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Writer's pictureLockjaw

Latin phrases in the modern idiom

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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