Latin

[Aquagility]

Can anyone remind me the words of the pseudo-latin tag meaning "don't let the ba$tard$ grind you down"? something like "illigitimate nil carborundum".

[pauln90]

Almost right it is

Illegitimus Non Carborundum

[Aquagility]

Thanks, pauln90.

[Quizmonster]

"Illegitimi non carborundum" is the version I've always been familiar with. 'Illegitimus' would mean there was only one of them...even in cod Latin!

[Aquagility]

Thanks, Q. There's never only one of them!

[Count_Emmup]

I've always assumed the above referred to 'cod-Latin', but can anyone give the authentic Latin translation of the phrase?

[Quizmonster]

Ne patere haud legitimi te molare.
That translates literally word by word as, 'Do not suffer (allow) the not legitimate (by birth) you to grind (down).

As regards 'authentic', I think we can take it that neither Cicero nor Virgil ever expressed any such concept!

[knoddy]

Always known as " Non illegitimus carborundum" in my days, but that was a long time ago.

[Count_Emmup]

Ne patere haud legitimi te molare.
That translates literally word by word as, 'Do not suffer (allow) the not legitimate (by birth) you to grind (down).

I stand overwhelmed by the erudition of the contributors to this forum!

[Count_Emmup]

What about the other one?
Semper nela excreta, solo vare de profundis

Always in the sh�t, it's only the depth that varies.

[Quizmonster]

Count, As in most languages, there are many ways of expressing the same thought in Latin. The one I offered was just my stab at it and I certainly did not intend to give it an exclusive air of correctness or erudition. It might well be that a Classics lecturer at Cambridge would provide quite a different response...or even laugh my effort out of court! Still...thanks for the kind thought.

Knoddy, There are many variants. Sometimes the b-word ends in -us, sometimes -is, sometimes -i. Sometimes it was 'ne' and sometimes 'non' for the 'don't' part. Hardly surprising, as it wasn't real Latin, after all. The whole phrase started life as a military 'motto', I believe, and most soldiers' grasp of Latin was rudimentary at best! Cheers

[Vesper99]

My favourite is
Age fac ut gaudiam
= Go ahead, make my day!

[cointreau]

Just as an aside...this rather a late answer, but Past Times sell cufflinks which they claim to express the sentiments in your mail, but I presume it is a different form of Latin because the cufflinks say: Noli Nothis Permittere Te Terere. I don't know anyone who would wear them, though!