Questions tagged [idiom]
For questions concerning expressions, word-plays, symbolic language, metaphors and the likes.
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Translation of “Cat and mouse“
I‘m searching for a translation or a Latin idiom that conveys a similar meaning to the English “cat-and-mouse[-game]“, which means (I think) something like “a contrived action (or a series thereof), ...
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Euphemisms for stupidity
In English we can say something like "Not the sharpest pencil in the box" - Do we have a parallel kind of expression in Latin?
We can say brutus or stipes, which not sure if they are not ...
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Idiomatic translation of „lilacs“
I'm searching for an idiomatic translation of the word "lilac(s)" (the deciduous shrub), in the context of its scent.
For example, in English, we may would say:
She smells of lilacs.
I‘d ...
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What does „fecerunt pedes“ mean in Latin inscriptions?
I have found several inscriptions in Latin that include the phrase „fecerunt/fecit pedes“
E.g. in the Basilica Sant‘Eufemia in Grado, Italy:
Martini/anus et Simplicia / cum fili/is suis / f(ecerunt) ...
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How would you express the idiom, "It is what it is"?
In English, we have the idiom:
It is what it is.
It usually describes a thing or situation with immutable negative qualities, so you have no choice but to accept them.
How would one express this in ...
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needs a good Latin quote to caption magazine to mark my father in law's 100 birthday
my father in law who turns 100 is a lover of latin phrases . So we were looking to caption the magazine to mark the occasion. The phrase should signify a life well spent or lived or similar Do you ...
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Is the inscription "avoca te" really a novel phrase?
In this article (in Dutch) it is claimed that an ancient Roman drinking mug found during an archaeological dig in the town of Mortsel in Belgium, contains the only known instance of the Latin ...
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How would you translate the phrase “for myself”?
When I say “for myself” I mean it in a way such as “everything I do is for myself”. How can I phrase this in Latin?
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Versions of natura non saltum facit
There seem to be at least two versions of a saying sometimes attributed to Leibniz:
Natura non saltum facit.
Natura non facit saltus.
(I hope I did not commit any case errors here). Which of them ...
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Is the expression "ut poësis pictura" formally correct?
I'm writing an essay in which I'd like to use the expression "ut poësis pictura" with the intent of flipping the original expression by Horace "ut pictura poësis". I never studied ...
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Moonfleet latin idiom
"Ita in vita ut in lusu alae pessima jactura arte corrigenda est"
In the text of Moonfleet by Meade Falkner, this phrase is translated to mean
"As in life, so in a game of hazard, skill ...
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What conjunctive function does "ruat caelum" have in "Fiat justitia, ruat caelum"?
"Fiat justitia, ruat caelum" is often rendered as "May justice be done though heaven falls/may fall".
While I have no problem with the translation of "Fiat justitia", I ...
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How do you say "What about us?" in Latin?
In English, a short for "What will happen to us because of your decisions?" is "What about us?". "What about us?" would literally translate as "Quid de nobis?". ...
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Is there a phrase meaning specifically "as far as I know", as opposed to "as far as I see" ("quantum ab hoc")?
I know that "as far as I see" is "quantum ab hoc [videtur]". But is there a way to say specifically "as far as I know" or "as far as I can tell"?
I am trying to ...
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I need to translate a phrase "From the bottom of my heart, to the root"
The phrase is "From the bottom of my heart, to the root" I need it in Latin, I researched it and I found that the phrase is "Ab imo pectore ad radices", but I need to be sure.
...
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Can "ultra vires" mean "without authorization"?
The legal term ultra virēs literally means "beyond their powers"; it refers to, say, a government official trying to make a law they don't have the authority to make (making that law is &...
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16th century vocabulary - harpsichord
In a 16th century text about musical tuning by Benedetti, the author provides this diagram, which he uses to describe his process of tuning the notes on a harpsichord:
In the text, he begins his ...
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Greek or Latin word to express "revealing the sacred in the mundane?
Greetings from a newbie with a very limited knowledge of Latin and less of Greek - some from working in the sciences and more from obsessive reading of English etymologies.
I'm seeking a word in ...
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Idiomatic translation of "By the book"
What is an idiomatic translation of the English phrase "by the book", as in "We run our business by the book?"
I'm not sure if a very literal translation, e.g. "per librum,&...
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"How cool! /excellent!" in Latin
how is this current and wonder admiration spontaneous word externalized into Romana lingua ?
Sometimes, when my English knowledge is deficient, thus, I have the desire to write/communicate its ...
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With prōdesse, how would I specify what role the subject is useful in?
As someone many years out of practice with Latin I most struggle with assigning objects in the correct cases or with the correct prepositions for my chosen verbs — something most sources aren't all ...
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About "nōn uidēmus manticae quod in tergō est"
In the famous latin expression
"nōn uidēmus manticae quod in tergō est".
We see the word manticae. I always considered that this word must be the direct object of the sentence, however, if ...
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Something that rolls off the tongue better than "carpe caeruleum caelum"?
After exchanging blue sky snapshots with my friend, he exclaimed:
Seize the blue sky!
a reference to carpe diem, saying that we should embrace the beautiful weather and get the most out of it.
Of ...
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I'll put the kettle on
[Disclaimer: I know no Latin, and am asking from a position of ignorance; please feel free to correct any assumptions you spot!]
My sister recently pondered what our family motto would be, if we had ...
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‘so there!’ (an expression of defiance)
The context this expression is used in is as an additional phrase to the main sentence and emphasises that you will not change your mind about a decision you have made. The phrase is generally spoken ...
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Is there a latin root for Romanian thank you (“mulțumesc”)?
