Thinking back, a long, long way back, to my schooldays in England I recall our school motto: Laetus Sorte Mea, which, translated = Happy In My Lot. We, pupils of the Bridlington High School for Girls, carried it on the pockets of our green/black/white striped blazers and a smaller version on our green, and hated, hats.
High School/Grammar School in England back then was quite different from High School in the USA....I'd venture that it was a much more serious undertaking for pupils. We experienced no such entertainments as Prom Nights, ego boosting graduation ceremonies, or undue emphasis on sport - just solid work and a high degree of discipline much of the time. From Junior Schools at age 11 pupils had to pass "the eleven-plus exam", which was supposed to separate the more academically inclined kids from more practical souls. I somehow managed to pass into mini-academia, had to travel 12 miles by train to attend to the girls' High School in Bridlington.
The lovely old school building has now been converted to apartments. Education moved on apace from those days of academic and gender-segregation, without, as far as I could see, any improvement in quality.
Anyway - back to business: why not a Latin motto for each zodiac sign? Here are a few appropriate ones, offered in some cases with tongue in cheek:
ARIES
Primus inter pares - First among equals
Ex tempore - Off the cuff, without preparation
TAURUS
Consuetudinis magna vis est - The force of habit is great.
Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem - It is difficult to suddenly give up a long love.
GEMINI
Audio, video, disco - I hear, I see, I learn
Facilius est multa facere quam diu - It is easier to do many things than to do one for a long time.
CANCER
Veni, vidi, volo in domum redire - I came, I saw, I want to go home.
Est queadam fiere voluptas - There is a certain pleasure in weeping.
LEO
Magister mundi sum! - I am the master of the universe!
Veni, Vidi, Visa - I Came, I Saw, I Shopped.
VIRGO
Mens sibi conscia recti - A mind conscious of its rectitude.
Abutebaris modo subjunctivo denuo - You've been misusing the subjunctive again.
LIBRA
Pro et contra - For and against.
Audiatur et altera pars! - Let us hear the opposite side!
SCORPIO
Nemo me impune lacessit - No one provokes me with impunity.
Corruptio optimi pessima - Corruption of the best is worst.
SAGITTARIUS
Primum viveri deinde philosophari - Live before you philosophize, or Leap before you look.
O diem praeclarum! - Oh, what a beautiful day!
CAPRICORN
Pecuniate obediunt omnia - All things obey money.
Labor omnia vincit - Work conquers all things.
AQUARIUS
Omne ignotum pro magnifico est - We have great notions of everything unknown.
Vox populi - The voice of the people.
PISCES
Pulvis et umbra sumus - We are dust and shadow.
Poeta nascitur, non fit - The poet is born, not made.
PS Altus Quinque as in post title = High Five
High School/Grammar School in England back then was quite different from High School in the USA....I'd venture that it was a much more serious undertaking for pupils. We experienced no such entertainments as Prom Nights, ego boosting graduation ceremonies, or undue emphasis on sport - just solid work and a high degree of discipline much of the time. From Junior Schools at age 11 pupils had to pass "the eleven-plus exam", which was supposed to separate the more academically inclined kids from more practical souls. I somehow managed to pass into mini-academia, had to travel 12 miles by train to attend to the girls' High School in Bridlington.
The lovely old school building has now been converted to apartments. Education moved on apace from those days of academic and gender-segregation, without, as far as I could see, any improvement in quality.
Anyway - back to business: why not a Latin motto for each zodiac sign? Here are a few appropriate ones, offered in some cases with tongue in cheek:
ARIES
Primus inter pares - First among equals
Ex tempore - Off the cuff, without preparation
TAURUS
Consuetudinis magna vis est - The force of habit is great.
Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem - It is difficult to suddenly give up a long love.
GEMINI
Audio, video, disco - I hear, I see, I learn
Facilius est multa facere quam diu - It is easier to do many things than to do one for a long time.
CANCER
Veni, vidi, volo in domum redire - I came, I saw, I want to go home.
Est queadam fiere voluptas - There is a certain pleasure in weeping.
LEO
Magister mundi sum! - I am the master of the universe!
Veni, Vidi, Visa - I Came, I Saw, I Shopped.
VIRGO
Mens sibi conscia recti - A mind conscious of its rectitude.
Abutebaris modo subjunctivo denuo - You've been misusing the subjunctive again.
LIBRA
Pro et contra - For and against.
Audiatur et altera pars! - Let us hear the opposite side!
SCORPIO
Nemo me impune lacessit - No one provokes me with impunity.
Corruptio optimi pessima - Corruption of the best is worst.
SAGITTARIUS
Primum viveri deinde philosophari - Live before you philosophize, or Leap before you look.
O diem praeclarum! - Oh, what a beautiful day!
CAPRICORN
Pecuniate obediunt omnia - All things obey money.
Labor omnia vincit - Work conquers all things.
AQUARIUS
Omne ignotum pro magnifico est - We have great notions of everything unknown.
Vox populi - The voice of the people.
PISCES
Pulvis et umbra sumus - We are dust and shadow.
Poeta nascitur, non fit - The poet is born, not made.
PS Altus Quinque as in post title = High Five
8 comments:
GP: Ceterum censo essa lingua esse delendam! (Why bother with Latin - but your post is funny!)
Anonymous/Gian Paul ~~ A bit of daftness, GP -
dare pondus idonea fumo
(fit only to give weight to smoke)
;-)
GP: Your Latin is far better than mine. I stopped studying it seriously when my Latin professor started hating me (his wife who was an English teacher at the same school had put a make on me - and I was totally innocent in all of that).
Anonymous/Gian Paul ~~
No better than yours, I feel certain, GP. I followed my nose for assistance, to the multitude of websites offering Latin phrases.
Latin was a favourite study of mine though - along with French and English. Mathematics? No chance - maths, apart from straightforward arithmetic, were an unknown language I struggled with and dropped asap - and remain so to this day.
on petram (rock on!), Twilight! Very amusing!
Linea ~~ Altus quinque!!
:-D
Subridio meo.
(you made me smile!)
And I do agree on the slippage of educational standards.
XO
WWW
Wisewebwoman ~~
Bene vale! WWW ! (Be very well)
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