A puerile joke I’ve been making since schooldays when our motto was carpe diem is that it actually means “seize the fish”. Of course, it actually means “fish of the day” (see Garden, G. ISAHUC) and in a similar educational vein, a few more:
In loco parentis – Mum and Dad are coming by train after lockdown
Audio hostem – It’s my house, I get to choose what records to put on
Quid pro quo – The Italian branch of Poundland, just behind the Colloseum Bingo hall
Caveat emptor – we’ve run out of Spanish bubbly again
Status Quo – the same thing over and over again and again deeper and down, down down…
Contra spem spero – What the Romans used for birth control
Cui bono – Everyone knows about him out of U2
Pro bono publico – Yes, he gets everywhere
Contra bonos mores – There can only be one Paul Hewson…surely?
Ratio legis – one lower limb longer than the other
Respice finem – Cooking with saffron is really expensive, but worth it
Sic vita est – I had far too much rye bread and cottage cheese
Ubi sunt – Taxi hasn’t turned up
Extra omnes – Really delicious
Veritas cum libertate – Got arrested when playing the piano in a diamond-encrusted furcoat
A posteriori – Just a bum who thinks they’re better than you
Post mortem – So is the mail guy
Vox populi – Talk to the trees
Sine loco – Old-fashioned rollercoaster that just goes up and down
Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus – My train finally arrived but I got to listen to the whole of Rush’s “Caress of Steel” on the journey
Pro forma – ordering sanitaryware online
Pro tanto – The Lone Ranger voted for his sidekick
Quantocius quantotius – I’d really like to take another trip to Australia soon
Deus ex machina – Facebook
A priori – Just a priory
Anno Domini – We only get take away pizza once a year
Pax Christi – Posted the last of the Yuletide pressies
Cacatum non est pictum – Use a bag when clearing up after your dog
Magister dixit – In court for sharing “rude” selfies
Alter ego – To stop being so self-centred
Corpus Christi – All town, no gown
Ubi amor, ibi dolor – Yellow cabs are great, but very expensive
Per se – Where Canadians put their loose change and lipstick
Dramatis personae – Always making a fuss about nothing
Pontifex Maximus – Really big darning needles
Ex cathedra – They demolished a big church?!?!
Ex officio – Used to go out with the co-worker in the next cubicle
Pacem in terris – Yorkies and Jack Russells can run quite fast
Pacem in terris – Yorkies and Jack Russells can all get into tight spaces
Laudetur Jesus Christus – I can barely hear the vicar
Cum laude – Shhh…you’ll wake the neighbours
Ab initio – I got DB tattooed on my belly
Ab intestato – Beer belly
Agnus Dei – 14th June, a celebration of grannies
Et Cetera – Peter’s jazz singing sister
Quod erat demonstrandum – I’ve shown you my thigh muscles, now show me yours
E pluribus unum – Family motto of her out of “Till death us do part” who also played Aunt Sally in “Worzel Gummidge” something about not worrying what time the tram arrives
Loads more from friends and contacts on a Facebook thread I started here.