Phrases A-Z Flashcards
a fortiori
with stronger reason
a maximis ad minima
from the greatest to the least
a priori
from what comes before
a tergo
from behind
ab asino lanam
wool from an ass
ab imo pectore
from the bottom of the chest/ heart
ab initio
from the beginning
ab origine
from the beginning
ab ovo
from the egg (from the very beginning)
ab ovo usque ad mala
from the egg to the apple (beginning to end)
Ab uno disce omnes
from this one example learn all the rest
absit invidia
let there be no ill will
Absit omen
let there be no evil omen here
ab absurdam
to absurdity
ad augusta per angusta
to glory through narrow spaces
ad finem
to the end
ad gloriam
to the end
ad hoc
for this purpose
ad hominem
to the man (his character, not his deeds)
ad infinitum
indefinitely, without end
ad interim
in the meantime
ad Kalendas Graecas
to the Greek Kalends (which didn’t exist so never)
Ad maiorem dei gloriam
to the greater glory of God
ad nauseam
to the point of disgust or boredom
ad patres
to the fathers (dead)
ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora
eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow
ad utrumque paratus
prepared for either outcome
ad vitam aut culpam
for life or until misdeed
aequo animo
with a calm mind
aere perennius
more lasting then bronze
aeternum vale
farewell forever
Agenda
things to be done/accomplished
Agnus dei
the lamb of god
alieni generis
of a different kind
alma mater
nourishing mother (college)
alter ego
a second self
alumnus/alumna
a foster child
Amicus Curiae
a friend of the court
amor nummi
love of money
anguis in herba
a snake in the grass, a traitor
annus mirabilis
a remarkable year
ante bellum
before the war
ante partum
before childbirth
Apage Satanas
get thee behind me, Satan
aqua et igni interdictus
forbidden water and fire (banished)
aqua vitae
water of life (alchohol)
arbiter bibendi
master of drinking (me for sure for sure)
arbiter elegentiae
the master of taste
arrectis auribus
with ears pricked up
ars amandi
the art of loving
ars artis gratia
arts for arts sake
ars artium
the arts of arts (logic)
ars longa, vita brevis
art is long, life is short - Hippocrates
asinus asinum fricat
the ass rubs the ass
audaces fortuna iuvat
fortune favors the bold
Aurea mediocritas
the golden mean
aurora australis
the southern dawn
aurora borealis
the northern dawn
aut Caesar aut nullus
either a Caeser or nobody
aut disce aut discede
either learn or leave
aut viam inveniam aut faciam
I will either find a way or make one (based)
bis vivit qui bene vivit
he lives twice who lives well
bona fide
in good faith
bonis avibus
under good birds (omens)
carpe diem
seize the day
Casus belli
the occasion for war
causa sine qua non
a cause without which not (necessary)
cave canem
beware of the dog
cave quid dicis, quando, et cui
beware what you say, when, and to whom
caveat emptor
let the buyer beware
ceteris paribus
other things being equal
Circa
about
compos mentis
of a sound mind
Consilio et armis
by council and by arms
Coram populi
in public
Cornucopia
horn of plenty
corpus delecti
the body of a crime
cui bono
for whose benefit
cuius regio eius religio
whose the region, his the religion
cum grano salis
with a grain of salt
cum laude
with praise
currente calamo
with the pen running on
curriculum vitae
the course of one’s life
custos morum
the guardian of morals
damnant quod non intellegunt
they condemn what they do not understand
de facto
from the fact
de gustibus non est disputandum
tastes ought not to be disputed
de iure
according to the law
de mortuis nil nisi bonum
speak only good of the dead
de novo
anew, afresh
de pilo pendet
it hangs by the hair
de profundis
out of the depths
dei gratia
by the grace of god
deo favente
with gods favor
deo gratias
thanks to god
deus ex machine
a sudden resolution through divine interpretation/god from the machine
dies Faustus
a day bringing good fortune
dies infaustus
a day bringing bad fortune
dies irae
the day of worth (judgement day)
dis aliter visum
the gods thought otherwise
disiecta membra
scattered parts
divide et impera
divide and conquer
docendo discimus
we learn by teaching (REAL)
Dominus vobiscum
the lord be with you
dramatis personae
characters of a play
dum vita est spes est
while there is life, there is hope
dura lex sed lex
the law is harsh, but it’s the law
ecce signum
behold the sign
emeritus
having served his time (retired)
ense et aratro
with the sword and the plow
ergo
therefore
errare humanum est
to err is human
erratum (pl. errata)
