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[FullLeatherJacket]

My old school motto was/is "lauda finem" which translates as "praise the end". It made no sense to us until we stuck "ludi" on the end (sort that out, smart alecs of the world). Sad man - I can even remember the first few lines of the School Hymn which, of course, was also written in Latin.

Our French teacher - who was   French - told us that "cul de sac" best translates as "^rsehole of the bag" - which isn't a very nice way of describing a collection of nice middle-class bungalows, is it? I wonder if anyone's told the Editor of the Daily Mail.

"Mens rea" was always my favourite Latin phrase. However, trying to get across the concept of "state of mind at the time" to a bunch of thick trainee Customs Officers was not an easy task, especially when there was always the wag who'd deliberately mis-heard it as "mens' rears". Lisps, bent wrists and mincing walks get tedious after a few courses!

The best Latin tale I've heard involved Vic (later Lord) Feather, the union general secretary. He was in court on behalf of a member whom he contended had been banged up wrongly, and came up against a real toff of a barrister for the opposition. Said Member of The Bar proceeded to harangue Vic with a stream of legalese, much of which was in Latin. Seeing Vic's eyes glaze over, the judge interrupted the barrister and asked Vic if he was familiar with the concept of habeus corpus. "O yes, M'Lud," says Mr Feather. "in Barnsley we speak of little else".

Suit yourselves!

FLJ

[meechingman]

Looking at the state of mine, it's failed its MOT, Sheerline!  :-\

[Bryan Young]

Euclid stated in his early mathematic theorems that the angles at the base of an isosceles triangle were equal. This became known as the "pons asinorum" or "The Bridge of Asses" to help inadequate students of mathematics to remember the theorem. The reason for "....Bridge...." presumably being that, ideally the legs of a simple bridge would be at the same angle. The "....Asses...." being the poor students.

The application of the expression probably comes from the fact that below par students would not proceed far beyond this level of mathematics. So, your "pons asinorum" is the last bridge you cross, having reached a level appropriate to you.

......I think!

French; "raison d'etre" best translates as " reason for existence". While we are on French, do you know there are no such expressions as "cul de sac" or "en suite" in french!

Roger in France.

Is that where we get the name "arses" from when referring to blocks and tackles?

[FullLeatherJacket]

Is that where we get the name "arses" from when referring to blocks and tackles?

My blocks and tackle are round the other side..............are sailors different, then?   

[Bryan Young]

Is that where we get the name "arses" from when referring to blocks and tackles?

My blocks and tackle are round the other side..............are sailors different, then?   

Nice one!

[tobyker]

Ah, Kennedy's Eating Primer....
All together, after me,  "A, ab, absque, coram, de; palam, cum and ex, and e; sine, tenus, pro and prae;  add super, subter, sub and in, when State, not Motion,'tis they mean.

Hic liber est meus, tectus est deus.
Si quis voletur, per collem pendetur - though that is lousy latin.

Caesar adsum jam forte,
Pompey aderat:
Caesar sic in omnibus,
Pompey sic inat.

[Peter Fitness]

Very interesting Roger.. what you say makes sense. As for cu-de-sac, I wouldn't mind betting the Brits made this one up! Any idea why we call Koln (couldn't find the umlaut on the keyboard), 'Cologne'?   

Also, in that vein, why do we call Munchen Munich, Firenze Florence, Wien Vienna etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, (as Yul Brynner sang in "The King and I")?  ???
Peter

[Peter Fitness]

After reading all the Latin in previous posts, I'm expecting you classically educated lot to break out in a chorus of "Gaudeamus Igitur" 
PS: My school motto was VITAI LAMPADA TRADUNT - translate that (I know what it means, I just want to know how good you are)  :) :)
Peter.

[elmo]

'VITAI LAMPADA TRADUNT' - 'they hand on (or carry) the torch of life' - was that Sydney C of E Grammar School then Peter?

My own school motto was 'Optima Petimus' - and our school hymn was 'To Be a Pilgrim' (right out of John Wayne that one!)  ::)

[wombat]

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur 

[elmo]

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur 

Yes, I quite agree, they certainly do! 

[malcolmfrary]

why do we call Munchen Munich, Firenze Florence, Wien Vienna etcetera, etcetera, etcetera,

Because we can.  A bit like the dog giving itself a close personal wash.

[meechingman]

Not just us that do this. The French, for example, call London Londres and Dover Douvres. We tend to anglicise all sorts of foreign names and they do the sam with ours. Of course PC-itis means that we now eat Beijing Duck, and have call centres located in Mumbai, so it's all change.

Never did do Latin, opted for 'real world' languages and did French and German, plus some Spanish and Italian. came in handy.

Now all you latin scholars can tell me the answer to this.

Sic biscuitus disintegrat - that's the way the cookie crumbles? Right, wrong? If wrong, how should it go?

Andy

[elmo]

Now all you latin scholars can tell me the answer to this.

Sic biscuitus disintegrat - that's the way the cookie crumbles? Right, wrong? If wrong, how should it go?

Andy

possibly.... 'ut via crustulum puter' ? or perhaps maybe a simple 'ut vita!'  :)

[tobyker]

Cookies are out of date - "Thats the way the Mercedes Benz" is how you say it now.

[Peter Fitness]

Absolutely correct Elmo,  good old "Shore", mind you, I left in 1953, so I'm well and truly an "old boy" 
Peter.