MC² Market & Competitive ConvergenceWordsSemper Benignus Always Helpful m. ft. (misce et fiat) — Mix and make magna cum laude [MAG-nuh coom LOUD-ay] — With great praise. See cum laude. magnum opus — A great work mandamus [man-dame-us] — We order. Writ of mandamus martinet — Someone who gives unreasonably strict orders. (Jean Martinet was a French military officer in the 17th century). French. Mata Hari &&151; French female spy & traitor, cica WWI, whose name became synonymous with treachery and deceit. Mater Dolorosa — Sorrowful mother (Virgin Mary) mea culpa — My fault maitre d' — Master of. maitre d'hôtel is the master of the hotel. French. mens conscia recti — A mind conscious of right mens sana in corpore sano — A sound mind in a sound body. (Juvenal) mis en bouteille au château — The wine was bottled where it was made. French. MO / M.O. (modus operandi) (MODE-us op-ehr-AWN-dee) — Manner or method of work characterizing a particular person's professional habits. modus vivendi — A way of living. A temporary legal settlement between contending parties. moi — Me. Often used in English as an ironic reply to an accusation: "what, me?". Can sound pretentious if over-used in English, hence the joke "pretentious? moi?". French. mon amie — My friend. French. mores — Habits, ways mot juste — Right word. Exactly the right word or expression. French. mousse — The froth that fizzes in a glass of champagne or sparkling wine as it is poured. French. MS. (manuscriptum) — By Hand. A document, particularly an ancient or historical manuscript, that was not printed, but rather drawn or written. The term is capitalized when attached to a specific document's title, and the plural form is MSS. In British usage, only the final letter typically has a period. Usage: "MS. Vercilli was found in Northern Italy, and it appears to be written in an Anglo-Saxon dialect." montani semper liberi — Mountaineers are always free. Motto of West Virginia state. mousseux — Sparkling wine. French. multum in parvo — Much in little. Compression of much into little space. Summary. mutatis mutandis (myoo-TAH-tis myoo-TAHN-dis) — With necessary changes. "Mutatis mutandis, this proof will shed new light on this old problem." Na (natrium) — Sodium. The chemical element symbol Na is from the Latin word for soda (sodium carbonate) from which sodium is extracted. nb / n.b. (nota bene) [NOH-tuh BAY-nay] — Note well. A way of saying, 'Take note of this.' nemo debet esse iudex in propria — Nobody must be a judge in his own [case]. You can't judge your own case. A basic tenet of the law. nihil obstat — There's nothing to objected to. Used by the Catholic censors when reviewing a book or a movie. When the reviewer is satisfied with the corrections, he marks it with his 'Nihil Obstat.' nihil de nihilo fit — Nothing comes from nothing. Simplified from Lucretius nil sapientiae odiosius acumine nimio — There is nothing wisdom hates more than cleverness. Seneca. noblesse oblige — My nobility makes me. Why did you give your sandwich to that poor person? Noblesse oblige. French. nolo contendere — I do not wish to contend. Came into my consciousness by the plea of nolo contendere by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew in 1968. nom de guerre — War name. Also referring to Pen name. And nom de plume is often used in U.S. French. non scholae, sed vitae — Not for school, but for life non sequitur [nahn-SEK-wit-ter] — Not following. Used to indicate a statement or conclusion that does not follow from what has gone before. nouveau riche — Newly rich. People who have earned a lot of money recently, and don't have the taste or education to know the proper way to use it. French. novus ordo seclorum — A new order of ages. United States seal. From the Roman poet Virgil. npo / n.p.o. (non per os) — Not through the mouth (not orally) nr / n.r. (non repetatur) — Do not repeat. Do not repeat the dosage. The doctor's written instructions concluded with n.r. nulli secundus — Second to none O tempora! O mores! — O the times! O the ways! obiter dicta/dictum — Said in passing. Not binding. od / o.d. (oculus dexter) — Right eye. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one drop o.d. OED / O.E.D. — Oxford English Dictionary mnium rerum principia parva sunt — Everything has a small beginning (Cicero) op. cit. (opere citato) — In the work cited. Used in footnotes. Preceded by the author's name and sometimes followed by a page number. Cf. loc. cit. op-ed — The page opposite the editoral page of a newspaper. Started in the 1970's by Harrison E. Salisbury of the New York Times. Opinion essays placed opposite the editorial page. optimis parentibus — To my excellent parents ora et labora — Pray and work. Motto of the Benedictines. os / o.s. (oculus sinister) — Left eye. