Latin Mottoes

Recently in my Latin Class at school my teacher had us pick and memorize a famous latin phrase. Do you want to do the same? Here is a complete list :) The highlighted ones are my favorites!

ab ovo usque ad mala:  from eggs to apples

ab urbe condita:  from the foundation of the city

ad astra per aspera:  to the stars through difficulties

ad maiorem dei gloriam (AMDG):  to the greater glory

             of God

acta non verba:  deeds not words

alea iacta est (Caesar):  the die is cast

amor caecus est:  love is blind

annuit coeptis (dollar):  he approves of our beginnings

ante bellum:  before the war

ars longa, vita brevis:  art is long, life is short

ave atque vale (Catullus):  hail and farewell

bis in die (bid) (pharmaceutical):  twice a day

bona fide:  in good faith

bona fortuna:  good luck

canis meus id comedit:  my dog ate it

carpe diem (Horace):  seize the day

caveat emptor: let the buyer beware

cedant arma togae:  let weapons yeild to the toga

cogito ergo sum (Descartes):  I think therefore I am

corrigenda:  things to be corrected

cui bono:  who benefits?

cum tacent, clamant (Cicero):  their silence speaks

louder than words

cum laude:  with honors

cura ut valeas:  take care that you may be well

de facto/de jure:  by custom/by law

de gustibus non est disputandum:  there is no arguing

             about taste

deo volente:  with god willing

deus ex machina (a contrived or artificial solution)

dies irae:  day of wrath (judgement day)

di immortales!:  immortal gods!

discimus docendo:  we learn by teaching

divide et impera:  divide and conquer

dona nobis pacem:  give us peace

do ut des (Roman sacrifice):  I give that you might give

dum spiro, spero:  while I breathe, I hope

dum vivimus, vivamus:  while we live, let us live

dux femina facti (Vergil):  a woman was the leader

            of the deed

eheu fugaces labuntur anni (Horace):  alas, the fleeing

years slip away

e pluribus unum (American money):  one out of many

errata:  mistakes

esse quam videri (Motto of North Carolina):  to be rather than to seem

et tu, Brute? (Caesar):  you too, Brutus?

excelsior (Motto of NY):  higher

festina lente:  hurry slowly

fiat lux (Bible):  let there be light

gaudeamus igitur:  therefore, let us rejoice

gloria in excelsis deo:  glory in the highest to God

ibidem:  in the same place

id est (i.e.):  that is (used before a restatement)

ignosce mihi:  forgive me

in flagrante delicto (legal):  in blazing crime

in hoc signo vinces (Eusebius, sign on Constantine’s

soldiers, the cross):  in this sign you will

conquer

in vino veritas: (there is) truth in wine

Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (INRI):  Jesus of

Nazareth, King of the Jews

labor omnia vincit (Virgil):  work conquers everything

lapsus linguae:  a slip of the tongue

mea culpa:  my fault

mens sana in corpore sano (Juvenal):  a healthy mind

in a healthy body

nolens volens:  not wanting/wanting; whether a person

wants something or not

nolo contendere (legal):  I do not wish to contend

non compos mentis (legal):  not of sane mind

non sequitur:  it does not follow (doesn’t make sense)

non sibi sed suis:  not for one’s self, but for one’s

people

nota bene (NB):  note well

novus ordo saeclorum (dollar):  a new order of ages

nunc aut numquam:  now or never

obesa cantavit:  the fat lady has sung

oderint dum metuant (Seneca): as long as they fear,

             they hate

odi et amo (Catullus):  I love and I hate

onus probandi (legal):  the burden of proof

ora pro nobis:  pray for us

o tempora, o mores! (Cicero):  o the times, o the

customs!  (bemoaning immorality)

panem et circenses:  bread and circuses (food and

entertainment)

pater familias:  the father of the family

per aspera ad astra:  through difficulties to the stars

per se:  in itself

pro re nata (prn) (prescriptions): for the occasion as it

arises, as needed

qui custodiet ipsos custodes? (Juvenal):  who will

guard the guards themselves?

quid novi?:  what’s new?

quid pro quo:  something for something

qui multum habet, plus cupit (Seneca): he who has

much, wants more

quot homines, tot sententiae:  how many men, so many

opinions

rara avis (Juvenal):  a rare bird

rigor mortis:  the rigidity of death

salus populi suprema lex (Cicero): the safety of the

people is the highest law

sapere aude!  (Horace):  dare to be wise!

semper fidelis (semper fi) (Marines):  always faithful

sic semper Tyrannis (Virginia):  thus always to tyrants

sic transit gloria mundi:  thus passes the glory of the

world

sine qua non :  without which nothing (something

necessary)

si vis amari, ama (Seneca):  if you want to be loved,

love

si vis pacem, para bellum (Vegetius):  if you want

             peace, prepare for war

sui generis:  of its own kind (unique)

suum cuique pulchrum est (Cicero):  to each man his

own is beautiful

sunt lacrimae rerum, et mentem mortalia tangunt

(Vergil):  There are tears for these things, and

human suffering touches the mind

tabula rasa:  a blank slate

terra incognita:  unknown land

timeo Danaos, et dona ferentes (Virgil):  I fear Greeks,

even bearing gifts

trahimur omnes laudis studio (Cicero):  we are all

drawn by desire for praise

ubi fumus, ibi ignis:  where there’s smoke, there’s fire

veni, vidi, vici (Caesar):  I came, I saw, I conquered

veritas vos liberabit:  the truth will set you free

volens et potens:  willing and able

vox populi:  the voice of the people