Top 20 Useless Phrases I Learned in Latin

[Jolie Rouge]

Credit for this goes largely to Henry Beard for writing a book that my Latin teacher incessantly quotes from.


"PISTRIX, PISTRIX!”
“SHARK, SHARK!”


“Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere…”
“I think that Elvis is still alive…”



“Fors Fortis.”
“Fat chance.”


“Casu consulto.”
“Accidentally on purpose.”


“Raptus regaliter”
“Royally screwed.”


“Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas.”
“Thank you for not smoking.” (I use this in my house a lot)


“Frena pro feris teneo.”
“I brake for animals.” (Not totally useless after all)


“Cur ullum imprimere non vis?!”
“Why won’t you print out?!” (I say this a lot to my demon computer)


“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.”


“Credo nos in fluctu eodem esse.”
“I think we’re on the same wavelength.”


“Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.”
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”


“Id imperfectum manet dum confectum erit.”
“It ain’t over until it’s over.”


“Dolores capitis non fero. Eos do.”
“I don’t get headaches. I give them.” (my motto)


“Amicule, deliciae, num is sum qui mentiar tibi?”
“Baby, sweetheart, would I lie to you?”


“Eamus O Ianqui!”
“Let’s go Yankees!” (my guys!)


“In thermulas intremus!”
“Let’s get in the hot tub!” (doesn’t that remind you of the SIMS?")


“Latine loqui coactus sum.”
"I have this compulsion to speak Latin.”


“Machina improba! Vel mihi ede potum vel mihi redde nummos meos!”
“You infernal machine! Give me a beverage or give me back my money!” (I say this to the machines in school all the time!)


“Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo.”
“Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”


“Ita, te adloquor!”
“Yeah, I’m talking to you!” (tough guy huh?)

[ahippiechic]

Off topic here, but today I learned to say the "F" word in Spanish & Romanian. :)

[sahm2]

My favorite latin phrase has always been: "semper ubi sub ubi" always wear under wear. lol

[Queensown]

Those are hilarious! I took latin in high school and we never got to learn anything QUITE that useless =) But, I still remember this whole long monologue we had to memorize in latin, although now 6 years later I have no clue what it means anymore.

[ocvachick]

LOL!! I will be using these from now on

[Syrinx]

Conveniently, I have a few more from one of his books:

Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat.
It's not the heat, it's the humidity.

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?

Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris.
If Caesar were alive, you'd be chained to an oar.

Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo
elabitur.
Oh! Was I speaking Latin again? Silly me. Sometimes it just
sort of slips out.


A good friend and I were roommates one year in college, and both of us were double majoring in English and Classics- so we recorded our answering machine message in Latin.