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one drop o.s. ou / o.u. (oculus uterque) — Each eye. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one drop o.u. par excellence — By excellence. Quintessential, preeminent, the best of the best. French. pater patriae — Father of his country. A title bestowed by the Roman Senate on Caesar Octavianus Augustus. pax — Peace. Motto of the Benedictines. pax vobiscum [Packs VO-bis-come] — Peace be with you Pb (plumbum) — Lead. The symbol for the chemical element lead is Pb from the Latin word for lead, plumbum. The origin of plumb, plumb-bod, and plumber. pc / p.c. (post cibum) — After meals. Abbre. The instructions on the medicine bottle said to take one tablet p.c. peau de soie — Skin of silk. Soft, silky fabric with a dull finish. French. pendente lite — Pending the litigation. Because the politians case is in pendente lite, he could not comment. When the court makes an order, for example, for temporary alimony or child support, which lasts only until the date of a divorce trial or until the parties to a lawsuit work out a settlement, it is a pendente lite order. Cf. Lis pendes. per an. (per annum) — By the year. His salary was $200,000 per an. per capita — By heads per contra — On the contrary per diam (per diem) — By day. For food and lodging, the soldier was paid $100 per diem. per impossibile (pehr ihm-paws-SEE-bee-lay) — As is impossible. Qualifies a proposition that cannot be true. William F. Buckley: "For instance, for some reason I find it handier even in idiomatic exchanges to say 'per impossibile' over against, say, 'assuming that the impossible were actually to take place. 'Nor is the usefulness of per impossibile sui generis — if you see the kind of situation one is capable of falling into." per se [per SAY] — In and of itself. Example: "This argument does not force the conclusion per se, but with this added premise, the result would follow." persona(e) non grata — Unwelcome person(s), organization(s) pétillant — Slightly sparkling wine. petit-four — Little oven. Small dessert, especially cake. French. Ph. D. (Philosophiae Doctor) — Doctor of Philosophy pièce de résistance — The best part of something. "The Science Fair was excellent, but Roberto's project was the pièce de résistance." French. PM / P.M. (post meridiem) — After midday po / p.o. (Per oral) — Take by mouth. The instructions on the medicine bottle said to take one teaspoon p.o. post hoc, ergo propter hoc (POST hawk air-go PROP-ter hawk) — After, therefore because of. A common fallacy in reasoning, in which causality is ascribed to preceding conditions which were in fact irrelevent to the supposed effect. Many people with heart disease have high levels of cholesterol. Post hac, ergo propter hoc, if we lower cholesterol, there will be less heart disease. post mortem — After death. Autopsy. Because his enemy's beheading was determined to be post mortem, the samurai was disqualified from his bounty. pr / p.r. (Per rectum) — Take rectally. The instructions on the medicine bottle said to take one supository p.r. prima facie [PRIME-uh FAYSH-uh] — On its face. Indicates that a conclusion is indicated (but not necessarily proved) from the appearance of things. The prima facie evidence made O.J. Simpson a prime suspect. primum non nocere — First, do no harm. Attributed to Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Of course all his work was done in Greek. prix fixe — Fixed price. A fixed price for a complete meal; e.g., soup, salad, paste, entrée, dessert... — the opposite of 'a la carte. Syn: table d'hôte. prn / p.r.n. (pro re nata) — As the need arises. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet p.r.n. Procrustes — The stretcher. He would torture people according to their size in relation to his bed. If they were too tall he would cut their legs off, and if they were too short he would stretch them. Refers to those who goes to extraordinary measures to make ideas or people fit into categories or theories. Greek mythology. pro bono publico — For the public welfare pro forma [proh FOR-muh] — For form's sake. It was a pro forma interview — the decision to hire him had already been made. pro rata — In proportion. Where several debtors are each liable for the whole debt, they are said to be liable "in solidum" but where each is liable for his own share or proportion only, they are said to be bound "pro rata". An example of both phrases may be found in the liabilty of partners; each is liable "in solidum" for the debts of the partnership in relation to creditors, but each is liable only "pro rata" in relation to between themselves. pro tem. (pro tempore) — For the time being. PS / P.S. (post scriptum) — Written after. Indicates an afterword or footnote to a main text, and is often used in written correspondence. P.S. Send money! q (quasi) — As it were, almost. Isolated on an island, they formed a quasi government. q. (quaque) — Once, one time q.2h (quaque secunda hora) — Once every two hours. