Latin Quotes and Latin Phrases - O & P

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O

O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane! - Ah, human cares! Ah, how much futility in the world! (Lucilius)
O di immortales! - Good heavens! (uttered by Cicero on the Senate floor)
O diem praeclarum! - Oh, what a beautiful day!
O praeclarum custodem ovium lupum! - An excellent protector of sheep, the wolf! (Cicero)
O quam cito transit gloria mundi! - O how quickly passes the glory of the world!
O sancta simplicitas! - Oh, holy simplicity! (Jan Hus)
O tempora, O mores! - Oh, the times! Oh, the morals! (Cicero)
O! Plus! Perge! Aio! Hui! Hem! - Oh! More! Go on! Yes! Ooh! Ummm!
Obesa cantavit - The fat lady has sung
Obiit (ob.) - He/she died
Obiter (ob.) - In passing
Obiter dictum - Something said in passing - parenthetical remark
Oblitus sum perpolire clepsydras! - I forgot to polish the clocks!
Obscurum per obscurius - The obscure by means of the more obscure
Obsta principiis - Resist the beginnings - Nip it in the bud
Occasio aegre offertur, facile amittitur - Opportunity is offered with difficulty, lost with ease. (Publius Syrus)
Occasio facit furem - Opportunity makes a thief
Oderint dum metuant - Let them hate provided that they fear. (Seneca)
Odi et amo - I hate (her), and I love (her) (Catullus)
Odium theologicum - Theological hatred. (a special name for the hatred generated in theological disputes)
Olevm addere camino - To pour fuel on the stove adding gasoline to a fire
Olevm perdisti - You have lost oil you've wasted your time on this criticism for a misallocation of resources
Olim habeas eorum pecuniam, numquam eam reddis: prima regula quaesitus - Once you have their money, you never give it back: the 1st rule of acquisiton
Olim - Formerly
Omne ignotum pro magnifico est - We have great notions of everything unknown. (Tacitus)
Omne initium est difficile - Every beginning is difficult
Omne trium perfectum - Everything that comes in threes is perfect
Omne tvlit pvnctvm qvi miscvit vtile dvlci - [he] has gained every point who has combined [the] useful [with the] agreeable
Omnes aequo animo parent ubi digni imperant - All men cheerfully obey where worthy men rule. (Syrus)
Omnes deteriores svmvs licentia - Too much freedom debases us
Omnes lagani pistrinae gelate male sapiunt - All frozen pizzas taste lousy
Omnes una manet nox - The same night awaits us all. (Horace)
Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat - All (hours) wound, the last kills. (inscription on solar clocks)
Omnia iam fient quae posse negabam - Everything which I used to say could not happen will happen now. (Ovid)
Omnia mea mecum porto - All that is mine, I carry with me. (My wisdom is my greatest wealth) (Cicero)
Omnia mihi lingua graeca sunt - It's all Greek to me
Omnia mors aequat - Death equals all things
Omnia munda mundis - Everything is pure to pure ones
Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis - All things change, and we change with them
Omnia mutantur, nihil interit - Everything changes, nothing perishes. (Ovid)
Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis - All things are changing, and we are changing with them
Omnia vincit amor - Love conquers all
Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori - Love conquers all things; let us too surrender to love. (Vergil)
Omnium gatherum - Assortment
Omnium rerum principia parva sunt - Everything has a small beginning. (Cicero)
Onus probandi - The burden of proof
Opere citato (op. cit.) - In the work just quoted
Optimis parentibus - To my excellent parents. A common dedication in a book
Optimus magister, bonus liber - The best teacher is a good book
Opus Dei - The work of God
Ora et labora - Pray and work. (St. Benedict)
Ora pro nobis - Pray for us
Oratvr fit, poeta nascitvr - An orator is made [but] a poet is born
Orbes volantes exstare - Flying saucers are real
Orbiter dictum/dicta - Said by the way (miscellaneous remarks)
Orcae ita - Pretty straightforward
Ore rotundo - With full voice
Osculare pultem meam! - Kiss my grits!
P

