Latin Phrases And Their English Meanings Q Through Z

Latin phrases And Their English Meanings 

Q Through Z

I am always finding Latin Phrases handy in my everyday speech. The problem, no one knows what I am saying. Sometimes I don't even know for sure. So I have created a set of lists of some common, not so common, and some completely made up Latin phrases. 

This is not just a copy of someone else's list. I have personally gone over every line and researched the Latin roots, updated the translations and/or added variations of meaning and/or given the modern colloquial phrase equivalent (imho). I have also tried to add insight or additional references to the phrase for contextual or historical perspective. 

I have broken this up alphabetically and each table is sortable within your browser as well. Just click on a heading to to re-order the table. 

Felix et Festum!

Table of Latin Phrases Beginning H through P
Latin Phrase English Meaning | Use
Qualis pater talis filius As the Father, so is the Son | Like father like son | Father like son
Quam facilis, quam arcana! How easy, how arcane! | How easy, and how tricky!
Quam tuto libris humanae ignorantia paupertatem The free man is ignorant of poverty
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Quasi As if
Quemadmoeum gladis nemeinum occidit, occidentis telum est A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands. Lucius Annaeus Seneca the younger ca. 4 BC - 65 AD
Qui potest capere capiat Let him accept it who can. Freely: If the shoe fits, wear it.
Qui tacet consentit Silence implies consent | He who is silent agrees.
Qui vir odiosus! What a bore!
Qui vult dare parva non debet magna rogare. He who wishes to give little shouldn't ask for much.
Quid Novi. What's New?
Quid pro quo This for that | This for what? | I'll do this, what will you do? | You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours
Quidquid id est timeo puellas et oscula dantes. Whatever it is, I fear the girls, even when they kiss.
Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. Vergil, Aeneid II.49 Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur Anything said in Latin sounds profound.
Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble
Quo signo nata es? What's your sign?
Quod omne animal post coitum est triste. Every animal is sad after a copulation. - Aristotle
Quod scripsi, scripsi. What I have written, I have written. -Pilate. And he probably did speak in Latin.
Quomodo cogis comas tuas sic videri? How do you get your hair to do that?
Quos vult perdere Jovis prius dementat. Those whom he wants to destroy, Jupiter first makes angry.
Radix lecti. Couch potato.
Raptus regaliter. Royally screwed.
Rara avis A rare bird
Re vera, potas bene. Say, you sure are drinking a lot.
Recedite, plebes! Gero rem imperialem! Stand aside plebians! I am on imperial business.
Requiescat in pace rest in peace
Res melius evinissent cum Coca Things go better with Coke.
Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat. Satire is what prevents me from speaking the truth with a smile - Horace
Romani ite domus Roman go home! ---Monty Phyton's Life of Brian
Romani quidem artem amatoriam invenerunt. You know, the Romans invented the art of love.
Sane ego te vocavi. Forsitan capedictum tuum desit. I did call. Maybe your answering machine is broken.
Scio cur summae inter se dissentiant! Numeris Romanis utor! I know why the numbers don't agree! I use Roman numerals!
Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the watchmen? Juvenal
Semper Fidelis Always Faithful Motto of the US Marine Corps
Semper letteris mandate Always get it in writing
Semper Ubi Sub Ubi always wear underwear This is actually a joke told among students of Latin. It is an incorrect usage ubi really means where not wear begging a strict translation into English.
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare. I think some people in togas are plotting against me.
si hoc legere scis nimium eruditiones habes. essentially it says, if you can read this, you're overeducated.
Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinis alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes! If you can read this sign, you can get a good job in the fast-paced, high-paying world of Latin!
Si me perdis, te perdam Waste me and I'll waste you a sundial motto
Si Non Oscillas Noli Tintinnare If you don't swing, don't ring Plaque on the Playboy mansion in Chicago.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you wish for peace, prepare for war.Flavius Vegetius Renatus c. 375 AD.