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet q.2h. qt — Quiet. He told me on the qt that we attack at dawn. qd / q.d. (quaque die) — Once every day. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet q.d. qed / q.e.d. (quod erat demonstrandum) — That which was to have been proved. Traditionally placed at the end of proofs, the QED is now usually indicated by a small square. A few students have clung to use of the traditional letters, in the hope they might be interpreted as "quite elegantly done." qef / q.e.f. (quod erat faciendum) [KWAWD eh-RAHT FAH-kee-END-um] — That which was to have been shown. Abbre. QEF. Traditionally used to mark the end of a solution or calculation. It is rarely used now. (Impress your professor by putting it at the end of exam problems.) qh / q.h. (quaque hora) — Once every hour. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet q.h. qhs / q.h.s. (quaque hora somni) — At the hour of sleep (bedtime). The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet q.h.s. qid / q.i.d. (quater in die) — Four times daily. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet q.i.d. qod / q.o.d. (quaque altera die) — Once every other day. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet q.o.d. qua [QWAH] — In the capacity of. For example, "He is usually very personable, but qua police officer he can be direct and even meaning sounding." quantum — Amount or extent. An expression used to mean the amount of money a successful claimant will receive in a court action. Also used to refer to the assessment a lawyer (usually a barrister) will make which guides a claimant on whether his case is worth pursuing. The amount is usually calculated by the judge but in some cases, notably defamation cases it is set by the jury within prescribed limits. quantum meruit — As much as is deserved. This is a legal principle under which a person should not be obliged to pay, nor should another be allowed to receive, more than the value of the goods or services exchanged. quia timet — Because he fears. A quia timet action is one a claimant may bring to obtain an injunction to prevent or restrain some threatened act, which if it is done would cause him substantial damage and for which money would not be a sufficient or appropriate remedy. quid pro quo — Something for something quo vadis? — Where are you going? St.John ch.19 v.5. Quo vadis Europe? Abbre. q.v. 1951 movie starring Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Glenn, and Peter Ustinov as Nero. quo warranto — Referring to a special legal procedure taken to stop a person or organisation from doing something for which it may not have the legal authority, by demanding to know by what right they exercise the controversial authority. qv / q.v. (quod vide) [kwawd VEE-day] — Which see. A scholarly way of directing the reader to material that can be found elsewhere within the work. Q.v. is not synomymous with cf.; the latter cross-refers to external material. raison d' être — Reason for exisiting. French. re [RAY] — Regarding. See in re. repetitio mater studiorum est — Repetition is the mother of learning res ipsa loquitur — A thing that speaks for itself. An open and shut case, In tort law, the doctrine which holds a defendant guilty of negligence without an actual showing that he or she was negligent. Its use is limited in theory to cases in which the cause of the plaintiff's injury was entirely under the control of the defendant, and the injury presumably could have been caused only by negligence. res gestae — Things done. A peculiar rule, used mostly in criminal cases, which allows hearsay if the statement is made during the excitement of the litigated event. For example, the words "stick 'em up!" used during an armed robbery would be admissible in evidence under the res gestae rule. res integra — A point not governed by an earlier decision, or by a rule of law. It therefore needs to be decided, on general principle, for the first time. Cf. res judicata. res judicata — A rule of civil law that once a matter has been litigated and final judgment has been rendered by the trial court, the matter cannot be relitigated by the parties in the same court, or any other trial court. A