Some Latin Phrases and Expressions

• A posteriori. Later, following and adv. "from the latter"; inductive; relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts. from what comes after "From effect to cause."
• A priori. Reasoning from causes to effects. Adj. and adv. "from the former"
• Ab initio. From the beginning.
• Ab intra. From within.
• Absum! I'm out of here!
• Abundant dulcibus vitiis. Nobody's perfect.
• Ad hoc. For this purpose (a temporary committee); toward this (matter).
• Ad infinitum. Without limit, forever, or "to the infinite"; without end or limit. To infinity, without limit.
• Ad libitium (ad lib). "Freely; at ease; at pleasure; at will.
• Alias (dictus). Otherwise called.
• Annus Bisextus. Leap year.
• Annus mirabilis. A remarkable year.
• Ante meridiem. Before noon. Usually abbreviated A.M.
• Ante victoriam ne canas triumphum. Do not count your chickens before they're hatched.
• Apudne te vel me? Your place or mine?
• Aqua pura. Pure water.
• Aqua vitae. Water of life (formerly applied to alcohol).
• Ars artis gratia. Art for art's sake.
• Ars artium. The art of arts (logic).
• Ars sine scienta nihil est. Art without science is nothing.
• Aurora australis. The southern polar lights.
• Aurora borealis. The northern polar lights.
• Balaenae nobis conservandae sunt. Save the whales!
• Bona fide. In good faith; genuine, sincere; genuinely, sincerely.
• Braccae tuae aperiuntur. Your fly is open.
• Canis meus id comedit. My dog ate it.
• Capillamentum? Haudquaquam conieci esse! A wig? I never would have guessed!
• Carpe diem. Seize the day; pluck the day; i.e., enjoy the day.
• Cave canem. Beware of the dog.
• Caveat. "Let him beware".
• Caveat emptor. "Let the buyer beware".
• Clamo, clamatis, omnes clamamus pro glace lactis. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
• Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore I am (Rene Descartes).
• Coitus interruptus. Interrupted coitus.
• Consensus. Agreement.
• Cornucopia. Horn of plenty.
• De facto. "In reality"; according to fact; actually.
• Deus ex machina. A god out of a machine (device).
• Di! Ecce hora! Uxor mea me necabit! God, look at the time! My wife will kill me!
• Dictum. "A thing said"; a noteworthy statement.
• Die dulci fruere. Have a nice day.
• Dramatis personae. Characters of the play.
• Dum vita est spes est. While there is life, there is hope.
• Edamus, bibamus, gaudeamus. Let us eat, drink and be merry (Solomon).
• Ergo. Therefore; used to show a logical conclusion.
• Erratum (plur. errata). Error.
• Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre? Is that a scroll in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?
• Et al. Abbreviation of et alii, which means "and others". It is used to avoid writing a long list.
• Et cetera. And the rest; and so on. Often abbreviated etc. or &c.
• Ex officio. By virtue of the office held; out of (as a result of) one's duty or office.
• Ex tempore. From the moment.
• Excelsior. "Ever upward".
• Fac ut (facut) gaudeam. Make my day.
• Fac ut vivas. Get a life.
• Habeas corpus. "Have the body" (Writ to bring a prisoner to court).
• Habetis bona deum. Have a nice day.
• Ibid. In the same place (in a book). Abbreviation for ibidem.
• Illiud Latine dici non potest. You cannot say that in Latin.
• In absentia. In one's absence; in absence.
• In camera. "In a chamber"; in private, secretly; In secret or private session; not in public.
• In dentibus anticis frustum magnum spiniciae habes. You have a big piece of spinach in your front teeth.
• In extremis. In the last agonies; near death.
• In flagrante delicto. In the act; in the very act of committing an offence.
• In loco parentis. In the place of a parent. (Could also be how a Mexican would say “A mad parent”!)
• In memoriam. To the memory of; in memory of.
• In perpetuum. Into perpetuity.
• In re. "In regards to"; in the matter of.
• In situ. In its original place (position, situation).
• In statu quo. In the same state (or situation it was before).
• In toto. Entirely; "in total"; altogether.
• In vivo. Within the living organism.
• Infra. Below, on a later page.
• Ipso facto. "by the fact itself"; by that very fact or act; as an inevitable result.
• Magna Charta. The Great Paper.
• Magnum opus. "A great work"; masterpiece; especially, the greatest achievement of an artist or writer.
• Magnus frater spectat te. Big Brother is watching you.
• Modus operandi. A method of working, of work, or operating. Manner or method of work characterizing a particular person's professional habits.
• Morologus es! You're talking like a moron.
• Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum! Don't you dare erase my hard disk!
• Ne plus ultra. No more beyond (nothing better); nothing further; the highest point capable of being attained: acme.
• Noli me vocate, ego te vocabo. Do not call me, I'll call you.
• Noli nothis permittere te terere. Do not let the bastards get you down.
• Non sequitur. It does not follow.
• Non sum pisces. I am not a fish.
• Nosce te ipsum. Know thyself.
• Nota bene. "Note well". Mark well; used to call attention to something important, is a way of saying, "take note of this".
• O diem praeclarum! Oh, what a beautiful day!
• Opere citato (abbreviated Op cit.). In the work just quoted.
• Orbes volantes exstare. Flying saucers are real.
• Pari passu. Equally.
• Pax. Peace; often found in combination with a latinized name, such as Pax Americana, Pax Brittanica, Pax Romana.
• Per annum. By the year. Per year.
• Per capita. "By heads", "Per person".
• Per diem. Literally, "by the day", a daily fee.
• Per se. By itself; in itself; essentially. "In and of itself." Taken alone.
• Perscriptio in manibus tabellariorum est. The check is in the post.
• Prima facie. At first sight; on the face of it. "At first appearance"; at first view: "On its face."
• Pro forma. For form's sake.
• Purgamentum init, exit purgamentum. Garbage in, garbage out.
• Q.v. See quod vide.
• QED. See quod erat demonstrandum.
• Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
• Quasi. As if.
• Quid pro quo. One thing for another; something for something; tit for tat.
• Quod vide. Which See; see that reference - usually abbreviated q.v. (This is a scholarly way of directing the reader to a reference.)
• Requiescat in pace. Let him/her (may he/she) rest in peace. Usually abbreviated R.I.P.
• Sic. Thus.
• Sic hoc adfixum in obice legere potes, et liberaliter educatus et nimis propinquus ades. If you can read this bumper sticker, you are both very well educated, and much too close.
• Sic transit gloria mundi. Thus passes the glory of the world.
• Sine die. Without a day being set (specified). With no time fixed.
• Sine qua non. Without which not (hence: a necessity).
• Sona si Latine loqueris. Honk if you speak Latin.
• Status quo. The existing state of affairs (from "statu quo ante".
• Sub judice. Before a court.
• Sub rosa. Under the rose (hidden). Secretly, confidential, in confidence.
• Supra. Above, on an earlier page.
• Tace atque abi. Shut up and go away.
• Tempus fugit. Time flies (Vergil).
• Ubi est mea anaticula cumminosa? Where is my rubber ducky?
• Verbatim. Word for word. (Indicates a precise transmission of a phrase, discussion, or text.)
• Via. By way of.
• Videlicet (abbreviated Viz.). Namely. That is to say; To wit.