Latin Phrases

A cane non magno saepe tenetur aper - A boar is often held by a not-so-large dog. (Ovid)

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi - A precipice in front, wolves behind. (Between a rock and a hard place)

Ab asino lanam - Like getting wool from an ass. (Blood from a stone)

Ab imo pectore - From the bottom of the chest. (From the heart) (Julius Caesar)

Ab ove maiori discit arare minor - From the older ox the younger learns to plow.

Ab ovo usque ad mala - From the egg right to the apple. (From the beginning to the end) (Horace)

Abyssus abyssum invocat - Hell calls hell. (One wrong doing causes another)

Acta est fabula - The drama has been acted out. (Augustus)

Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora - Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow. (A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush)

Adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit - Add a little to a little and there will be a great heap. (Ovid)

Adversus solem ne loquitor - Don't speak against the sun. (Don't waste your time arguing the obvious)

Aegrescit medendo - The disease worsens with treatment. (The remedy is worse than the disease) (Virgil)

Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent - Other people's things are more pleasing to us, and ours to other people. (Publius)

Aliquando et insanire iucundum est - It is sometimes pleasant even to act like a madman. (Seneca)

Amoto quaeramus seria ludo - Setting games aside, let's get on to serious matters. (Horace)

An nescis, mi fili, quantilla sapientia mundus regatur? - Don't you know then, my son, how little wisdom rules the world? (Pope Julius)

Animis opibusque parati - Prepared in minds and resources. (Ready for anything)

Asinus asinum fricat - The ass rubs the ass. (Two people flattering each other)

Aspirat primo Fortuna labori - Fortune smiles upon our first effort. (Virgil)

Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit - Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdoes both intelligence and skill. (Cicero)

Audaces fortuna iuvat - Fortune favours the brave.

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - I'll either find a way or make one.

Beati possidentes - Blessed are those who possess. (Legal doctrine, possession is nine points of the law) (Euripides)

Bella detesta matribus - Wars, the horror of mothers. (Horace)

Beneficium accipere libertatem est vendere - To accept a favour is to sell one's freedom. (Publius)

Bis pueri senes - Old men are twice children.

Bona fide - In good faith, genuine, legitimate.

Bonitas non est pessimis esse meliorem - It is not goodness to be better than the worst. (Seneca)

Braccae tuae aperiuntur - Your fly is open.

Callida iunctura - Skillful joining, careful workmanship. (Horace)

Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet - A timid dog barks more violently than it bites. (Curtius Rufus)

Carpe Cerevisi - Seize the beer!

Carpe diem - Seize the moment. (Horace)

Casis tutissima virtus - Virtue is the safest helmet.

Castigat ridendo mores - One corrects customs by laughing at them.

Caveat depascor - Browser beware!

Cicatrix manet - The scar remains.

Cineri gloria sera est - Glory paid to ashes comes too late. (Martial)

Cito fit quod dei volunt - What the gods want happens soon. (Petronius)

Cogito ergo doleo - I think therefore I am depressed.

Colossus magnitudinem suam servabit etiam si steterit in puteo - A giant will keep his size even though he will have stood in a well. (Seneca)

Corruptisima re publica plurimae leges - In the most corrupt state are the most laws. (Terence)

Credo nos in fluctu eodem esse - I think we're on the same wavelength.

Credula vitam spes fovet et melius cras fore semper dicit - Credulous hope supports our life, and always says that tomorrow will be better. (Tibullus)

Culpam poena premit comes - Punishment presses hard onto the heels of crime. (Horace)

Cum bellum deficit, tum pax imminet - When the war process breaks down, peace will be imminent. (Robert B. Mackay)

Damnant quod non intelligunt - They condemn what they do not understand.

De duobus malis, minus est semper eligendum - Of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen.

Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit - The wolf attacks with his fang, the bull with his horn. (Horace)

Deos enim religuos accepimus, Caesares dedimus - The gods were handed down to us, but we created the Caesars (the rulers) ourselves.

Difficile est tenere quae acceperis nisi exerceas - It is difficult to retain what you may have learned unless you should practice it. (Pliny the Younger)

Diligentia maximum etiam mediocris ingeni subsidium - Diligence is a very great help even to a mediocre intelligence. (Seneca)

Dimidium facti qui coepit habet - He who has begun has the work half done. (Horace)

Disce pati - Learn to endure.

