Latin Phrases

Question 1

ad hoc

Answer 1

“to (for) this”

improvised

Question 2

• ad infinitum*
• “ad infinitum, et ultimum”!*

Answer 2

“to infinity”

Going on forever.

Question 3

ad nauseum

Answer 3

“to seasickness”

usually used sardonically in place of ad infinitum

Question 4

ad libitum, or “ad lib”

Answer 4

“toward liberty (pleasure)”, or “whatever you please”

Question 5

ad hominem

Answer 5

“to the man (person)”

A type of logical fallacy (illogical argument), that attacks the character or reputation of someone rather than refuting their argument.

Question 6

ante meridiem, or A.M.

Answer 6

“before midday”

Question 7

post meridiem, or P.M.

Answer 7

“after midday”

Question 8

Anno Domini, or A.D.

Answer 8

“In the year of the Lord”

Question 9

amor vincit omnia

or, as the Oklahoma State Motto suggests,

labor omnia vincit

Answer 9

“love conquers everything”

and

“labor conquers everything”

Question 10

ad

Answer 10

to, toward, for

Question 11

hoc

Answer 11

this

Question 12

infinitum

Answer 12

infinity

Question 13

nauseum

Answer 13

seasickness

Question 14

libitum

Answer 14

liberty (pleasure)

Question 15

hominem

Answer 15

man (person)

Question 16

ante

Answer 16

before

Question 17

post

Answer 17

after, behind

Question 18

meridiem

Answer 18

midday

Question 19

amor

Answer 19

love

Question 20

labor

Answer 20

work, labor

Question 21

omnia

Answer 21

everything

Question 22

vincit

Answer 22

conquering

Question 23

bona

Answer 23

good

This word survives in French as bon; bon voyage means “good voyage” and in Spanish as bueno

Question 24

fide

Answer 24

faith

A popular name for dogs used to be Fido, which means “I am faithful”

Question 25

semper

Answer 25

always

Question 26

bona fide

Answer 26

“good faith”

sometimes used as a noun in English; e.g. “a bona fide millionare” means that the individual can prove that he or she is a millionare. Often pronounced bone-uh feyed”, but correct Latin produciation is bone-uh fee-day”

Question 27

semper fidelis

Answer 27

“always faithful”

motto of the US Marines

Question 28

carpe

Answer 28

“to pluck”

You use your wrist to perform this action, and the bones of the wrist are call the carpus

Question 29

diem

Answer 29

day

Remember meridiem means “mid-day”

Question 30

carpe diem

Answer 30

“sieze the day”

Actually should be “pluck the day (while it is ripe)” - from Horace

Question 31

caveat

Answer 31

“let him beware”

Sometimes used to express caution; “She is basically correct, but I would add a few caveats.”

Question 32

caveat emptor

Answer 32

“let the buyer beware”

Can replace emptor with other words; e.g. caveat venditor means “let the seller beware”

Question 33

cave

Answer 33

“beware”

pronounced “kah-way”, or “kah-vay”

Question 34

cave canum

Answer 34

“beware of the dog”