Sic faciunt omnes. Everybody is doing it | So does everyone
Sic transit gloria mundi So goes the glory of the world.
Sine labore nihil Nothing without work | No work gets you nothing
sine qua non Without this (condition), no deal | A necesssity | No substitute | Nothing like it | One of a kind
sine verbis et cholera, sine pannis et pecunia. without slaps or anger, without notice of rags or riches.
Sit vis vobiscum. May the Force be with you
Sol tibi signa dabit The sun will give you signs a sundial motto from Virgil's Georgics
Solem quis dicere falsum audeat Who will dare to say that the sun is wrong? a sundial motto from Virgil's Georgics
Soli Deo Gloria. To God Alone the Glory
Sona si Latine loqueris. Honk if you speak Latin.
Spero nos familiares mansuros. I hope we'll still be friends.
Stercus accidit Feces Occurs | Poop Plops
Stercus optimum vestigium domini The master's footstep is the best fertilizer | (MBWA or "Management By Walking Around" implying things work better on the farm when the owner is around)
Studium discendi voluntate quae cogi non potest constat Quintilian Institutio Oratoria, iii Study depends on the good will of the student, a quality which cannot be secured by compulsion.
Sub rosa Under the rose | Under the sign of the rose | (In Confidence or Confidentially)
sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt Vergil: the Aeneid: these are the tears of things, and our mortality cuts to the heart
Sunt pueri pueri, puerilia tractant Children act childish, as children do
Tabula rasa A clean slate | A wiped or empty slate | A shaken etch-a-sketch | A scraped tablet | (refers to the clay tablets that while wet, could be scraped down fresh and reused) (refers to the idea in epistemology that humans are born without a preset set of ideas, notions, or predilections)
Tam exanimis quam tunica nehru fio I am as dead as the nehru jacket.
Te Amo I love you | Love ya!
Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.
Te precor dulcissime supplex! Pretty please with a cherry on top! | Pretty please with extra sugar!
Tempus amoris cubiculum non est... The time for love is not in the bedroom...
Tempus edax rerums Time devours all things quote from Roman poet Ovid
Terra firma Solid ground
Totum dependeat. Let it all hang out.
Trahimur omnes studio laudis. We are all attracted by the desire for praise.
Tum podem extulit horridulum You are talking crap | Bullocks
Ubi fumus, ibi ignis. Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant! May barbarians invade your personal space!
Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant! May conspirators assassinate you in the mall!
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant! May faulty logic undermine your entire philosophy!
Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit. Diverse grapes, through time, grow together.
Vacca foeda Stupid cow
Vademecum Go with me | Come along | Come with me
Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur. Oh! Was I speaking Latin again? Silly me. Sometimes it just sort of slips out.
Veni, Vidi, Ambulavi. I came, I saw, I walked.
Veni, vidi, deus vicit I came, I saw and God has won Polish king Jan Sobieski after defeating Turkish army on the outskirts of Vienna in XVI century
Veni, Vidi, Dormivi I came, I saw, I slept
Veni, vidi, vici I came, I saw, I conquered. Caesar
Veni, Vidi, volo in domum redire. I came, I saw, I wanna go home
Venienti occurrite morbo. Persius, Satires Meet the misfortune as it comes.
Ventis secundis, tene cursum. Go with the flow.
Verba volant, scripta manent. Spoken words fly away, written words remain.
Veritas Lux Mea The truth enlightens me / The truth is my light Motto of Seoul National University in South Korea
Vescere bracis meis. Eat my shorts.
Vidistine nuper imagines moventes bonas? Seen any good movies lately?
Vincit omnia veritas The truth conquers all
Vinum bellum iucunumque est, sed animo corporeque caret. It's a nice little wine, but it lacks character and depth.
Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. It is a wise man who speaks little.
Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio. Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway.
Vita luna Crazy life | (Life affected by the moon, as in Lunatic)
Vultur non capit muscam The vulture does not catch flies - See Aquila non copit murem.



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