8.4.13

If it's all Greek to you, you'd best move along. But if it's Latin, well, you've come to the right place. If you want to appear to be a smarty pants writer and drop an occasional Latin phrase, take you pick.


annus mirabilis - wonderful year
arbiter elegantiae - judge of the elegant; one who knows the good things in life
bona fides - good faith; credentials
carpe diem - sieze the day; enjoy the present
casus belli - cause justifying a war
caveat emptor - buyer beware
cui bono? - for whose advantage?
de facto - of fact; it is
de gustibus non est disputandum - no disputing tastes; there is no accounting for taste
Dei gratia - by the grace of God
Deo gratias - thanks to God
Deo volente - God willing
dis aliter visum - it seemed otherwise to the gods
Dominus vobiscum - Lord be with you
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - sweet and seemly it is to die for one’s country
ecce homo - behold man
ex cathedra - with authority
ex more - with or according to customs
exempli gratia - for example (e.g.)
genius loci - spirit of the location
hic et ubique - here and everywhere
hinc illae lacrimae - hence, those tears
humanum est errare - to err is human; human is to err
id est - that is (i.e.)
in extremis - at death
in hoc signo vinces - by this sign, you conquer
in loco parentis - in place of the parent
in medias res - into the middle of things; the heart of the matter
in omnia paratus - prepared for all; ready for anything
in perpetuum - forever; perpetually
in propia persona - in person; in one’s own life or words
in statu quo - as things were
in toto - entirely; in total
ipso jure - the law itself
jure divino - Divine law
labor omnia vincit - labor conquers all things; effort results in victory
laborare est orare - to work is to pray
laus Deo - praise God
loco citato - in the location cited
loquitur - he speaks
mens sana in corpore sano - of sound mind in a healthy body
meum et tuum - mine and yours
modus operandi - mode of operating
morituri te salutamus - we who are about to die, salute you
motu proprio - of one’s own accord; on your own
multum in parvo - there is much in little
nemo me impune lacessit - no one attacks me with impunity
nil admirari - wondering at nothing
nolens volens - willing or not
Nota Bene - note well; pay special attention to
omnia vincit amor - love conquers all
opere citato - in the volume cited; in the book cited
otium cum dignitate - leisure with dignity
passim - here and there
pater patriae - father of his country
pax vobiscum - peace be with you
persona non grata - unwelcome person
primus inter pares - first among equals
pro bono publico - for the public good
pro Deo et ecclesia - for God and the Church
pro forma - as a matter of form; standard
quod erat demonstrandum - which was demonstrated; that which was shown
requiescat in pace - rest in peace
sic - thus; so it was
sic passim - so throughout
sic semper tyrannis - thus always to tyrants
sine die - some day; not a particular time
sine quo non - without which, nothing; it is essential
tempus fugit - time flies
timeo Danaos et dona ferentes - I fear the Greeks, even when they bear gifts
verbatim et literatim - word for word, letter for letter