Divina natura dedit agros, ars humana aedificavit urbes - Divine nature gave the fields, human art built the cities. (Varro)

Dum loquimor fugerit invida aetas - Even as we speak, time speeds swiftly away. (Horace)

Errare humanum est - To err is human.

Etiam capillus unus habet umbram - Even one hair has a shadow. (Publius)

Excitabat fluctus in simpulo - He was stirring up billows in a ladle. (He was raising a tempest in a teapot) (Cicero)

Exigo a me non ut optimis par sim, sed ut malis melior - I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad. (Seneca)

Facile est inventis addere - It is easy to add to things already invented.

Facilius per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur - We are more easily led part by part to an understanding of the whole. (Seneca)

Fallaces sunt rerum species - The appearances of things are deceptive. (Seneca)

Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit - Perhaps someday we will look back upon these things with joy.

Fortes fortuna adiuvat - Fortune favors the brave. (Terence)

Gladiator in arena consilium capit - The gladiator is formulating his plan in the arena. (Too late) (Seneca)

Gutta cavat lapidem - The drop of water hollows the stone. (Ovid)

Heu, modo itera omnia quae mihi nunc nuper narravisti, sed nunc anglice? - Listen, would you repeat everything you just told me, only this time say it in English?

Id legi modo hic modo illic. vero, latine loqui non est difficilissimum - I picked it up here and there. Really, Latin isn't all that hard.

In alio pediculum, in te ricinum non vides - You see a louse on someone else, but not a tick on yourself. (Petronius)

In imo animo stat pulchritudo - Beauty lies in the depths of ones soul.

In omnia paratus - Ready for anything.

In virtute sunt multi ascensus - In excellence there are many degrees. (Cicero)

Inhumanitas omni aetate molesta est - Inhumanity is harmful in every age. (Cicero)

Ipsa scientia potestas est - Knowledge itself is power. (Bacon)

Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus - We are slaves of laws so that we can be free. (Cicero)

Leve fit, quod bene fertur, onus - The burden is made light which is borne well. (Ovid)

Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt - Men gladly believe that which they wish for. (Julius Caesar)

Lingua speciem involutam praebet, sed sat cito eam comprehendes - It looks like a tricky language, but you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Malum consilium quod mutari non potest - It's a bad plan that can't be changed. (Publius)

Materiam superabat opus - The workmanship was better than the subject matter. (Ovid)

Medici graviores morbos asperis remediis curant - Doctors cure the more serious diseases with harsh remedies. (Curtius Rufus)

Mendacem memorem esse oportet - A liar needs a good memory. (Quintilian)

Mus uni non fidit antro - A mouse does not rely on just one hole. (Plautus)

Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus interpres - As a true translator you will take care not to translate word for word. (Horace)

Nil actum reputa si quid superest agendum - Don't consider that anything has been done if anything is left to be done. (Lucan)

Noli Fumare - No Smoking.

Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum - Don't let the bastards grind you down.

Non est ad astra mollis e terris via - There is no easy way from the earth to the stars. (Seneca)

Non est ars quae ad effectum casu venit - That which achieves its effect by accident is not art. (Seneca)

Non omnes qui habemt citharam sunt citharoedi - Not all those who own a musical instrument are musicians. (Bacon)

Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae - There is no one great ability without a mixture of madness. (Seneca)

Nullum saeculum magnis ingeniis clausum est - No generation is closed to great talents. (Seneca)

Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - There is no book so bad that it is not beneficial in some respect. (Pliny the Younger)

Nullum est responsum, sed solum optiones - There are no answers, only choices.

Num barbarorum Romulus rex fuit? - Romulus was not a king of barbarians, was he? (Cicero)

Numquam aliud natura, aliud sapientia dicit - Never does nature say one thing and wisdom say another.

