Elaine Poole’s Latin Phrases
Have you ever been part of a conversation when someone casually drops in a Latin phrase and you haven’t got a clue what it means? This has happened to me many times, but thankfully I am now armed with Elaine Poole’s Latin Phrases Crib-sheet.
I now know what people mean when they say “mea culpa” (“it’s my fault”), “alma mater“(“dear mother” – nurturing school or university) and “carpe diem!” (“seize the day”!). So can you if you spend a few minutes reading the translations below.
Thankyou Elaine Poole, you are brill.
| Latin word | Translation | Comment |
| ad hoc |
“for this thing” | set up temporarily for a particular purpose e.g. an ad hoc committee |
| ad infinitum |
“to infinity” | as in Latin |
| agenda (pl.) |
“things to be discussed/done” | as in Latin but usually incorrectly used in the singular e.g. an agenda! |
| alias |
“elsewhere”, “sometimes” | another identity |
| alibi |
“at” or “in another place” | proof of not being in the location of a crime/misdemeanour |
| ante meridiem (a.m.) |
“before noon” | in the morning |
| post meridiem (p.m.) |
“after noon” | afternoon |
| anno domini (A.D.) |
“in the year of (our) Lord” | as in Latin |
| ad nauseam |
“to sickness” | to the point of being sick |
| bis |
“two times” | as in Latin (Used in singing instructions.) |
| ceteris paribus |
“with the rest of the things the same/equal” | all other factors held constant |
| confer (cf.) |
“bring together” | compare |
| c. or circa |
“about” | approximately |
| compos mentis |
“having mastery of (one’s) mind” | in full possession of one’s mental faculties |
| exempli gratia (e.g.) |
“by the grace of example” | for example |
| ego | “I” | sense of importance of self |
| et cetera (etc.) |
“and the rest of the things” | and so on |
| ex libris |
“from the books” | belonging to the book collection of |
| ex post facto |
“from the deed/fact, afterwards” | deduced or discovered after the event with the benefit of hindsight |
| gratis gratia |
“favour” or “kindness” | for no payment |
| habeas corpus |
“may you have the body” | the right to be brought to trial within a reasonable period after arrest and imprisonment |
| ibidem |
“there in the same place” | as in Latin |
| id |
“it” (neuter) | that part of the personality which indulges the “libido”(=sexual urge) and/or behaves impulsively (psychoanalytical terminology) |
| idem (id.) |
“the same thing” | as in Latin |
| id est (i.e.) |
“that is” | that is… |
| in flagranti delicto |
“in the blazing crime” | caught in the act |
| in loco parentis |
“in the place of a parent” | as in Latin |
| in vitro |
“in glass” | in a test tube |
| ipso facto |
“by the very fact” | as in Latin |
| inter alia |
“among other things” | among other things! |
| memento |
“remember!” | a token to remember someone/something by |
| memorandum (memo) |
“something which is to be remembered/mentioned/spoken about” | as in Latin |
| mens sana in corpore sano | “a healthy mind in a healthy body” | as in Latin |
| modus operandi |
“way/method of operating” | way of working |
| moratorium |
Americanisation of classical Latin ‘mora’ – “delay” | an American politician’s decision to stop or delay doing something |
| nil nil/nihil |
“nothing” | nothing, no score |
| nota bene (N.B.) |
“note well” | as in Latin |
| omnibus |
“with everything”; “for everyone” | a compilation of all the magazines/programmes; a means of transport all can use (“-bus”) |
| par |
“equal”, “the same” | used in golf to suggest a target score for a hole which players attempt to equal; also “below par” meaning not up to the usual standard (of health, achievement) |
| post mortem |
“after death” | examination after death |
| post partum |
“after giving birth” | as in Latin |
| pro persona (p.p.) |
“instead of the person” | as in Latin. Used when a letter is being signed (with authorisation) on behalf of someone else. |
| primus inter pares |
“first among equals” | an old description of the relationship between Prime Minister and Cabinet in the U.K. |
| pro bono |
“for good” | in the public interest or for no money (American lawyers may work part-time “pro bono”.) |
| quid pro quo |
“something given in exchange for something” | as in Latin; a £ sterling (pound) is still called a “quid”. |
| quod videas (q.v.) |
“a thing which you may see…” | as in Latin |
| referenda |
“things which are to be referred/carried back to the people” | votes on a single issue by all or part of the electorate. (Sometimes – ungrammatically – called “referendums”.) |
| scilicet scirelicet |
“it is permitted to know” | to wit, namely, that is to say |
| sic |
“thus”, “in this way” | as in Latin |
| sine die |
“without a day” | without a specific date being set for the resumption of (e.g. court) proceedings |
| sine qua non |
“without which (thing)…not” | a sine qua non is something indispensable |
| status quo |
“the state in which” | the existing/prevailing situation |
| sub iudice |
“under a judge” | the subject of ongoing/incomplete judicial proceedings |
| subpoena / sub poena |
“under punishment” | a demand to comply with a court request e.g. attendance in court, which imposes an automatic penalty if it is not obeyed |
| tempus fugit | “time runs away” | Time flies! |
| ter |
“three times” | as in Latin |
| ultra vires |
“beyond (his) powers” | as in Latin |
| viz. |
from viet, a contraction of videlicet – “it is permitted to see”: the “et” resembled a “z” in medieval Latin script. | it is permitted to see; namely, that is |