Latatian Phrases

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Most residents of Ankh-Morkpork speak Morporkian. However from time to time Latatian is used particularly by certain Guilds such as Guild of Lawyers and by the College of Heralds to make excruciating puns.

Legal Phrases

  • Ab Hamo - "Off The Hook"
  • Acquiris Quodcumquae Rapis - "You Get What You Grab" - (Another term for "Eminent Domain" (Jingo), otherwise described as 'naked theft by the government' (Thud!)).
  • Depositatum De Latrina - "Gone Down The Toilet"
  • Excretus Est Ex Altitudine - "Strongly reprimanded" (more or less)
  • Exeo Carco Cum Nihil Pretii - "(I) Get Out Of Jail Free."
  • Mea Culpa - "My Fault" - a confession of guilt. Not likely to be used by a lawyer speaking in the first person...
  • Olfacere Violarum - "Smelling Of Violets"
  • Pro Bono Publico - "For The Public Good" - (ie a legal service performed for free. To a lawyer, this is the equivalent of an exorcism to a demon, or the very worst possible -ing that can be spoken. (The Truth)).
  • Quia Ego Sic Dico - "Because I Say So" - An argument which carries a great deal of procedural and precedential weight, especially when used in legal debate by the Patrician, Havelock Vetinari. (Making Money)
  • Sini Plenis Piscis - "Pockets Full Of Fish" - a man who is pushed into a lake and comes up with his pockets full of fish has in fact benefited from being so pushed, and therefore cannot accuse the pusher of assault. A very old precedent, apparently. (The Truth)

Medical phrases

  • Mortis Portalis Tackulatum - "Dead As A Doornail"
  • Ped Fecundis - "Fertile Feet"
  • Pyrocerebrum Ouerf Culinaire - "You Could Fry An Egg On His Forehead"

Zoolological taxonomy

Animals

Plants

  • Allium Sativum - "Sown/Planted Garlic" - (The Common Domestic Garlic) - (Reaper Man).
  • Phallus Impudicus - "Shameless/Impudent Phallus" -- A Toadstool (Men at Arms - Nobby's love of mushroom omelettes)

Mottos

  • Fabricati Diem, Punc - "Make My Day, Punk" - The modern Ankh-Morpork City Watch motto - (Sergeant Colon, however, maintains this means "To Protect And Serve")
  • Fabricati Diem, Puncti Agunt Celeriter - "Make The Day, The Moments Pass Quickly" - personal motto of King Veltrick I, and the motto for the original incarnation of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch
  • Merus In Pectu Et In Aquam - "Pure In Heart And In Water" - Ankh Morpork
  • Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides - "Now You See It, Now You Don't" - The motto of Unseen University.
  • Quanti Canicula Illa In Fenestra - "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window" - Ankh Morpork
  • Ad Urbem Pertinet - "It's All About the City" (text on the paper money in Making Money)

Guild Mottos

Family Mottos

  • Ars Enixa Est Candelam - "Art Brought Forth The Candle" - Mr. Arthur Carry (Candlemaker's guild)
  • Carpe Jugulum - "Seize The Throat" - de Magpyr family Motto
  • Faber Est Quisqve Fortunae Suae - "Every Man Is The Maker Of His Own Fortune" - The Duke of Sto Helit, (Mort's predecessor.)
  • Futurus Meus Est In Visceris - "My Future Is In (The) Entrails" - Mr. Gerhardt Sock (president of the Butcher's guild)
  • Homo Homini Lupus - "Every Man Is A Wolf, (To Other Men)" - von Uberwald (Angua's) family Motto
  • Non Sumet Nullus Pro Responso - "She Won't Take 'No' For An Answer" - Sybil Ramkin Family
  • Non Timetus Messor - "Fear Not The Reaper" - Sto Helit family Motto.
  • Protego Et Servio - "(I) Protect And Serve" - Vimes Family Motto
  • Quis Habemus Servamus - "What We Have, We Keep" - Ramkin Family Motto
  • Quod Subigo Farinam - "Because I Knead The Dough" - Mr. Rudolph Potts (Baker's guild)
  • Si Non Confectus, Non Reficiat - "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It" - Vetinari Family Motto

Other Mottos

  • Cuius Testiculos Habes, Habeas Cardia Et Cerebellum - "When you have their full attention in your grip, their hearts and minds will follow" - Motto of the Omnian Quisition, (now abolished.)
  • Obliviscor - "I Forget" - Klatchian Foreign Legion
  • Veni Vidi Vici - "I Came, I Saw, I Conquered" - personal Motto of General Callus Tacticus

Other Latatian phrases

  • Corpus Derelicti - "Body of the Crime" (Men at Arms)
  • Via Cloaca - "Sewer Way" (discovered by Lance-Constables' Detritus and Cuddy in Men at Arms)
  • Ab Hoc Possum Videre Domum Tuum - "I Can See Your House From Here". A boast and a threat used by the old Morporkian Empire and Carcer.
  • Adorno Maximus, Magister - "Suits You, Sir!" - Leonard of Quirm's declaration on designing Rincewind's spacesuit, (The Last Hero).
  • Avé! Duci Novo, Similis Duci Seneci! and Avé! Bossa Nova! Similis Bossa Seneca! - both are variants on a theme of "Meet the new boss! Same as the old boss!" - Cited by Mr. Slant in Night Watch.
  • Depositatum De Latrina - "Gone Down The Toilet" - (Feet of Clay)
  • Doctorum Adamus con Flabello Dulci - "Doctor of Sweet Fanny Adams" - honorary degree almost awarded by Unseen University to Prince Khufurah.
  • Lagunculae Leydianae Non Accedunt - "Batteries Not Included" - Engraved by Neoldian on the golden falchion under the words "For the Strongest".
  • Magavenatio Obtusis - "Witch-Hunting For Dummies" - by Miss. Perspicacia Tick (Witch)
  • Memento Mori - "Remember, you are mortal"
  • Morituri te salutant - "Those Who are About to Die, Salute You"
  • Morituri Nolumus Mori - "Those Who Are About To Die Don't Want To" (roughly translated) - Rincewind's dubious motto for flight of the kite in The Last Hero.
  • Porcupinos Non Sodomy Est - "The Hedgehog Can Never Be Buggered" - (Coined by Nanny Ogg to make the Hedgehog song sound posher).
  • Potest-Ne Mater Tua Suere, Amice - "Can Yer Mother Sew, Pal?"
  • Primus Inter Pares - "First Among Equals" or "First Among Peers".
  • Quid Pro Quo - "This For That": a fair exchange
  • Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes - "Who Watches the Watchmen?"
  • Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes Qui Custodes Custodiet - "Who Watches The Watcher Of The Watchmen?"
  • Sodomy Non Sapiens - "Buggered If I Know", exclaimed by Albert in Mort
  • Stercus, Stercus, Stercus, Morituri Sum - "Oh Shit, Oh Shit, Oh Shit, I'm Gonna Die". - A Rincewind quote.
  • Veni, Vermini, Vomui - "I came, I got ratted (became drunk), I vomited". - Jingo: Vimes is contemplating General Tacticus' motto.
  • Visi, Veneri, Vamoosi - " I visited, I caught an embarrassing disease, I ran away" - another alliterative phrase with V.
  • Vis-Ne Faciem Capite Repletam - lit. "Would You Like A Face Which Is Full Of Head."

See also

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