Quote of the day: Carpe diem!
English meaning: Seize the day!
Phrase: Et cetera
English meaning: And others
(make the most of your day)
(used in a list --- etc.)
Quote of the day: Tempes fugit
English meaning: Time flies
Phrase: a.m. = ante meridiem
p.m. = post meridiem
English meaning: before mid-day
after mid-day
Quote of the day: veni, vidi, vici
English meaning: I came, I saw, I
conquered
Everyday Phrase: vs. = versus
English meaning: turned (towards)
(in competitions, opponents are
(Julius Caesar said this after a battle. turned towards each other to begin)
It is like saying something was “no
problem”)
Quote of the day: Semper fidelis
English meaning: Always faithful
Everyday Phrase: ca. = circa
English meaning: around
(motto of the U.S. Marines)
(used for the approximate year if the
exact year is not known)
Quote of the day: cogito, ergo, sum Everyday Phrase: Alter ego
English meaning: I think, therefore I English meaning: Another me
am
(Because I can think, I know that I
exist)
(a secret identity)
Quote of the day: non sum quails
eram
English meaning: I am not as I was
Everyday Phrase: alias
English meaning: another
(changing as you grow)
(another name used to hide your real
name)
Quote of the day: Citius, Altius,
Fortius
English meaning: Faster, Higher,
Stronger
(motto of the Olympics)
Quote of the day: discere mutari
est
English meaning: to learn is to
change
(The more you learn, the more you
grow)
Everyday Phrase: m.o. = modus
operandi
English meaning: way of working
(how a criminal commits multiple
crimes in a similar way)
Everyday Phrase: alibi
English meaning: in another place
(a person or thing that proves you
were in another place when a crime
occurred)
Quote of the day: facta non verba
English meaning: deeds not words
Everyday Phrase: stat. = statim
English meaning: immediately
(actions speak louder than words)
(used in the emergency room when
something/someone is needed now)
Quote of the day: e pluribus unum
English meaning: From many, one!
Phrase: veto
English meaning: I forbid
(The motto of the USA—on our
money)
(What the president can do to prevent
a bill from becoming a law)
Quote of the day: Annuit coeptis
English meaning: Providence has
favored our beginnings
(This is on the back of the dollar
bill—meaning a higher power has
approved the start of our country)
Quote of the day: novus ordo
seclorum
English meaning: A new series of
generations
(on the dollar bill)
Phrase: Pro bono
English meaning: for the good
(Charity work—done for the good of
the people, not for money)
Everyday Phrase: et al.= et alii
English meaning: and others
(referring to a list of people that is
too long to list)
Quote of the day: Nihil sine magno Everyday Phrase: n.b. = nota bene
labore
English meaning: note well
English meaning: Nothing without
great effort
(meaning “pay attention” to the
information that follows)
(no pain, no gain)
Quote of the day: E nihilo, nihil fit
English meaning: Nothing comes
from nothing
(You have to put in effort to gain
something)
Everyday Phrase: i.e. = id est
English meaning: that is
(used when you want to explain
something with additional
information)
Quote of the day: Ars gratia artis
Everyday Phrase: e.g.= exempli gratia
English meaning: Art for the sake of English meaning: for the sake of an
art
example
(Creating art for the enjoyment, not (used before listing examples in a
just for money—MGM’s motto)
sentence)
Quote of the day: Vita est brevis,
ars longa
English meaning: Life is short, art is
forever
(What artists—painters, writers,
musicians, etc.—create will live on
long past the artists’ lives)
Everyday Phrase: terra incognita
English meaning: unknown
land/territory
(used to describe an unfamiliar place
or situation)
Quote of the day: Omes viae
Romam ducunt
English meaning: All roads lead to
Rome
(All ancient Roman roads in the
Empire led to the capital city)
Everyday Phrase: via
English meaning: by way of
(For example, “send me your
homework via email)
Quote of the day: Per ardua ad astra Everyday Phrase: terra firma
