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The Catholic world was stunned today by the speedy election of a new pope, following the sad demise of Pope Francis early this morning.


Father Jack Hackett, formerly of Craggy Island parish off the west coast of Ireland, is thought to owe his election to the tireless campaigning of Fathers Ted Crilly and Dougal McGuire, and his housekeeper Mrs Doyle bribing the cardinals with pots of tea and huge plates of sandwiches. 


Hackett is expected to be a relatively conservative pontiff, having described the poor and meek as “a shower of bastards”. His only views on women seem to be that he’s terrified of nuns but likes to see schoolgirls playing sport in their underwear, the latter putting him very much in the mainstream of Catholicism. Pretty much anything else he describes as “an ecumenical matter”.


His only pronouncements since gaining office have been “Drink!” and “Feck!”, which according to tradition were translated into Latin before being published as the encyclical “Bibendum Copulorum”. 


Father Crilly is said to have considered running for the papacy himself, until a scandal concerning campaign funds which he insists were just “resting” in his account. Father McGuire likewise doomed his own candidacy by laughing about “that mad cult” that believes in the guy coming back to life after three days, not realising he was describing Catholicism, as well as addressing Bishop Brennan as “Len”. Both frankly admit that their main motivation for getting Hackett elected pope was to make sure giving him his annual bath became someone else’s job.


As he was presented to jubilant crowds in St Peter’s Square, holding his ceremonial brick, Pope Inebrius the First (as he has chosen to be named) glared at them myopically and proclaimed “At last I’m off that fecking island!”


Image from pixabay

A short Newsbiscuit guide to encourage students to enjoy Latin:


Ars longa vita brevis: Your bum looks big in those shorts.

E Pluribus unum: he only has one ball.

Et al: Scoffed the lot.

Mobile vulgus: swearing down the phone.

Ultra vires: Covid-19.

Fiat lux: pimped car.

Confiteor: more comfortable.

Ignis fatuus: light your farts.

Extempore: in full-time work

Ad hoc: Try this German wine.

Alibi: Somewhere to pull over in an A-Road

Bona fide: Not a Sémillon

Per se: Grainger

Pro bono: U2 fan

Quod erat demonstrandum: This is how you ride a Four-wheeled motor bike

Verbatim: He was eaten by a verb

Vice versa: Smoking roll-up spliffs made with pages ripped out of old poetry books.

Ehu fugaces - lost those car keys again. Tempus fugit - time to f*@k off

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum - Still goalless after 90 minutes

Audere est facere - Audrey is farcical

Victoria concordia crescit - Peace in our time Superbia in Proelio - Put up with the proles Ludere Causa Ludendi - Only if the cause is ludicrous

Caveat emptor - my 1990s Vauxhall has run out of petrol

Veni, vidi, vici: Oh balls, you know, the Italian place with all the canals

A posteriori: An Apple e-bottom

Ab absurdo: Really tight six-pack

Ad nauseam: Buy Gaviscon today

Alter ego: The Pope

Camera obscura: "Has anyone seen my Nikon?"

Cum laude: Noisy neighbours

Ecce homo: "Hello, I'm Julian and this is my friend Sandy"

Ex cathedra: Notre Dame

Ex officio: Matt Hancock

In absentia: Boris Johnson

Sic semper tyrannis - Look! Dinosaur vomit!

Astra inclinant, sed non obligant - My Vauxhall has a flat tyre and can't move

Extrema ratio - 7349275625/451610727649836

Fac simile - Don't f*@ing grin at me

Nemo malus felix - Cat ate the annoying fish

Obit anis, abit onus - Rimming with false teeth

Arte et Labore : The beautiful game combined with earnest endeavour, only available at Blackburn Rovers

Alias dictus: Nigel Farage's logon name.

Argumentum ad absurdum: GB News interview.

Facile princeps: Harry Windsor.

Pro forma: ex sportsman.

Vade mecum: watch me have an orgasm.

Vivat rex: Got to get my dog to the vet, asap. In loco, parentis: My Dad is a train driver Lux in Domino: Who the Hell ordered soap as a pizza topping? Sic transit gloria: get out of the van as soon as I stop in the next lay by Ad nauseum: Feel a bit better now Quo vadis - their latest protest song about football regulation, usual 3 chords In loco parentis: Mum and dad have gone bonkers Inter alia: I like sci fi creatures. Cui bono - trying to attract the attention of U2 Cum laude - noisy sex Et tu Brute - Your aftershave is too strong Quid pro quo - I'll give you a pound for that 80s rock album Nemo me impune lacessit - Finding Nemo Inter alia - football club in serie B Ars gratia artis - great arses in paintings Prima facie: Wearing heavy makeup. Non sequitur: French horse refuses fence Inter alia: Alia is the one for me Carpe diem: it's a dead fish Ergo: she popped out to the toilet Cogito ergo sum: I think that's the 2nd time she popped out to the toilet Status quo: the band hasn't broken up yet Verbatim: "Come on Tim !" Pedem refero - I need to find a podiatrist


Lockjaw54, Al Opecia, granger, Max Stars, SteveB, Sinnick, Midfield Diamond, Nickb, stewartbarclay, Robowurzel,

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