Serious Latin

These are taken in part from NOTA BENE: A Guide to Familiar Latin Quotes and Phrases (by Robin Langley Sommer), a wonderful collection of information and quotations for both Latin scholars and those who simply enjoy language.
Others were given to my by Martin Petersen.

Dum felis dormit, mus gaudet et exsilit antro
When the cats fall asleep, the mouse rejoices and leaps from his hole.
-------Unknown
Latin, proverb, all

Malum vas non frangitur
A bad vase doesn't break.
-------Unknown
latin, proverb, humor, all

Si tacuisses philosophus mansisses
If you had kept quiet, you would have remained a philosopher.
-------Unknown
humor, insult, all

Non olet.
It (the money I'm getting for this lousy job) doesn't stink.
-------Unknown
proverb, all

Horas non numero nisi seranas.
I don't count the hours unless they are bright.
-------Common inscription on sundials.
, all

Sunt pueri pueri, pueri puerilia tractant.
Boys are boys, and boys do boy-stuff. (ie, boys will be boys)
-------Unknown
proverb, all

Mulier cupido quod dicit amanti,
In vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua
What a woman says to her fond lover should be written on air or the swift water.
-------Catullus
love, all

Risu inepto res ineptior nulla est
Nothing is sillier than a silly laugh.
-------Catullus
humor, proverb, all

Nihil tam absurdum, qhod non dictum sit ab aliquo
There is nothin so absurd as not to have been said by a philosopher
-------Cicero
insult, humor, all

Occidit miseros crambe repetita magistros.
Repeatedly reheated cabbage will kill the poor teachers.
-------Juvenal
teaching, humor, all

Calvo turpis est nihil compto
There's nothing more contemptible than a bald man who pretends to have hair.
-------Martial
humor, all

Si post fata venit gloria non propero
If fame comes after death, I'm in no hurry for it.
-------Martial
humor, writing, proverb, all

Nihil homini amico est opportuno amicus
There is nothing more friendly than a friend in need.
-------Plautus
proverb, all

Homo homini lupus.
One man is a wolf towards the other (man).
-------Plautus
proverb, all

Non scholae sed vitae discimus.
We don't learn from school, but from life.
-------Seneca
proverb, education, all

Facilius inter philosophos quam horologia conveniet.
There will be agreement more easily among philosophers than among clocks. (a reference to how unreliable Roman clocks were!)
humor, all

Latin Everyone Knows (or Should!):
A Phrasebook

Ad hoc For this particular purpose Ad captandum vulgus To appeal to the crowd. Ad hominem To the person (to appeal to feelings rather than reason) Ad libitum (ad lib) Freely; at pleasure Alia iacta est The die is cast. Alter ego Another Self Aqua vitae The Water of Life Amicus curiae Friend of the court (Objective advisor) Ars gratia artis Art for art's sake Ars longa, vita brevis Art is long, life is short Bona fide In good faith Carpe diem Seize the day (make the most of the opportunity) Cave canem Beware of the dog! Caveat emptor Let the buyer beware Ceteris paribus Other things being equal Circa About, approximately Cogito ergo sum I think, therefore I am (Descartes, 17th century) Cui bono Whom does it benefit? Cum grano salis With a grain of salt De novo Anew Deus ex machina (lit. God from the machine) An improbable solution, artificially intruduced to resolve a difficulty or untangle a dramatic plot. Divide et impera Divide and rule E pluribus unum From many, one Ecce homo Behold the man! Emeritus Honorary; by reason of merit Errare humanum est To err is human Ex animo (lit. from the spirit) From the heart; sincerely Ex libris From the books of (From the library of) Ex post facto After the fact Fortes fortuna juvat Fortune favors the brave Hic jacet _____ Here lies _____ Habeas corpus A legal writ to end unlawful restraint by bringing a prisoner into court. In memoriam In memory of In spes Hopefully In toto Altogether In vino veritas In wine is truth

Lapsus linguae A slip of the tongue Lapsus memoriae A slip of the memory Magna cum laude With great honor Magnum opus (lit. a great work) Masterpiece Mea culpa My fault Mens sana in corpore sano A sound mind in a sound body. Mirabile dictu Wonderful to tell Multum in parvo Much in a little Naturro abhorret a vacuo Nature abhors a vacuum Nolens volens Whether willing or not (willy-nilly) Noli me tangere Let nothing touch me (do not interfere) Non compos mentis Of unsound mind Non sequitur (lit. does not follow) A statement that does not follow logically from what preceded it Omnia vincit amor Love conquers all Pax vobiscum Peace be with you Per annum Per year Per capita Per head Persona grata A well-liked or dear person. Persona non grata A person one doesn't like. Pro bono publico For the public good Pro tempore For the time being (temporarily) Persona non grata An unpleasing person Quid pro quo A thing for a thing Quieta non movere Do not move settled things (let sleeping dogs lie) Sapere aude Dare to be wise Summa summarum The sum of sums (ie, altogether) Status quo The existing state of affairs Summum bonum The supreme good Summum ius summa inuria The more law, the less justice Tabula rasa A clean slate Terra firma Solid ground Terra incognita An unknown land Usus est magister optimus Practice makes perfect Via By way of Via media The middle path Vice versa With the order or meaning reversed Vox populi, vox dei The voice of the people is the voice of God