court will use res judicata to deny reconsideration of a matter. Cf. res integra. restitutio in integrum — Complete restoration, putting back as new rex viae — King of the road. Motto of US Army transportation unit. RIP / R.I.P. (Requiescat in pace) — May he rest in peace riparia — River. Riparian rights are special rights of people who own land that runs into a riverbank. A riparian owner is a person who owns land that runs into a river. risqué — Risky. Sexy. French. romaine — A cultivar of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) having a slender head of oblong or obovate leaves with broad midribs. Also called cos, cos lettuce. French. roquefort — A trademark for a soft cheese made from sheep's milk and ripened in caves near Roquefort, France. French blue cheese. French. rouge — Red. French. RSVP / R.S.V.P. (repondez s'il vous-plait) — Please respond. Used in invitations. French. Rubicon — To Cross the Rubicon. A phrase enjoyed by judges, and a general expression for taking a dangerous, decisive, and irreversible step or decision. The Rubicon is a river in Northern Italy crossed by Julius Caesar with his army, in violation of the orders of the leaders in Rome, who feared his power. A civil war followed, in which Caesar emerged as ruler of Rome. Rx (recipe) — To take. Often seen in the heading of a medical prescription. sang-froid — cold blood. The ability to maintain one's composure. French. savoir faire — Know-how. Synonymous with tact or social grace. French. sc. (scilicet = scire licet) — That is to say, namely. scallion — A young onion before the development of the bulb. Any of several onion-like plants, such as the leek or shallot. Food. scandalum magnum — A great stumbling block. Original meaning of scandal. scienter — Knowledge. Legally it refers to the knowledge of crime(s) or the threat of harm. For example, owners of vicious dogs may be liable for injuries caused by these dogs if they can prove the owner's scienter. scone — Biscuit-like pastry. Dutch. Sec — Dry wine. French. segue [seg WAY] — Follows. A smooth, flowing transition from one section of a musical composition to another without any pause or interruption. Opposite: Alberti. Smooth introduction to the next subject. Italian. semper benignus — Always helpful. MC⊃2 motto. Abbre. semper be semper fidelis — Always faithful. U.S. Marine Corps motto. Abbre. Semper fi semper paratus — Always prepared. U.S. Coast Guard motto. Schadenfreude — Damage + joy. Pleasure taken in the misfortune of others. Jews in Nazi-era must have felt Schadenfreude, watching the Germany lose coveted gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. Capitization is recommended. German. si post fata venit gloria non propero — If glory comes after death, I'm not in a hurry si sapis, sis apis — If you are wise, be a bee sic [sik] — Thus, so. Used with brackets, [sic] to show that a quoted passage has errors or something questionable. sic et non — Thus and No. Title of Pierre Abélard's intellectual treatise, circa early 1100's, which discusses 157 theses pertaining to various Church doctrines. sic semper tyrannis — Thus always to tyrants. Virginia state motto. sid / s.i.d (semel in die) — Once a day. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet s.i.d. sig. (signa) — A mark. Directions for patient use (the directions typed onto the medicine bottle label) follow. sine die — Without day/date. Forever. A sine die adjournment is the final adjournment of a legislative session. Adjournment without specifying a day for reconvening. sine qua non [SIN-ay kwah NAHN] — That without which nothing. Indicates an essential element or condition. Sisyphus — Sinner condemned to roll a rock uphill for eternity. A Sisyphean task. Greek mythology. Sn (stannum) — Tin. The chemical element symbol for tin is Sn from the Latin word stannum. soi-disant — Self saying. What one claims about oneself; so-called, alleged. French. soigné — Taken care of. Sophisticated, elegant, fashionable. Well-groomed, polished, refined. French. sommelier — Cellarmaster or wine steward. French. soupçon — Suspicion. Used figuratively like hint: There's just a soupçon of garlic in the soup. French. SPQR / S.P.Q.R. (Senatus Populusque Romani) — The Senate and the People of Rome. The abbreviation was used in Roman times as a part of official government documentation. Today, the phrase is used to refer generally (and sometimes pompously or ironically) to the power, glory, and bureaucracy of a major nation. Usage: "The S.P.Q.R. has spoken, and now American soldiers must obey the call to arms." sps / s.p.s. (sine prole supersite) — Without surviving issue. The phrase is used in inheritance