errors
et nunc et semper
now and forever
et tu, Brute
even you, Brutus
etiam atque etiam
again and again
ex animo
from the heart
ex cathedra
from the chair
ex libris
from the books (of)
ex more
according to custom
ex officio
out of ones duty or office
Ex pede herculem
to judge the whole by the part
ex post facto
resulting after the fact/deed
ex tempore
from the moment (spontaneously)
Exeunt omnes
they all leave
Exit
he/she/it leaves
exitus acta probat
the end justifies the means
experientia docet
experience teaches (BASED)
facta non verba
deeds, not words
fata obstant
the fates are opposed
Fervet opus
the place hums with activity
festina lente
make haste slowly
Fiat lux
let there be light
Fides punica
Carthaginian faith (treachery)
Fides achates
a faithful friend
Finem respice
consider the outcome
Flagrante delicto
in the very act itself
fortuna caeca est
fortune is blind
Genius loci
the protecting deity of the spot
Hic et ubique
here and everywhere
Hic iacet
here lies (on a tombstone)
Illum fuit
Troy no longer exists
In absentia
in absense
In articulo mortis
at the point of death
in flagrante delicto
in the fact itself
In hoc signo vinces
in this sign you will conquer
In limine
on the threshold
in loco parentis
in the place of a parent
in medias res
into the middle of things
in memoriam
in memory of
in omnia paratus
perpared for all things
in perpetuum
forever
in re
in the matter of, concerning
In situ
in its original location
In toto
in its entirety - in total
Infra dignitatem
beneath ones dignity
inter alia
among other things
inter nos
among ourselves
inter se
among themselves
Invita Minerva
without inspiration
ipse dixit
he himself said it
Ipsissima verba
the very words
ipso facto
by the very fact itself
Ius civile
civil law
Ius divinum
divine law
Lapsus calami
a slip of the pen
lapsus linguae
slip of the tongue
Laus deo
praise be to god
magna cum laude
with great praise
magnum opus
great work (literary)
me iudice
in my judgement
memento mori
remember to die
mens sana in corpore sano
a sound mind in a sound body
mihi cura futuri
my concern is for the future
Miles gloriosus
a bragging soldier
mirabile dictu
wonderful to say
Modus operandi
method of committing a crime
multum in parvo
much in little
ne plus ultra
no more beyond (nothing better)
Ne quid nimis
nothing in excess
Nolens volens
willy-nilly
non compos mentis
not of sound mind
nosce te ipsum
know thyself
novus homo
a new man (in politics)
obiter dictum
said by the way (accidentally)
Otium cum dignitate
leisure with dignity
pater patriae
father of his country
Patres conscripti
conscript fathers
Paucis verbis
in a few words
pax vobiscum
peace be with you
per annum
by the year
per capita
for each individual/by the heads
per diem
by the day
per se
by itself
persona non grata
an unwelcome person
poeta nascitur non fit
a poet is born, not made
post mortem
after death
Post obitum
after death
prima facie
on first sight
primus inter pares
first among equals
pro bono publico
for public good
pro et con(tra)
for and against
pro patria
for ones country
pro tempore
for the time being
quid pro quo
something for something
re
subject of an email
res gestae
accomplishments, deeds
res publica
the government, the republic
respice finem
consider the outcome
Sartor resartus
the tailor re-tailored
semper fidelis
always faithful
semper idem
always the same
semper paratus
always prepared
sequens mirabitur aetas
the following age will marvel
sic passim
so everywhere
sic transit gloria mundi
thus passes the glory of the world
sine die
without a day established
sine qua non
a necessity (that without with not)
Siste viator
stop, traveler (found on tombstones)
status quo
the existing condition
stet
let it stand
sub rosa
in private, confidential (under the rose)
sui generis
of its own kind
Sui iuris
in ones own right
summa cum laude
with highest praise
summum bonum
the highest good
Tabula rasa
a clean slate
tempus fugit
time flies
terra firma
solid earth
terra incognita
an unknown land
tu quoque
you also
una voce
with one voice, unanimously
Urbi et orbi
to the city and the world
Vade in pace
go in peace
vade mecum
a constant companion
vale/valete
farewell
veni, vidi, vici
I came, I saw, I conquered
verbatim
word for word
verbum sapienti sat est
a word to the wise is sufficient
vestis virum facit
clothing makes the man
Vi et armis
by force of arms
Via
by way of
vice versa
the other way around
vide
see
viva voice
by spoken word
vox populi vox dei
the voice of the people is the voice of god
