Check out some Latin phrases for you to use in any conversation and surprise your friends
Playing a know-it-all is never the best way to demonstrate cleverness, especially because those who are intelligent don't need to shout out phrases. Nietzsche to the four winds. On the other hand, there are those who have fun with it and, when the subject becomes a joke, there is nothing wrong, right? Check out some below Latin phrases:
1 – Auribus teneo lupum
Here's a proverb that was quite popular in Ancient Rome. The expression "auribus teneo lupum" was used when the situation was untenable, and particularly when doing nothing or doing something to solve a problem was equally risky. Bizarre, right? Literally, "auribus teneo lupum" means "holding a wolf by the ears".
2 – Beard tenus sapientes
Practical proof that the ancient Romans associated a beard with intelligence is the expression above, which was used to refer to someone “as wise as his beard”. Judgment was given to those who seemed smart, but who, in reality, were not very good.
The expression “beard non facit philosophum” was more direct and said that “a beard does not make a philosopher”. This is good! And still in the field of beards, we have “barba crescendot caput nescit”, which means “the beard grows, but the head does not get wiser”.
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3 – Brutum fulmen
Saying “brutum fulmen” is the same as saying “nonsense lightning,” which is what the Romans used when they wanted to refer to a harmless or empty threat. Strange.
4 – Caesar non-supra grammaticos
It all started when Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg used the Latin word “schisma”, which means “schism”, wrongly. In Latin, the word is not feminine, but Sigismund used it as if it were and, when he was corrected, he shouted that he was emperor and could do anything.
It was then that a member of the council intervened and said “Ceasar non supra grammaticos”, which is nothing more than “The emperor is not above grammar”. The phrase quickly became a commonly used proverb in defense of “good grammar.” If you're a boring person who keeps correcting everyone, here's a tip on what to read and here, than listening.
5 – Carpe Noctem
If “carpe diem” is “seize the day”, “carpe noctem” is “seize the night”. The sentence was used to encourage people to make the most of their time and even do something good in the evening, after a productive day.
6 – Carthago delenda est
The expression was commonly used between 264 BC and 146 BC, during the period of war between Rome and Carthage. The translation would be something like "Carthage must be destroyed." Today, some people use the expression to refer to something that needs to be done, an action that must be taken.
7 – Cartigat laughing more
Meaning something like “morals correct themselves by smiling,” the motto caught on after it was used by poet Jean de Santeul, who wanted to show how useful satirical writing was for social change. He believed that the best way to change the rules was to point out how absurd they were. Makes sense, doesn't it?
8 – Corvus oculum corvi non eruit
The phrase is very good when we notice the behavior of some politicians who, when they need to, smile alongside other politicians, even when they both hate each other. The translation would be something like “a crow doesn't take out another crow's eye” and refers to supportive behavior between people from similar groups, even if it's just an act.
9 – Cui bono?
The Latin expression means “who benefits?” and is generally used in legal proceedings, in an attempt to argue that the person who earns more in a criminal situation is probably the culprit.
10 – Ex nihilo nihil fit
If you want to tell someone that it takes hard work to get good results, “ex nihilo nihil fit” works well. The translation is simple and direct: “nothing comes from nothing”.
11 – Felix blames
This expression has a religious nature and was used when the sermon was about Adam and Eve. The meaning is “happy guilt” and represented a disaster that ended in a surprising way and with benefits.
12 – Hannibal ad doors
During the Punic war, the commander Hannibal became known for carrying out devastating attacks against the Roman Empire, and “Hannibal ad portas” was commonly used by parents who wanted to scare their children and bring order to the house. The expression means “Hannibal is at the gates”.
13 – Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto
The phrase is originally from a play and means “I am a human being, so nothing human is strange to me”. After being said for the first time, it began to be used as a form of respect for different cultures.
14 – Ignotum per ignotius
You know when you don't understand something and someone gives an explanation that makes everything even more confusing? In this case, you can say “ignotum per ignotius”, which is nothing more than “the unknown by the most unknown”.
15 – Vox nihili
The expression whose meaning is “the voice of nothing” was used to describe something meaningless or even to point out a textual error, especially when one word was exchanged for another and distorted the meaning of the message.
By Daiana Geremias / Megacurious
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