laws to indicate that an individual has no children or legal inheritors. Usage: "Since Mrs. Peace died s.p.s., her four million dollar estate will revert to the City of Buffalo, New York." ss. (semis) — One half stare decisis — Observe precedent. A basic principle of the law. stare rationibus decidendi — Keep to the decision of past cases stat (statim) — Immediately, at once status quo — The existing state of affairs stet — To stand (The present subjective 3rd person singular of the Latin "stare"). Often used by proof readers to indicate that the original text should "stand," despite the markups to change it. STGM / S.T.G.M. (sic transit gloria mundi) — Thus passes the glory of the world. During the coronation of a new Pope, flax is burned and the words 'sic transit gloria mundi,' are recited. It's meant to represent the temporary nature of earthly glory. Popes come and go, but the papacy, one of the world's enduring institutions, continues to provide spiritual guidance to over a billion Catholics. stirpes — Descendants. Inheriting per stirpes means having a right to a deceased's estate because you happen to be a descendant of the deceased. sub judice — Under a judge. A matter that is still under consideration by a court. The opposite of per contra. You will hear of politicians declining to speak on a certain subject because the subject matter is sub judice. sub rosa — Under the rose. Secret, confidential. subpoena — Under penalty. A writ commanding a person to appear in court to give evidence. sui generis — Unique. Usage: This man, in fact, was sui generis, a true original. sui juris — Ones own right. A person who possesses full civil rights and is not under any legal incapacity such as being bankrupt, of minor age or mental incapacity. Most adults are sui juris. To make a valid contract, a person must, in general, be sui juris. summum bonum — The greatest good summa cum laude [SOOM-uh coom LOUD-ay] — With greatest praise. See cum laude. summum ius, summa iniuria — The extreme law is the greatest injustice. (Cicero) Suos Cultores Scientia Coronat — Knowledge crowns those who seek her. The motto of Syracuse University. sv / s.v. (sub voce or sub verbo) — Under the word. Used in connection with alphabetically arranged reference works. SVP / S.V.P. (s'il vous plaît) — please (or) if it pleases you (or) if you please (formal). French. table d'hote — Host's table 1: a meal served to all guests at a stated hour and fixed price 2: a complete meal of several courses offered at a fixed price. tableau vivant — Living picture. A scene made up of silent, motionless actors. French. tabula rasa [TAB-yoo-lah RAH-sah] — Blank Slate. Often refers to a person who has not yet formed prejudices or preconceptions on a given matter. Tantalus — A king allowed to partake of the nectar of the gods. He abused this privilege by stealing the divine beverage to share with his human friends. For this sin he was condemned to the Underworld, where he stood in fresh water that receded whenever he tried to drink and under a tree filled with ripe fruit always just beyond reach. The root of the word tantalize. Greek mythology. td / ter die — Three times a day. Also, see tid. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet t.i.d. te Deum laudamus — We praise thee, O Lord. The opening words to a famous Catholic hymn, The Te Deum. te morituri salutamus — We who are about to die salute you tempus edax rerum — Time devours all things tempus fugit — Time flies tempus fugit et nos fugimus in illus — Time flies and we fly with it. (Ovid) terra firma — Solid ground terra incognita — unknown land. Mars is our terra incognito. terroir — Soils. Wine makers use it to refer to the differing types of soil, climate, drainage and position of a vineyard. French. tête-à-tête — Head to head. A quiet conversation by two people about serious or intimate things is a tête-à-tête. French. tid / t.i.d. (ter in die) — Three times per day. The instructions on the medicine bottle said one tablet t.i.d. tiramisu — A cake infused with a liquid such as coffee or rum, layered with a rich cheese filling, and topped with grated chocolate. Italian. touché — Touched. In fencing (sword fighting) you say this as the other person's sword touches you. trompe l'oeil — Trick the eye. A painting style which uses perspective to trick the eye into thinking it is real. Also, trickery. French. ud / u.d. (ut dictum) — As directed. The instructions on the medicine bottle said take tablets u.d. ultra vires — Beyond strength. In excess of the power possessed. Without authority. umbrae — Shade, shadow. Evolved into umbrella (Italian for small shade), umbrage (to take offense, to