Numquam se minus solum quam cum solus esset - You are never so little alone as when you are alone. (Cicero)

O praeclarum custodem, ovium lupum! - An excellent protector of sheep, the wolf! (Cicero)

Omnia iam fient fieri quae posse negabam - All the things which I denied could happen are now happening. (Ovid)

Omnia mea mecum porto - All that is mine, I carry with me. (My wisdom is my greatest wealth) (Cicero)

Otium sine litteris mors est et hominis vivi sepultura - Rest without reading is like dying and being buried alive. (Seneca)

Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus - Mountains will be in labour, and an ridiculous mouse will be born. (So much work and the result is ridiculous)

Patria est communis omnium parens - Our fatherland is the common parent of us all. (Cicero)

Per varios usus artem experientia fecit - Through different exercises practice has brought skill. (Manilius)

Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim - Be patient and tough; some day this pain will be useful to you. (Ovid)

Poena par sapientia - Pain equals wisdom.

Possunt quia posse videntur - They can because they seem to be able to.

Potest ex casa magnus vir exire - A great man can come from a hut. (Seneca)

Praeceptores suos adulescens veneratur et suspicit - A young man respects and looks up to his teachers. (Seneca)

Qespondeat superior - Let the superior answer. (A supervisor must take responsibility for the quality of a subordinate's work)

Quaedam iura non scripta sed omnibus scriptis certiora sunt - Some laws are unwritten but they are better established than all written ones. (Seneca)

Quam angusta innocentia est, at legem bonum esse - What a narrow innocence it is, to be good only according to the law. (Seneca)

Quam se ipse amans-sine rivali! - Himself loving himself so much-without a rival! (Cicero)

Qui dedit benificium taceat; narret qui accepit - Let him who has done a good deed be silent; let him who has received it tell it. (Seneca)

Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit - He who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow. (Ovid)

Qui suam imprimere cupiunt formam, labem solum relinquunt - Some people wanting to make their mark on the world, merely leave a stain. (Robert B. Mackay)

Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur - Why are you laughing? Change the name and the story is about you. (Horace)

Quidquid excusatio prandium pro - Any excuse for lunch.

Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum viditur - Whatever is said in Latin sounds profound.

Rerum Sapientia custos - Wisdom is the guardian of all things.

Rident stolidi verba latina - Fools laugh at the Latin language. (Ovid)

Risu inepto res ineptior nulla est - There is nothing more foolish than a foolish laugh. (Catullus)

Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas - Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses. (Ovid)

Saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit - Often it is not even advantageous to know what will be. (Cicero)

Salus populi suprema est lex - The safety of the people is the highest law. (Cicero)

Sane, paululum linguae latinae dico - Sure, I speak a little Latin.

Sedit qui timuit ne non succederet - He who feared he would not succeed sat still. (For fear of failure, he did nothing) (Horace)

Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes - If you can read this, you're over educated.

Simia quam similis, turpissimus bestia, nobis! - How like us is that very ugly beast the monkey. (Cicero)

Sona si latine loqueris - Honk if you speak Latin.

Struit insidias lacrimis cum femina plorat - When a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears. (Dionysius Cato)

Stultum est timere quod vitare non potes - It is foolish to fear what which you cannot avoid. (Publius)

Tarditas et procrastinatio odiosa est - Delay and procrastination is troublesome. (Cicero)

Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas - Thank you for not smoking.

Timendi causa est nescire - Ignorance is the cause of fear. (Seneca)

Trahimur omnes laudis studio - We are all led on by our eagerness for praise. (Cicero)

Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito - Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them.

Ut sementem feceris, ita metes - As you sow, so shall you reap. (Cicero)

Ventis secundis - Go with the flow.

Veritas odit moras - Truth hates delay. (Seneca)

Vincit omnia veritas - Truth conquers all.

Vincit qui se vincit - She/he conquers who conquers her/himself.

Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit - A wise man does not urinate against the wind.

Vis consili expers mole ruit sua - Brute force bereft of wisdom falls to ruin by its own weight. (Discretion is the better part of valor) (Horace)

Vitam regit fortuna, non sapientia - Fortune, not wisdom, rules lives. (Cicero)

Vitanda est improba siren desidia - One must avoid that wicked temptress, Laziness. (Horace)

Vos vestros servate, meos mihi linquite mores - You cling to your own ways and leave mine to me. (Petrarch)