Pace tua - With your consent
Pace - By leave of
Pacta sunt servanda - Agreements are to be kept. (Cicero)
Pactum serva - Keep the faith
Pallida mors - Pale Death. (Horace)
Palmam qui meruit ferat - Let him who has earned it bear the reward
Panem et circenses - Bread and circuses. Food and games to keep people happy. (Juvenalis)
Par pare refero - I return like for like tit for tat retaliation
Parens patriae - Parent of the country
Pares cvm paribvs - Like persons with like persons. Birds of a feather flock together
Pari passu - With equal pace - moving together
Pars maior lacrimas ridet et intus habet - You smile at your tears but have them in your heart. (Martialis)
Particeps criminis - Partner in crime
Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus - Mountains will be in labour, and an absurd mouse will be born. (all that work and nothing to show for it)
Parva leves capiunt animas - Small things occupy light minds (small things amuse small minds)
Parva scintilla saepe magnam flamam excitat - The small sparkle often initiates a large flame
Passim - All through
Pater familias - Father of the family
Pater historiae - The father of history
Pater Noster - Our Father (The first words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin)
Pater patriae - Father of the country
Patria est communis omnium parens - Our native land is the common parent of us all. (Cicero)
Patris est filius - He is his father's son
Paucis verbis, quid est deconstructionismus? - What, in a nutshell, is deconstructionism?
Paucis verbis - In a few words
Pavesco, pavesco - I'm shaking, I'm shaking
Pavpertas omnivm artivm repertrix - Poverty [is the] inventor of all the arts necessity is the mother of invention
Pax et bonum! - Peace and salvation!
Pax tecum - May peace be with you (Singular)
Pax vobiscum - May peace be with you (Plural)
Pax - Peace
Peccatum tacituritatis - Sin of silence
Peccavi - I have sinned
Peculium - Property
Pecunia in arbotis non crescit - Money does not grow on trees
Pecunia non olet - Money has no smell. Money doesn't stink. (don't look a gift horse in the mouth) (Vespasianus)
Pecvniate obedivnt omnia - All things obey money. Money makes the world go round
Pede poena claudo - Punishment comes limping. Retribution comes slowly, but surely. (Horace)
Pendente lite - While a suit is pending
Penetalia mentis - The innermost recesses of the mind. Heart of hearts
Per accidens - By Accident
Per angusta in augusta - Through difficulties to great things
Per annum (p.a.) - Yearly
Per ardua ad astra - Through difficulties to the stars
Per aspera ad astra - Through the thorns to the stars
Per capita - Per head
Per cent (per centum) - Per hundred
Per contra - On the contrary
Per diem - Per day; daily allowance
Per fas et nefas - Through right or wrong
Per impossibile - As is impossible a way to qualify a proposition that cannot ever be true
Per mensem - Monthly
Per procurationem (per pro) - By delegation to
Per se - By or in itself
Per varios usus artem experientia fecit - Through different exercises practice has brought skill. (Manilius)
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim - Be patient and tough; some day this pain will be useful to you. (Ovid)
Periculum in mora - There is danger in delay. (Livy)
Perpetuo vincit qui utitur clementia - He is forever victor who employs clemency. (Syrus)
Perpetuum mobile - Perpetual motion
Perscriptio in manibus tabellariorum est - The check is in the mail
Persona (non) grata - (un)welcome person
Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantes - Flatterers are the worst type of enemies
Pessimus inimicorum genus, laudantes - The worst kind of enemies, those who can praise. (Tacitus)
Petitio principii - An assumption at the start
Philosophum non facit barba! - The beard does not define a philosopher. (Plutarch)
Pictor ignotus - Painter unknown
Pinxit - He/she painted it
Pistrix! Pistrix! - Shark! Shark!
Placebo - I will please. Medical expression for remedies with no medical effect, which improve one's medical condition only because one believes they do
Placet - It pleases
Pleno iure - With full authority
Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate - Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily
Plusque minusque - More or less
Plvres crapvla qvam gladivs - Drunkeness [kills] more than the sword. As true today on the road as it ever was
Poeta nascitur, non fit - The poet is born, not made
Poli, poli, di umbuendo - Slowly, Slowly we will get there
Pone ubi sol non lucet! - Put it where the sun don't shine!
Posse (posse comitatus) - The power of the country
Possunt quia posse videntur - They can because they think they can
Post bellum - After the war
Post coitem - After sexual intercourse
Post factum - After the fact
Post hoc ergo propter hoc - After this, therefore because of this
Post hoc - After this
Post meridiem (p.m.) - After midday
Post mortem - After death. (nowadays, the autopsy performed by a coroner)
Post obitum - After death
Post partum - After childbirth
Post proelia praemia - After the battles come the rewards
Post scriptum (ps) - After what has been written
Post tenebras lux - After the darkness, light
Postatem obscuri lateris nescitis - You do not know the power of the dark side
Potes currere sed te occulere non potes - You can run, but you can't hide
Potest ex casa magnus vir exire - A great man can come from a hut. (Seneca)
Potestatem obscuri lateris nescis - You don't know the power of the dark side. (Star Wars)
Potius mori quam foedari - Rather to die than to be dishonoured (death before dishonour)
Potius sero quam numquam - It's better late than never. (Livy)
Praemonitus, pramunitus - Forewarned, forearmed
Praetio prudentia praestat - Prudence supplies a reward
Prehende uxorem meam, sis! - Take my wife, please!
Prescriptio in manibus tabellariorium est - The check is in the mail
Pretium iustum est - The Price is Right
Prima facie - At first sight; on the face of it. (in law, an obvious case that requires no further proof)
Primum mobile - Prime mover
Primum non nocere - The first thing is to do no harm. (Hippocratic oath)
Primum viveri deinde philosophari - Live before you philosophize, or Leap before you look
Primus inter pares - First among equals
Principiis obsta - Resist the beginnings
Pro bono (pro bono publico) - For the good of the public
Pro di immortales! - Good Heavens!
Pro et contra - For and against
Pro forma - As a matter of formality
Pro hac vice - For this occaision
Pro memoria - For a memorial
Pro nunc - For now
Pro opportunitate - As circumstances allow
Pro patria - For one's country
Pro rata - In proportion to the value. (per hour for example)
Pro re nata (prn) - For an occasion as it arises
Pro se - On one's own behalf
Pro tanto - So far
Pro tempore (pro tem.) - For the time being
Probae esti in segetem sunt deteriorem datae fruges, tamen ipsae suaptae enitent - A good seed, planted even in poor soil, will bear rich fruit by its own nature. (Accius)
Probatum est - It has been proved
Probitas laudatur et alget - Honesty is praised and left in the cold. (Juvenal)
Promotor fidei - Promoter of the faith
Promoveatur ut amoveatur - Let him be promoted to get him out of the way
Propino fibi salutem! - Cheers!
Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris - It is human nature to hate a person whom you have injured
Proxime accessit - He/she came close
Proximo (prox.) - Of the next month
Proximus sum egomet mihi - I am closest to myself. (Charity begins at home.) (Terence)
Pueri pueri, pueri puerilia tractant - Children are children, (therefore) children do childish things
Pulvis et umbra sumus - We are dust and shadow. (Horace)
Purgamentum init, exit purgamentum - Garbage in, garbage out
Puris omnia pura - To the pure all things are pure
Puri sermonis amator - A lover of pure speech. (Terence)

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