Questions tagged [idiom]

For questions concerning expressions, word-plays, symbolic language, metaphors and the likes.

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3 votes
0 answers
87 views

What is "cold war"?

How should I translate "cold war" in Latin? I can see two ways to approach this, using a classical phrase for a similar hostile political situation, or finding a suitable adjective for "cold" to go ...
7 votes
1 answer
644 views

Is "scholaris opus, scholaris vox" a correct translation of "student work, student voice"?

Some students of mine are creating a school publication featuring student work, and the proposed subtitle of their publication is: Scholaris Opus, Scholaris Vox The intended meaning is "student ...
6 votes
1 answer
105 views

Quid velit "Quid tibi vidétur dé [aliquó]" dícere?

Epistólió in electronicó quídam mihi sic scrípsit: "Quid tibi vidétur dé Epistuliís Leónínís?" (Epistulæ Leónínæ acta sunt hebdomadália ab eó missa, quás nóndum vídí.) Sententia (síve phrasis) "Quid ...
1 vote
1 answer
109 views

Parsing pro rata temporis

Recently when reading some material related to research grants, I came across the Latin phrase pro rata temporis in English text. It was easy enough to understand in the context. For example, a 600&...
3 votes
1 answer
272 views

How to say that it rains on something?

How can I say in Latin that it is raining on something? I can find ways around like pluvia rem tingit, but I would like something more literally "it rains on something" than "the rain makes something ...
5 votes
2 answers
99 views

Translation of "trumped up charges"

There was a Greek play translated to Latin wherein a term was translated then to English as "trumped up charges". Might somebody know the play and more particularly the term itself?
6 votes
1 answer
8k views

How do I welcome someone in Latin?

When someone comes to visit me at my villa, I would like to greet them and welcome them in. I know how to welcome English ("welcome"), German ("wilkommen"), and French ("bienvenue") guests in a single ...
4 votes
3 answers
103 views

Is there a Latin idiom for a set date for an event?

Suppose I have a meeting, a court hearing, or any event that is set by some authority at a specific time in the future. Is there a word for such a "due date"? I don't mean a deadline (see the separate ...
3 votes
1 answer
89 views

How to say by/on the basis of?

In mathematics, the following phrase is common: By Theorem 5.6, the function is differentiable. How do I say 'by' in Latin? I don't think 'ab' is appropriate to use here. One way is to put '...
6 votes
1 answer
150 views

Latin for "worth a hundred times its weight in gold"

I'm trying to figure out how to say something is "worth a hundred times its weight in gold" in Latin, and everything I come up with feels cumbersome, unLatinate, and unclear. Hoc textīle centuplex ...
4 votes
2 answers
324 views

Quōmodo v. Quā ratiōne

I'm looking at a Latin translation of the Apology of Socrates by Marcellus Ficinus and I'm puzzled by the very first clause. Quā vōs quidem ratiōne, Ō virī Athēniēnsēs, affēcerint accūsātōrēs meī, ...
4 votes
1 answer
211 views

(Loose) Translation of "seize the loyal"

I'm considering getting a tattoo with the phrase "Seize the loyal" in Latin, but I'm not 100% how to translate it. I am trying to get at something like "keep the loyal close" but it can be a very ...
3 votes
1 answer
371 views

With which verb can I park a car?

What would be a good Latin translation for the verb "to park"? I mean contexts like "I parked my car in front of his house". I would prefer to have a classically attested verb, so my main question is ...
3 votes
1 answer
122 views

How do you show something from a window?

Suppose, for example, that a child is watching his dad come home from work. She can't wait any longer to show what she's got, so she goes to the window and shows her new teddy bear to her dad. How can ...
7 votes
2 answers
993 views

Walking "hand in hand"

How can I translate the sentence "We are walking hand in hand" in Latin? I am not sure how to render "hand in hand". A direct translation would be Ambulamus manus in manu. But can I use a nominative ...
4 votes
1 answer
649 views

How to say 'For a [period of time]'

How would I say that something won't end for a period of time, for example: Dinner isn't over for another hour. I considered Cena non finet ante hora, but that didn't quite sound right. Update: I'm ...
3 votes
3 answers
140 views

Is there a more emphatic version of posse?

If I want to say "I can" in Latin, I will usually use posse. But what if I want something stronger and more emphatic, like "I am capable of", "I am able to", or similar? I am not aware of a Latin ...
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Peace and Good Will in Latin

I want to engrave "Peace and Good Will" on my ring in Latin. I have less then a quarter available for the engraving so it can't be too big. I originally wanted to use something from the Bible (even ...
3 votes
1 answer
281 views

(Heart) White/Bright and Absit Invidia

I want to engrave a Latin phrase on a necklace for a family friend with the surname Whiteheart. I'm came up with "A Heart White/Bright and Without Malice", which in Latin I'm thinking might be ...
4 votes
1 answer
69 views

Mistaking something for something

How do I phrase "mistaking something for something" idiomatically in Latin? There is always a way around if one wants to explain (eg. "I mistook the cat for a dog" > Felem canem esse falso putabam), ...
6 votes
2 answers
612 views

How to translate "continued" into Latin when referring to pages in a book?

I'm formatting some letters we're reading this semester in my Latin class in Word so I have more space to annotate. I need to keep track of which text in my Word doc is on which page of the book the ...
13 votes
4 answers
2k views

French and Latin "s'il te/vous plaît"

The phrases si tibi placet and si vobis placet can be found in Latin literature, but they are not particularly common. At least superficially they correspond to the French "s'il te plaît" and "s'il ...
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is there a Latin equivalent for "All talk but no action"?