English meaning: Through the
English meaning: on solid ground
rough, to the stars
(Being in a familiar situation/place or
(Going through difficulties in order literally being on land as opposed to
to reach your goals)
being at sea)
Quote of the day: Dum spiro, spero
English meaning: While I breath, I
hope
Everyday Phrase: cum laude, magna
cum laude, summa cum laude
English meaning: with honors, with
great honors. with highest honors
(motto of South Carolina)
(written on college diploma as a
recognition for earning good grades)
Quote of the day: Semper paratus
English meaning: Always prepared
Everyday Phrase: tabula rasa
English meaning: blank slate
(Motto of the U.S. Coast Guard)
(The idea of a fresh/new start,
starting over)
Quote of the day: Sapere Aude
English meaning: Have the courage
to be wise
(a common education motto)
Quote of the day: caveat emptor
English meaning: Let the buyer
beware
(You have to protect yourself as a
consumer)
Everyday Phrase: placebo
English meaning: I will please
(fake medicine/pill – it pleases your
mind by making you think you are
taking medicine)
Everyday Phrase: caveat
English meaning: let him/her beware
(This word is used as a synonym for
“warning”)
Quote of the day: Festina Lente
English meaning: Hurry slowly
Everyday Phrase: quid pro quo
English meaning: what for what
(Do something quickly, but taking
enough time to do it well)
(A favor for a favor)
Quote of the day: nosce te ipscum
English meaning: know thyself
Everyday Phrase: Rx
English meaning: recipe
(knowing who you are as a person is (used as a symbol for prescription
important)
medicine)
Quote of the day: timeo danaos, et dona
Everyday Phrase: lb. = libra
ferentes
English meaning:
English meaning: I fear the Greeks, especially pound/scale
bearing gifts
(we use lb. as the
(about the Trojan Horse which the Greeks
abbreviation for a pound)
pretended was a gift but was really a trick
used to get into the city of Troy)
Quote of the day: vita non est vivere, sed
valere
English meaning: Life is not just to be alive
but to be well
Everyday Phrase: mea culpa
English meaning: my fault
(admitting fault—that you
made a mistake)
Quote of the day: caput mundī
English meaning: head of the world
Everyday Phrase: per capita
English meaning: per head
(Ancient Rome’s nickname)
(per person—used for
statistics)
Quote of the day: Anima Sana In
Everyday Phrase: habeas corpus
Corpore Sanō
English meaning: you must have the
English meaning: a healthy mind in a body
healthy body
(a legal term that guarantees that you
(The acronym ASICS—an athletic
cannot be held in prison without
shoe company)
formal charges and a trial)
Quote of the day: Alea iacta est
English meaning: The die is cast
Everyday Phrase: status quo
English meaning: the state in which
(Julius Caesar said this—it means
(the way things are right now—
crossing the point of no return or doing keeping things the same)
something you can't take back)
Quote of the day: Et tu, Brute?
English meaning: You too, Brutus?
(Julius Caesar’s last words--- he
couldn’t believe his friend was one
of his attackers, so this quote is an
expression of betrayal)
Everyday Phrase: in media res
English meaning: into the middle of
things
(a literary device where a story starts
out in the middle of the action and
then goes back in time to explain
what happened before)
Quote of the day: pro patria
English meaning: for the fatherland
Everyday Phrase: alma mater
English meaning: nourishing mother
(doing something for your own
country-- patriotic)
(a name for your college or
university)
Quote of the day: cave canem
Everyday Phrase: exit; exeunt
English meaning: beware of the dog English meaning: he/she/it leaves;
they leave
(famous quote from a mosaic found
in Pompeii)
(stage directions)
Quote of the day: panem et
Everyday Phrase: finis
circenses
English meaning: the end
English meaning: bread and circuses
(that’s all, folks! )
(a criticism of the Roman people – all
they cared about is free food and
entertainment – in circular buildings)