The Romanian language has a particular word to express “thank you”. This word appears composite and direct translation of Latin. Phonetically I find it identical if not peculiarly close to “mult sum ...
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Quid aliud edam?
A semi-sated lower-class Roman stands in front of the pantry and mutters to themselves: "What else could I eat?"
What would be the most natural or idiomatic way of expressing this sentiment?
...
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Is there a latin helper word that can used with infinitives (and implies that the subsequent word may be an infinitive)?
As I'm working on vocabulary, I'm doing all I can on my flashcards to stay "in Latin" as much as possible (as opposed to English translations), and also to use as much "natural" ...
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What would be the appropriate translation for "Dedicated to my father, may he rest in peace"
I have a translation question. Normally, I would use Google, but I am hoping immortalize it in my M.S. thesis, so I wanted to be sure about the correct translation for "Dedicated to my father, ...
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Why is the phrase negotiorum gestio instead of alienorum gestio?
In Law negotiorum gestio is a form of agency wherein a gestor acts on behalf and for the benefit of a principal without the latter's prior consent.
For example, while you are traveling abroad, a ...
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The meaning of "proximo" in a Duns Scotus passage
Consider this passage from Duns Scotus:
Si enim ista ratio est in se falsa, tunc includit virtualiter propositionem falsam; quod autem est simpliciter simplex, non includit virtualiter proximo nec ...
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How would you express catch-22 in Latin?
Catch-22 was termed by author Joseph Heller in the book of the same name, and represents a "paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or ...
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In between Ex Post Facto and Ex Ante
I'm looking for Latin for "at the time of the event". So if ex ante is before the event and ex post facto is after the event, is there an equivalent for at the time of the event?
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"No to war!" and similar exclamations
To state one's preference to end a war, in English one can cry "No to war!" and in Russian "Нет войне!" and similarly in many other languages.
But how about Latin?
I can put non ...
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Classical Translation for "aura, vibrations, feeling"
I have struggled in finding an adequate translation for the above mentioned words, that designate the subtle ambiance that something is thought to emit or convey. Like "she gives me negative ...
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Latin Equivalent of "Comparing Apples and Oranges"
Is there an equivalent Latin expression that is similar to "comparing apples and oranges"?
For example:
Person 1: Our hockey goalie is so much better than your hockey goalie! Our hockey ...
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Is there a Latin proverb stating you should take responsibility for your actions, and accept the consequences if you don't?
Title sums it up. There's a (in my view, quite liberal) ideology that people have to take responsibility for their actions (if in their right minds, that is), and just take the consequences if they ...
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What does "sed eos insuper permiscue porcos esse" mean in Hermann von dem Busche's Vallum Humanitatis?
In 1518, the Cologne humanist Hermann von dem Busche published Vallum Humanitatis, which he meant in the sense of A Defensive Rampart around the Humanities. As Hermann tells it, this defense was ...
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Did the Romans have an idiom or saying similar to "one thing leads to another"?
Did any writers of antiquity use a saying or phrase that has an equivalent meaning to "one thing leads to another" in English? I'm looking for the more general meaning in that one action ...
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What is the meaning of the idiom "Discedere ab amicis"
I found this in a Latin-English dictionary. Is the specific meaning known? The English translation does not give me any specifics in terms of the meaning. I was thinking it could mean self-isolation ...
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"A specific type of solution for a specific type of problem"
Imagine I was having this discussion with my friend the other day:
Me: I need to hang up this picture on the wall. Do you have a hammer?
Him: Unfortunately, all I have is a sledgehammer. Would you ...
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what are classical equivalents to "let it stand [however]" / "[yet/even though], let's suppose"?
I came across this passage from Ambrosiu's De Officiis Ministrorum (Book II. ch. 26):
Feralis igitur avaritia, illecebrosa pecunia, quae habentes contaminat, non habentes non iuvat. Esto tamen ut ...
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In scholastic Latin, what do the terms "appellare" and "supponere personaliter" mean?
I am researching a humanist text, Johannes Matthaeus Phrissemius' preface to his edition of Rudolf Agricola's De inventione dialectica. In it, he contrasts the (in his opinion) useful topics contained ...
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Is there Latin phrase for english expression "default" or "by default" or "defaulty"
I was wondering if there is a stock Latin phrase in English for something that is the default, done by default, or something that exists just the way it is, something that is since always.
For example:...
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Is this correct: “Vita nostra brevis est; quod vis facere”?
I want to translate “Our life is short, do as you want” into Latin.
In the sense of telling people that they should not do what others want, but what they really want in life.
Is this a correct ...
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Meaning and grammar of ‘ōrātiōnī aspergere salēs’
The phrase ‘ōrātiōnī aspergere salēs’ literally means ‘to sprinkle [grains of] salt on the oration’. The grammar in itself is simple enough:
ōrātiōnī: in the dative, presumably because of the verb ...
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Lex "customer is always right" - how to say it in Latin (e.g. "in elit semper ius")?
I am analysing conflicting software requirements and I tried to apply lex specialis and lex posterior principles, but then I understood that the "the customer is always right" is the main ...
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Latin Expression for "From the Stable"?
I had a professor in university who told us that there is a latin expression that sounds something "Exa gratium" - meaning "chosen from a (horse) stable", referring to something (e....
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Come to think of it/ now you mention it
These idiomatic phrases overlap. Both precede another comment about something just mentioned. An example of the first one is:-
The meeting is next Tuesday, which, come to think of it, is also the date ...
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Can someone explain this construction?
I'm trying to read the opening (Latin) poem of Robert Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy.
Here's a link to the page in the edition.
The title is Democritus Junior ad Librum Suum. For some reason ...
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