Saturday, April 4, 2009

Latin for the traveler redux

Alas gallinaceas de urbe bovis volo
I'd like the buffalo wings.

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.

Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris
If Caesar were alive, you'd be chained to an oar.

Clamo, clamatis, omnes clamamus pro glace lactis
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

Credere nequeo butyrum non esse!
I can't believe it's not butter!

Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus
Never tickle a sleeping dragon.
(Motto and coat of arms at Hogwarts)

Aliquid in aere erat ea nocte, stellae illustres erant, fernande
There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando.

Ecce! Fabae suaves!
Look! Jelly beans!

Edi recte -- ut speciem macram et ieiunam geras (auctore c cassio longino)
Eat Right -- for that Lean and Hungry Look! by Cassius

In sortitionibus donativis, cur numquam praemia consequuntur sortilegi
Why do psychics never win the lottery?

Hiberiae pluvia fere in planitie stat
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

Obviously, we have only scratched the surface of this important topic, so watch this space for more vastly useful phrases, including a special Elvis appendix!


And now, the credits: Roughly half of these phrases were found in the hilarious

X-Treme Latin: All the Latin You Need to Know for Survival in the 21st Century

by Henry Beard. Several originated in the brilliant mind of my good friend, Peter C., and a handful were found lying around on the internet

No comments: