A
A bene placito - At one's pleasure A capite ad calcem - From head to heel A cappella - In church [style] - i.e. Vocal music only A contrario - From a contrary position A cruce salus - From the cross comes salvation A Deo et Rege - From God and the King A fortiori - With yet stronger reason A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi - A precipice in front, wolves behind (between a rock and a hard place) A mari usque ad mare - From sea to sea (Motto of Canada) A mensa et thoro - From board and bed (legal separation) A pedibus usque ad caput - From feet to head A posse ad esse - From possibility to actuality A posteriori - From what comes after. Inductive reasoning based on observation, as opposed to deductive, or a priori A priori - From what comes before A verbis ad verbera - From words to blows Ab absurdo - From the absurd (establishing the validity of your argument by pointing out the absurdity of your opponent's position) Ab aeterno - From the beginning of time Ab asino lanam - Wool from an ass, blood from a stone impossible Ab hinc - From here on Ab imo pectore - From the bottom of the chest. (from the heart) (Julius Caesar) Ab incunabulis - From the cradle Ab initio - From the beginning Ab intestato - Having made no will Ab origine - From the origin Ab ovo usque ad mala - From the egg right to the apples (From start to finish) (Horace) Ab ovo - From the egg Ab urbe condita - From the foundation of the city. (Rome) Ab/Ex uno disce omnes - From one person, learn all people Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit - He has left, absconded, escaped and disappeared Absente reo - In absence of the defendant Absit invidia - No offence intended Absit omen - May the omen be absent. (may this not be an omen) Absum! - I'm outta here! Abusus non tollit usum - Wrong use does not preclude proper use Abutebaris modo subjunctivo denuo - You've been misusing the subjunctive again Abyssus abyssum invocat - Hell calls hell; one mistep leads to another Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam - It is better to suffer an injustice than to do an injustice Acta est fabula, plaudite! - The play is over, applaud! (Said to have been emperor Augustus' last words) Acta non verba - Action not words Acta sanctorum - Deeds of the saints Actus reus - Wrongful act - as opposed to mens rea - the wrongful intention or guilty mind Ad absurdum - To the point of absurdity Ad acta - To archives. Not actual any more Ad alta - To the summit Ad astra per aspera - To the stars through difficulty Ad astra - To the stars Ad augusta per angusta - To high places by narrow roads Ad captandum vulgus - To appeal to the crowd -- often used of politicians who make false or insincere promises appealing to popular interest Ad clerum - To the clergy Ad eundem gradum - To the same level Ad eundem - Of admission to the same degree at a different university Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit - To boldly go where no man has gone before Ad fontes - To the sources (motto of Renaissance Humanism) Ad fundum - To the bottom / To the end (said during a generic toast, like bottoms up!) Ad hoc - For a particular purpose. (improvised, made up in an instant) Ad hominem - Appealing to a person's physical and emotional urges, rather than her or his intellect Ad honorem - In honour. Honour not baring any material advantage Ad idem - Of the same mind Ad infinitum - To infinity without end Ad interim - For the meantime Ad libitum (Acronym 'ad lib') - At one's pleasure Ad Libitur - As Desired Ad limina apostolorum - To the thresholds of the Apostles Ad litem - For a lawsuit or action Ad locum - At the place Ad lucem - Towards the light (motto of the University of Lisbon) Ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG) - For the greater glory of God Ad multos annos - To many years!, i.e. Many happy returns! Ad nauseum - To the point of making one sick Ad perpetuam rei memoriam - For the perpetual remembrance of the thing Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora - Eggs today are better than chickens tomorrow (a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush) Ad referendum - Subject to reference Ad rem - To the point Ad valorem - By the value, e.g. Ad valorem tax Ad vitam aeternam - For all time Ad vitam paramus - We are preparing for life Ad vitam - For life Addendum - A thing to be added Adeste Fideles - Be present, faithful ones Adsum - Here! present! Adversus incendia excubias nocturnas vigilesque commentus est - Against the dangers of fires, he (Augustus) conceived of the idea of night guards and watchmen Adversus solem ne loquitor - Don't speak against the sun (don't waste your time arguing the obvious) Advocatus diaboli - The devil's advocate Aegrescit medendo - The disease worsens with the treatment. The remedy is worse than the disease Aegri somnia - A sick man's dreams (Horace) Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur - It is said that for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life Aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem - Remember when life's path is steep to keep your mind even. (Horace) Aeronavis abstractio a prestituto cursu - Hijacking Aetatis (aet.) - Age Aeternum vale - Farewell forever Affidavit - A sworn written statement usable as evidence in court Age quod agis - Do what you do well, pay attention to what you are doing Age. Fac ut gaudeam - Go ahead. Make my day! Agenda - Things to be done Agnus Dei - The Lamb of God Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est - Yes, that is a very large amount of corn Alea iacta est - The die has been cast. (Caesar) Alias - Otherwise Alibi - Elsewhere Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent - Other people's things are more pleasing to us, and ours to other people. (Publilius Syrus) Alis volat propiis - She flies with her own wings (state motto of Oregon) Alma Mater - Nourishing mother. (One's old school or university) Alter ego - Other 'I' or 'Other Self' Alter ipse amicus - A friend is another self Alterum ictum faciam - I'm going to take a mulligan Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi - The deepest rivers flow with the least sound. (still waters run deep) Alumnus - Nursling (former pupil) Amantes sunt amentes - Lovers are lunatics Amantium irae amoris integratio est - The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love. (Terence) Amare et sapere vix deo conceditur - Even a god finds it hard to love and be wise at the same time Amat victoria curam - Victory favors those who take pains Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore - I hope that the memory of our friendship will be everlasting. (Cicero) Amicule, deliciae, num is sum qui mentiar tibi? - Baby, sweetheart, would I lie to you? Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur - A true friend is discerned during an uncertain matter Amicus curiae - Friend of the court Amicus humani generis - A friend of the human race (philanthropist) Amicus verus est rara avis - A true friend is a rare bird Amor animi arbitrio sumitur, non ponitur - We choose to love, we do not choose to cease loving. (Syrus) Amor caecus est - Love is blind Amor est vitae essentia - Love is the essence of life. (Robert B. Mackay) Amor ordinem nescit - Love does not know order. (St. Jerome) Amor patriae - Love of country Amor platonicus - Platonic love Amor tussisque non celantur - Love, and a cough, are not concealed. (Ovid) Amor vincit omnia - Love conquers all. (Virgil) Amoto quaeramus seria ludo - Joking aside, let us turn to serious matters. (Horace) An nescis, mi fili, quantilla sapientia mundus regatur? - Don't you know then, my son, how little wisdom rules the world? Anguis in herba - A snake in the grass. A treacherous person. (Vergil) Anicularum lucubrationes - Old wives' tales Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri? - (At a barbeque) Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face? Animis opibusque parati - Prepared in minds and resources (ready for anything) Animus facit nobilem - The spirit makes (human) noble Anno (an.) - Year Anno domini (AD) - In the year of the Lord Anno hegirae (AH) - In the year of the hegira Anno mundi - In the year of the world Anno regni - In the year of reign Anno urbis conditae (AUC) - From the year of founding of the city (Rome) Annuit coeptis - God has favored us Annus bisextus - Leap year Annus horribilis - A horrible year Annus mirabilis - Year of wonders Ante litteram - Before the letter Ante meridiem (a.m.) - Before midday Ante mortem - Before death Ante prandium (A.p.) - Before a meal Ante - Before Antebellum - Before the war Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem - In the good old days, children like you were left to perish on windswept crags Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus! - Let's all wear mood rings! Apage Satanas - Begone, Satan Appareo Decet Nihil Munditia? - Is It Not Nifty? Apudne te vel me? - Your place or mine? Aqua fortis - Nitric acid Aqua pura - Pure water Aqua vitae - Water of life (brandy) Aquila non captat muscas - The eagle doesn't capture flies (don't sweat the small things) Arbiter elegantiae - Judge in matters of taste Arcana imperii - Secrets of the empire Arduum sane munus - A truly arduous task Arguendo - For the sake of argument Argumentum ad hominem - An argument against the man. Directing an argument against an opponent's character rather than the subject at hand Argumentum ad ignorantiam - Arguing from ignorance Armis Exposcere Pacem - They demanded peace by force of arms. (An inscription seen on medals) Ars gratia artis - Art for art's sake. (motto of MGM) Ars longa, vita brevis - Art (work) is long, but life is short Ars sine scienta nihil est - Art without science is nothing. (I would also claim that the opposite is true) Artium baccalaureus - Bachelor of Arts (BA) Artium magister - Master of Arts (MA) Ascendo tuum - Up yours Asinus asinum fricat - The ass rubs the ass. (Conceited people flatter each other about qualities they do not possess) Aspice, officio fungeris sine spe honoris amplioris - Face it, you're stuck in a dead end job Aspirat primo Fortuna labori - Fortune smiles upon our first effort. (Virgil) Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit - Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdues both intelligence and skill. (Cicero) Astra inclinant, non necessitant - The stars incline; they do not determine Astra non mentiuntur, sed astrologi bene mentiuntur de astris - The stars never lie, but the astrologs lie about the stars Aude sapere - Dare to know Audaces fortuna iuvat - Fortune favors the bold. (Virgil) Audere est facere - To dare is to do. (Motto of Tottenham Hotspur) Audi et alteram partem - Hear the other side too Audiatur et altera pars! - Let us hear the opposite side! Audio, video, disco - I hear, I see, I learn Auget largiendo - He increases by giving liberally Aura popularis - The popular breeze. (Cicero) Aurea mediocritas - The golden mean. (an ethical goal; truth and goodness are generally to be found in the middle.) (Horace) Auribus tenere lupum - I hold a wolf by the ears. (I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go.) (Terence) Aurora australis - The Southern lights Aurora borealis - The Northern lights Aurora Musis amica - Dawn is friend of the muses. (Early bird catches the worm.) Aut Caesar aut nihil - Caesar or nothing i.e., all or nothing Aut disce aut discede - Either learn or leave Aut insanit homo, aut versus facit - The fellow is either mad or he is composing verses. (Horace) Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - I will either find a way or make one Aut vincere aut mori - Either conquer or die Auxilio ab alto - By help from on high Avarus animus nullo satiatur lucro - A greedy mind is satisfied with no (amount of) gain Ave atque vale - Hail and farewell. (Catullus) Ave caesar! Morituri te salutamus - Hail Caesar! We who are about to die salute you. (gladiators before the fight) Ave maria - Hail Mary |
|