Phrases

Vipassana……………………………….Cosmic awareness.
Nirvana………………………………….State of Grace.
Karma……………………………………Destiny.
Kismet…………………………………….--- : ---.
Chi………………………………………. Life force.
Hic Jacet Sepultus……………………….Here lies buried.
Sub Rosa………………………………….In secret.
Hierosolyma est perdita…………………Jerusalem is lost.
Extra ecclesiam nulla salus……………..No salvation outside the church.
Salvandorum paucitas,
damnandorum multitudo……………….Few saved, many damned.
Ignis fatuus………………………………Delusion.
Guardea Hor…………………………….Precious treasure.
Fanta fe………………………………….All is in flux.
Par Lit de Justice……………………….By Order of the King.
Gluckskind………………………………Child of Fortune.
Doctoris Philosophiae Honores.
Litterae Petitoriate……………………..Candidate’s presentation.
Soit………………………………………So be it.
Saine et sauve…………………………..Safe and sound.
La Donna Errante……………………..The Errant Lady.
A bonne mine a hauvals jeu…………..The best of a bad situation.
Res ipsa loquitor……………………….The thing speaks for itself.
In profundis…………………………….In distress.
Secundum Artem………………………According to the rules of the game.
Noli me tangere…………………………Touch me not.
Der Wechselbalg……………………….The Changeling / Monster.
La Race Blanche……………………….White race.
Le sang noire……………………………Black blood.
Race Noire………………………………Black race.
Sans mens in sano corpore…………….A healthy mind in a healthy body.
Opus Dei…………………………………Propaganda Due.
Sauve qui peut………………………….Every man for himself.
Ad nauseum…………………………….To the point of disgust.
Ex nihilo…………………………………Out of nothing.
Arriere pensee………………………….Mental reservations.
Mikko shugi…………………………….Secret.
Haram…………………………………..Forbidden by Islam.
Halal…………………………………….Islam / ritually slaughtered meat.
Allah Akbar…………………………….God is Great.
Azazel……………………………………Lucifer (Islam).
Al-nasr-lil-Islam………………………..Victory to Islam.
Akuma………………………….Devil (Jap.).
Abbadon……………………….Hell / Destruction (Heb.).
Abaya…………………………..Chador.
Avante garde………………….Trendy/ fashionable.
Auto da Fe…………………….Act of Faith.
Agnus Dei………………………Sacrificial lamb.
Au bas ventre…………………..In the stomach. (Fr.).
Ad Infinitum…………………..Without end / limit.
Au fait………………………….Fully informed / Capable.
Ad hoc………………………….For a special purpose.
Ana dheef Allah……………….I am a guest of God.
A posteriori…………………...Based on experience and observation, not theory.
A priori………………………..Based on presumption/theory, & not experience.
Bete noire……………………..Thing/person particularly disliked.
Billet-doux……………………..Love letter.
Bon mot………………………..Witty remark.
Baraka…………………………Essence of Life (Sufi).
Bene Quidem………………….A good thing.
Bon vivant……………………..Person with cultured and refined social tastes.
Casus belli……………………..Event or act used to justify a war.
Cordon sanitaire………………Closed off.
Coup d’ Etat…………………..Change by sudden violent means.
Coup de Grace…………………Killing / finishing blow / act.
Contra Hundum……………….Against the world.
Ciao……………………………..Goodbye.
Cum Laude…………………….With distinction.
De facto…………………………Existing by fact, if not by right.
De jure…………………………..Existing by law /right, even if not by fact
De trop…………………………..In the way.
De rigueur……………………….Necessary: required by tradition /custom / law.
De Gratia………………………..By the Grace of God.
Deux ex machina………………Forces that arrange the affairs, fate, of man.
Elan vital………………………..Life force.
Et uxur et filius…………………Father & son.
Eminence gris…………………..Confidential agent.
Ex parte…………………………Outside the group.
Ex post facto……………………After the fact / event.
Ex nihilo…………………………Out of nothing.
Fatwa…………………………….Theologically sanctioned order/command/act.
Felo de siecle…………………….End of the cycle.
Felo de se…………………………Suicide / self-destruction: even if unintentional.
Faux pax…… ……………………Act or remark that compromises one’s reputation.
Femme fatale…………………….Dangerously attractive woman.
Fait accompli……………………A thing done. (Done is done!).
Faux marbre…………………….Counterfeit.
Faux semblant…………………..False pretence.
Faux fuyant………………Subterfuge.
