sic faciunt omnes.

(Everyone is doing it.)

sine qua non-

necesssity

Sona si Latine loqueris.

(Honk if you speak Latin.)

Spero nos familiares mansuros.

(I hope we'll still be friends.)

Studium discendi voluntate quae cogi non potest constat (Quintilian Institutio Oratoria, iii)

Study depends on the good will of the student, a quality which cannot be secured by compulsion.

sub rosa

under the rose (i.e. confidentially)

tabula rasa-

a clean slate

Tam exanimis quam tunica nehru fio.

(I am as dead as the nehru jacket.)

Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.

(I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.)

Te precor dulcissime supplex!

(Pretty please with a cherry on top!)

terra firma-

solid ground

Totum dependeat.

(Let it all hang out.)

Trahimur omnes studio laudis.

We are all attracted by the desire for praise.

Ubi fumus, ibi ignis.

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!

(May barbarians invade your personal space!)

Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant!

(May conspirators assassinate you in the mall!)

Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!

(May faulty logic undermine your entire philosophy!)

Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit.

Diverse grapes, through time, grow together.

Vacca foeda.

(Stupid cow.)

vademecum-

go with me (for:'guide')

Vah ! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur.

(Oh! Was I speaking Latin again? Silly me. Sometimes it just sort of slips out.)

Veni, vidi, vici.

I came, I saw, I conquered. (Caesar)

Venienti occurrite morbo.(Persius, Satires)

Meet the misfortune as it comes.

Ventis secundis, tene cursum.

(Go with the flow.)

Vescere bracis meis.

(Eat my shorts.)

Vidistine nuper imagines moventes bonas?

(Seen any good movies lately?)

Vinum bellum iucunumque est, sed animo corporeque caret.

(It's a nice little wine, but it lacks character and depth.)

Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur.

It is a wise man who speaks little.

Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio.

(Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway.)