There was a discussion about the phrase "Blowing your own trumpet" which according to some means same. But when translated to Latin idioms it steered more towards just being "too proud" or "praising ...
7 votes
2 answers
158 views

How to distinguish Julian and Gregorian calendars in Latin?

In some contexts it is important to express whether a given date (for example October 25 and November 7 in 1917) is according to the Julian or the Gregorian calendar. Are there established Latin ...
5 votes
2 answers
685 views

How would you say, "How beautiful!"

I am eating a hot dog in a beautiful courtyard right around dusk, and I would like to exclaim in Latin, "How beautiful!" I thought of saying "Quam pulchra!" which can't be far off, but I am wondering ...
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Two birds with one stone?

In English you kill two birds with one stone when you achieve two goals in one action. In Finnish or Dutch you get two flies in one hit. Is there a similar saying in Latin? I prefer classical Latin, ...
10 votes
2 answers
527 views

"Without further ado"

Suppose I have invited some friends for dinner and I want to say something before we eat. But I don't want to give a long speech. If I do this in English, I might start my last sentence with "without ...
7 votes
1 answer
335 views

Is there a Ancient Greek or Latin equivalent to "steely eyed"?

I'm looking for parallel idioms related by vocabulary and/or meaning. This is in reference to a question on Mythology regarding the "gray eyed" translation of an epithet of Athena: Why is Athena “...
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Latin for "Freedom through strength"?

How would one say "freedom through strength" in Latin? The word vis means strength and libertas is liberty/freedom. So would one say vis libertas?
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Help your friends, harm your enemies

"Help your friends, harm your enemies." I have heard this was a motto of Roman life and foreign policy. It is the definition of justice that begins the discussion in Plato's Republic. I believe that ...
9 votes
1 answer
5k views

Semper Veritas, Semper Veritatem, or something else?

I'm considering getting a tattoo with the phrase "Always Truth" or "Always the Truth" in Latin, but I'm not 100% how to translate it, because I don't really understand Latin noun declension. My first ...
6 votes
1 answer
456 views

An idiom for disclosing a secret

I am looking for a Latin idiom for disclosing a secret. In English one can spill the beans, but I am not aware of a similar idiom in Latin. Is any idiom or colorful expression for this attested in ...
7 votes
2 answers
270 views

How to refer to reserve military?

What would be an idiomatic Latin way to refer to reserve military? I mean troops that have previously served and have returned to civilian life but can be called back on duty. I would much prefer ...
15 votes
2 answers
5k views

Saying "thank you"

I have only ever been taught one Latin translation for "thank you", and it is gratias agere (conjugated in a suitable way). I just checked in L&S that this is indeed an attested use of gratia, ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

How would one say "Pardon me," in the sense of not understanding or hearing, in Classical Latin?

Especially when speaking a second language, I am forced to frequently say something like "Pardon me?" or "What was that?" or "Excuse me?" when I fail to understand or hear what a speaker says. I'd ...
7 votes
1 answer
565 views

"With respect to" in mathematics

The expression "with respect to" is common in mathematics. Consider these example sentences: The derivative of x^2y with respect to y is x^2. Let us reflect the point A with respect to the line L and ...
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

A good Latin word for "point"

I am looking for a Latin word for "point" to be used like this: I see your point. I hope this example gets the point across. There is no point in peeling a banana. Good point! There probably is no ...
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is touché in Latin?

What would be a good translation of "touché" from English to Latin? Translating the French participle gives tactus, but I doubt that will convey the same idea. Is there an idiomatic Latin expression ...
8 votes
1 answer
114 views

Quo modo Latine redditur "fool proof"?

Quo modo expressio Anglica "fool proof" Latine reddi potest? Nullum idioma Latinum significatione simile scio. Eandem rem Latine exprimere possum, exempli gratia dicendo "perbene munitus", sed malim ...
4 votes
1 answer
104 views

"vel" in Tusculan Disputations V.iii

In the Tusculan Disputations V.iii, Cicero writes about Pythagoras declaring that life seems to him like the great Greek games: Nam ut illic alii corporibus exercitatis gloriam et nobilitatem ...
8 votes
2 answers
255 views

How to say "suit yourself"?

How to translate "suit yourself"? I'm curious as to how it translates to Latin. In certain contexts, it can come off as rude or sarcastic, even though, it's used in formal conversations and is not ...
12 votes
3 answers
924 views

En Marche ! in Latin

Macron's victory in France has got me wondering what would be the best way to capture the phrase "En Marche" in Latin? My first thought was to use the incedere with perhaps prorsus, but the English ...
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

How to say "Luke, I am your father" in Latin?

I have found very diverse translations online: Luke, sum ipse patrem te Luca, pater tuus sum (or in a different order) Luke, ego patrem tuum sum My guess First, the Latin name Luke seems to be ...
12 votes
1 answer
560 views

Parsing "quod Deus optime vertat"

I want to understand a diploma text: DIPLOMA QVOD DEVS OPTIME VERTAT EX LEGIBVS VNIVERSITATIS JYVÄSKYLÄENSIS ATQVE EX DECRETO FACVLTATIS (…) If I consider Diploma as a ...
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

"Let's wait and see"

Is there a Latin idiom for deciding to sit back and wait instead of acting immediately? If I want to let things evolve for a little more before taking any action, I could use the phrase "let's wait ...
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

What are the different ways to say "lonely"?

The English word "lonely" has at least a couple different uses. A person can be lonely — we all know, and have probably felt, this meaning of the word. But also a place can be lonely. A lot of people ...
6 votes
1 answer
412 views

Indirect question vs. relative clause

In circumstances where the same meaning can be expressed by an indirect question depending on a verb of speech, or by a relative clause modifying an (implicit or explicit) object of that verb, which ...

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