Faux jour…………………Half-light.
Folie a deux……………….Same/similar delusional ideas in two close people.
Ghutra…………………….Headrag. (Arabic).
Ghazi/s…………………….Instruments of Allah, the Sword of God.
Hapax legomena………….Thing evidenced by a single occurrence.
Haute couture…………….Most fashionable.
Haut monde……………….High society.
Infra dig…………………./.Undignified.
In toto……………………..Totally.
Idee fixe……………………An obsession.
In extremis………………..Great distress/ near death.
Ipso facto…………………..By that very fact.
Intellectus et fortitudo…….Intelligence and courage.
Lese majeste……………….Presumptuous conduct / treason.
Laisser-faire……………….Free of government restraints.
Laisser-aller……………….Unconstrained freedom.
Lex amissa………………….Infamous / outlawed person.
Lex non scripta…………….The unwritten law.
Lex talionis…………………The law of retaliation.
Magna cum laude………….With great distinction.
Mea culpa………………….Acknowledgement of personal fault or error.
Mutawwaain……………….Saudi (Islamic) religious police.
Modus vivendi……………..Practical compromise.
Non cognant………………..Know not.
Motu Propio……………….Of its own accord.
Nolo Contendre……………Not admitting, nor denying.
Nom de guerre……………..War name.
Non pareil…………………..Withou parallel.
Non compos mentis………...Insane, not responsible for one’s actions.
Non sequitur………………..Conclusion that does not follow from basic
statements or assumptions.
Per se………………………...By itself.
Pied-a-terre…………………Temporary lodgings / second home.
Piece de resistance………….Outstanding. Showpiece.
Pas trop………………………In step.
Primum non nocere………..First of all : do no harm.
Pour prendre………………..To take furlough / leave.
Pecavi………………………..I have sinned.
Quid pro quo……………….Something for something.
Quod erat demonstrandum….Which was to be proved. ( Q.E.D. ).
Raisons de coeur…………….Reasons of the heart.
Raison d’ etre……………….Reason for existence.
Roman a clef…………………Novel in which real persons, events, places,
figure under disguise.
Sinn Fein…………………….Ourselves alone.
Semper fidelis……………….Forever faithful.
Soshi…………………………Assassin. (Jap.).
Shaba………………………..Ghost. (Arabic.).
Sanzoku……………………..Jap. ancient bandit clan (secret society) still
in existence.
Tete a tete……………………Face to face. Private.
Tertium quid………………..Third party. Mid-ground.
Ut dictum……………………As directed.
Ut supra……………………..As before.
Vis a vis………………………In relation to.
Vi et armis………………….By force.
Volte face…………………….About face: in views on a subject.
Viva voce…………………….Oral examination.
Zeit- geist…………………….Spirit of the times.
Pro bono publico…………….For the public good.
Pons asinorum……………….Insoluble problem.
Memento mori……………….Reminder of death.
Panem et circenses…………..Bread and circuses.
Ex post facto…………………After the fact.
Flagrante delicto…………….Caught in the act.
Cognito ergo sum……………I think, therefore I am.
Deus ex machina…………….Desperate or contrived solution.
Caveat emptor……………….Let the buyer beware.
Alea jacta est…………………The die is cast.
Ad astra per aspera………….To the stars through difficulties.
Cognoscenti…………………..Those in the know. Intelligensia. Amor vincit omnia…………...Love conquers all.
Tabula rasa……………………The mind in a blank state
De facto……………………….Existing by fact, if not by right.
De jure………………………..Existing by right, if not by fact.
Schwein en schlippe…………..Pig in knickers.
Salus populi suprema lex …….The Welfare of the People is the Supreme Law.
Qui tacet consentire videtur….Silence gives Consent.
E. Pluribus Unum……………..Out of many, One.
Novus Ordo Seclorum……..The Beginning of a New Order of the Ages.
Jacta alea est………………..The die is cast.
Lex talionis…………………..Law of Retaliation
Felo de se……………………..Self-destruction.
Hic jacet sepultus……………Here lies buried.
Cui adhaero praeest…………Whom I support will prevail.
Far l’ora………………………Kill time.
Ex cathedra……………………With the highest authority.
Mihi in odio est ………………I hate it / dislike it.
Ab initio………………………From the beginning.
Nemo iudex in causa sua……No man should be a judge in his own cause.
Audi alteram partem………….Both sides given fair and just hearings.
Schadenfreude…………….pleasure taken in another’s misfortunes.