Latin mottos translated

A puerile joke I’ve been making since schooldays when our motto was carpe diem is that it actually means “seize the fish”. Of course, it actually means “fish of the day” (see Garden, G. ISAHUC) and in a similar educational vein, a few more:

In loco parentis – Mum and Dad are coming by train after lockdown

Audio hostem – It’s my house, I get to choose what records to put on

Quid pro quo – The Italian branch of Poundland, just behind the Colloseum Bingo hall

Caveat emptor – we’ve run out of Spanish bubbly again

Status Quo – the same thing over and over again and again deeper and down, down down…

Contra spem spero – What the Romans used for birth control

Cui bono – Everyone knows about him out of U2
Pro bono publico – Yes, he gets everywhere
Contra bonos mores – There can only be one Paul Hewson…surely?

Ratio legis – one lower limb longer than the other

Respice finem – Cooking with saffron is really expensive, but worth it

Sic vita est – I had far too much rye bread and cottage cheese

Ubi sunt – Taxi hasn’t turned up

Extra omnes – Really delicious

Veritas cum libertate – Got arrested when playing the piano in a diamond-encrusted furcoat

In camera – Where you used to put the film before everyone went digital
In dulci jubilo – That time the “Shaddap You Face” guy did a cover of a Mike Oldfield tune
Vade retro Satana – Classic Latin guitar rock song in the cafe scene from Star Wars

A posteriori – Just a bum who thinks they’re better than you

Annus terribilis – Fetch me some Preparation H
Annus mirabilis – It worked
Ante mortem – Dad’s sister is a goth

Post mortem – So is the mail guy

Vox populi – Talk to the trees

Sine loco – Old-fashioned rollercoaster that just goes up and down

Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus – My train finally arrived but I got to listen to the whole of Rush’s “Caress of Steel” on the journey

Pro forma – ordering sanitaryware online

Pro tanto – The Lone Ranger voted for his sidekick

Quantocius quantotius – I’d really like to take another trip to Australia soon

Deus ex machina – Facebook

A priori – Just a priory

Anno Domini – We only get take away pizza once a year

Pax Christi – Posted the last of the Yuletide pressies

Cacatum non est pictum – Use a bag when clearing up after your dog

Magister dixit – In court for sharing “rude” selfies

Alter ego – To stop being so self-centred

Corpus Christi – All town, no gown

Ubi amor, ibi dolor – Yellow cabs are great, but very expensive

Per se – Where Canadians put their loose change and lipstick

Dramatis personae – Always making a fuss about nothing

Pontifex Maximus – Really big darning needles

Ex cathedra – They demolished a big church?!?!

Ex officio – Used to go out with the co-worker in the next cubicle

Pacem in terris – Yorkies and Jack Russells can run quite fast
Pacem in terris – Yorkies and Jack Russells can all get into tight spaces

Laudetur Jesus Christus – I can barely hear the vicar

Cum laude – Shhh…you’ll wake the neighbours

Ab initio – I got DB tattooed on my belly

Ab intestato – Beer belly

Agnus Dei – 14th June, a celebration of grannies

Et Cetera – Peter’s jazz singing sister

Quod erat demonstrandum – I’ve shown you my thigh muscles, now show me yours

E pluribus unum – Family motto of her out of “Till death us do part” who also played Aunt Sally in “Worzel Gummidge” something about not worrying what time the tram arrives

Loads more from friends and contacts on a Facebook thread I started here.