Latin Tags and Phrases

bona fide

in good faith

brutum fulmen

an empty threat (literally: an insensible thunderbolt)

caeteris paribus

other things being equal

causa sine qua non

a necessary condition

cave canem

beware of the dog (commonly inscribed on doors of Roman homes)

cave quid dicis, quando, et cui

beware what you say, when and to whom

compos mentis

of sound mind

cum laude

with praise. Third rank of honours in US universities

divide et impera

divide and rule

Dominus illuminatio mea

the Lord is my light (motto of Oxford University)

Dominus vobiscum

God be with you (the singular form is Dominus tecum)

e.g.

for example (exempli gratia)

e pluribus unum

one out of many (USAs motto - one nation from many states)

ex libris

from the library of

ex tempore

extemporaneously, without preparation

fugit hora

time flies

furor

madness

gratias tibi ago

thank you

habeas corpus

you may have the body

hic et nunc

here and now

hic et ubique

here and everywhere

ibidem

in the same place (abbreviated: ibid.)

i.e.

that is (id est)

in flagrante delicto

red-handed (literally: while the crime is blazing)

infra dignitatem

undignified (literally: beneath (one's) dignity; shortened: infra dig)

in omnia paratus

ready for anything (literally: prepared for all things; echoes semper paratus)

in ovo

immature (literally: in the egg; can be used to characterize anything that is still in an undeveloped stage)

in pectore

in secret (literally: in the breast)

in re

regarding (literally: in the matter of; used in legal documents and notices)

in rerum natura

in the nature of things

in saecula saeculorum

forever and ever

inter pares

between or among equals

inter pocula

over drinks (literally: between cups)

invita Minerva

uninspired (literally: Minerva being unwilling)

ipse dixit

an unsupported assertion (literally: He himself said so; a statement authoritative only to the extent that the reputation of its author merits trust, implying that there is no other guarantee of its validity)

ipsissima verba

verbatim (literally: the very words)

lapsus calami

a slip of the pen (calamus: a reed used as pen)

lapsus linguae

a slip of the tongue

lapsus memoriae

a lapse of memory

lex non scripta

the unwritten law (common law)

lex scripta

the body of written, or statutory, law

lex talionis

an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (literally: the law of retaliation)

licentia vatum

poetic license (literally: the license of poets)

licet

it is allowed (formal expression used in granting permission)

locus delicti

the scene of the crime

macte virtute

well done! (literally: be increased in merit)

magna cum laude

with great praise. Second honours in American university degree.

magnum opus

one's crowning achievement (literally: a great work)

mala fide

in bad faith

mea culpa

I am to blame (literally: through or by my fault)

medice, cura te ipsum

physician, heal thyself

me iudice (or judice)

in my opinion

membrum virile

the male member. A euphemism for penis. The Latin word penis also means 'tail'.

mens sana in corpore sano

a sound mind in a sound body

minima de malis

the lesser of two evils (literally: of evils, the least)

modus operandi

manner of working

modus vivendi

a way of getting along together (literally: a way of living)

mox nox in rem

let's get on with it (literally: soon night, to the business)

mutatis mutandis

after making the necessary changes (literally: things having been changed that had to be changed)

mutato nomine

with the name changed

mutato nomine de te fabula narratur

with the name changed, the story applies to you (from Horace's Satires)

nam et ipsa scientia potestas est

knowledge is power (literally: For knowledge too is itself power. Said by Francis Bacon)

ne Aesopum quidem trivit

he doesn't know anything about anything (literally: He has not even thumbed through Aesop. Strong condemnation for Roman schoolboys: Aesop's Fables were used as primer)

ne cede malis

do not yield to misfortune

nemine contradicente

unanimously (literally: no one contradicting)

nemine dissentiente

unanimously (literally: no one dissenting)

nemo malus felix

there is no peace for the wicked (literally: no bad man is happy. Isaiah)

nemo me impune lacessit

no one provokes me with impunity. Motto of the kings of Scotland.

nemo repente fuit turpissimus

no one ever became extremely wicked suddenly.

ne plus ultra

perfection/the highest attainable point. Literally: not more beyond. May also be used in the sense 'No further may you go'.

nihil obstat

nothing stands in its way

nihil obstat quominus imprimatur

Nothing hinders it from being published. Pronouncement by Roman Catholic censors concerning books which contained nothing morally offensive or contrary to the faith.

nil carborundum

Army ranks slang 'Latin' - 'Don't let the bastards grind you down'. The term is now so well known people believe it is real Latin.

nil desperandum

never say die (literally: Nothing is to be despaired of. Expressed by Horace in his Odes)

nil novi sub soli

nothing new under the sun. This well-known phrase from Ecclesiastes reads fully: 'That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.'

nolens, volens

whether willing or not (literally: being unwilling, willing)

noli me tangere

touch me not. Christ said this to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection (John's Gospel).

non bis in idem

not twice for the same thing

non compos mentis

not of sound mind

non erat his locus

that was inappropriate (literally: That was not the place for these things)

non est tanti

it's no big deal

non est vivere sed valere vita est

life is more than just being alive (literally: Life is not being alive but being well. Martial's Epigrams)

non ignara mali, miseris sucurrere disco

I've been there myself (literally: No stranger to misfortune myself, I learn to relieve the sufferings of others. Dido, Queen of Carthage, greets Aeneas and his companions, who are in exile. Virgil's Aeneid)

non mihi, non tibi, sed nobis

not for you, not for me, but for us

non nova sed nove

not new things but in a new way

non omnia possumus omnes

we cannot all do everything (Virgil's Aeneid)

non placet

nay. (A formal way of indicating dissent, literally: It does not please)

non semper ea sunt quae videntur

things are not always what they appear to be (Phaedrus, first century AD Roman fabulist)

non semper erit aestas

be prepared for hard times (literally: It will not always be summer)

non sequitur

it does not follow

non sum qualis eram

I'm a different person today (literally: I am not the sort of person I was. Horace's Odes)

nosce te ipsum

know thyself

nota bene

take notice (literally: Note well. Abbreviated: NB)

notatu dignum

worthy of note

nulli secundus

second to none

nullius filius

a bastard (literally: no one's son)

numerus clausus

a quota (literally: closed number. Used in the sense of limiting the membership of undesirable people in a club or school or the like)

nunc aut nunquam

now or never

nunc est bibendum

break out the champagne (literally: Now it's time to drink. Horace's Odes)