feel overshadowed). Q.v. adumbrae. ultima ratio regvm — The final argument of kings. The motto of Louis XIV on his cannon. ut humiliter opinor — In my humble opinion v / v. (verso) — Reverse v / v. (versus) — Against. Roe v. Wade v / v. (vide) — See. V. 63 (see page 63). v. infra (vide infra) — See below, see later v. supra (vide supra) — See above, see earlier vade mecum [VAID-ee-MEE-kuhm] — Come with me, campanion. A handy portable reference book or other bit of pocket equipment; e.g., a Palm Pilot. vade in pace — Go in peace. Roman way of saying goodbye. vae victis — Woe to the vanquished. After the leader of the Gauls, Brennus, defeated the Romans in 390 BC, he agreed that for payment of a thousand pounds of gold, he would withdraw his army. According to Livy, when the Romans complained that weights for weighing out the gold were too heavy, a Gaulish warrior tossed his sword into the balance pan, and uttered these words. vale — farewell variatio delectat — There is nothing like change (Cicero De divinatione) vendage tardive — Late wine harvest. French. vendange — The harvest or vintage. French. veni, vidi, vici — I came, I saw, I conquered. Caesar's report from his victory in Gallium. One of the best war reports and self promotion campaigns ever. ver. sap. (verbum sat sapienti) — A word to the wise is enough. Enough said. verba volant, scripta manent — Words fly, writings remain. verbatim [ver-BATE-im] — Word-for-word. Indicates a precise transmission of a phrase, discussion, or text. verbatim et literatim — Word-for-word, Letter-for-letter varietal — A wine that is named after the grape from which it is made. veritas — Truth. The motto of the Dominicans. veritas filia temporis — Truth is the child of time. Time uncovers the truth. veritas vos liberabit — The truth will set you free verso pollice — Turned thumbs. French artist Léon Gérôme, who apparently thought the Latin verso (turned) to mean turned down, entitled his famous gladiator painting Pollice Verso (1873). To be grammatically correct, he should have entitled his work 'Verso Pollice.' At any rate, in Roman times, thumbs turned down meant to throw down the sword and spare the vanquished. Between Gérôme and Hollywood thumbs down will probably hereafter always mean woe to the vanquished. via — By way of vice versa — The other way around. The reverse. vid (videtur or ut videtur) — Apparently. A translation is marked vid if the original reading cannot be determined with absolute precision. vide [vee-DAY] — Look or see. Vide 63 (see page 63) vigneron — Vine (wine) grower. French. vin de pays — Country wine of a level higher than table wine. French. vin de table — Table wine. Law-quality wine. French. vin doux naturel — A fortified sweet wine. French. vin ordinaire — Basic wine not subject to any regulations. French. vinification — The process of making wine. vir quisque vir [Weer Kwis'-kway Weer] — Very man a man. The motto of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. virus — Poison or slime viticulture — The cultivation of grapes. Wine. viva voce — Living voice. It is said a witness delivers his evidence viva voce, when he does so in open court; as opposed to a written deposition. The people vote by ballot, but their representatives in the legislature vote viva voce. In academy, there are viva voce examinations. viva vox — An oral statement vive la différence — Long live the difference (between England and France, or between the sexes). French. vivere disce, cogita mori — Learn to live; Remember death. (sundial inscription) vivere militare est — To live means to fight (Seneca) vivos voco, mortuos plango — I call the living, I mourn the dead. (church bell inscription) viz (videlicet) [vee-DAY-lih-ket] — Namely. To improve your vocabulary, use a dictionary, viz Merriam-Webster. vl / v.l. — Varia lectio. A variant (or different) reading. Used to refer specifically to readings found in the margin of a manuscript and offered as an alternative to the reading in the text. voilà — See. Interjection used to call attention to or express satisfaction with a thing shown or accomplished: Mix the ingredients, chill, and voilà...a light, tasty dessert. From the French word voi a tense of the verb voir, to see. vol-au-vent — Flight of the wind. A very light pastry shell filled with meat or fish with sauce. French. vox pop. (vox populi) — Voice of the people vox populi, vox Dei — The voice of the people is the voice of God vs. (versus) — Against writ — A written order issued by a court, commanding the party to whom it is addressed to perform or cease performing a specified act. A writ of habeous corpus. Attributions the Armchair Grammarian |