Latin is too complicated for thickies

Malc · **Posted:** Mon Nov 03, 2008 23:23

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7705922.stm

Quote:

A number of local councils in Britain have banned their staff from using Latin words, because they say they might confuse people.

Several local authorities have ruled that phrases like "vice versa", "pro rata", and even "via" should not be used, in speech or in writing.

Quote:

Other local councils have banned "QED" and "ad hoc", while other typical Latin terms include "bona fide", "ad lib" and "quid pro quo".

But the move has been welcomed by the Plain English Campaign which says some officials only use Latin to make themselves feel important.

A Campaign spokesman said the ban might stop people confusing the Latin abbreviation e.g. with the word "egg".

Malc

Malc · **Posted:** Mon Nov 03, 2008 23:23

Egg! he Said Egg!

Malc

Pod · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2568

I hope they ban etc., etc.

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12297

Quintus est.

Bastards.

Shin · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 0:43

Quid pro quo! I love that phrase! Fuckers!!!! THOMAS HARRIS USED IT IN SOTL!!

Spinglo Sponglo! wrote:

Egg! He said egg!

Like a....
...oh I'll let Gaz do it

YOG · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 0:50

I'm probably the least snobbish person on the planet, but anybody who could mistake "e.g.:" for "egg" should have their junk blowtorched off.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

Tenner says it's lousy reporting and fact-checking, and nothing's been banned anywhere, but a stupid guideline or two (which everyone will ignore, for this is what council guidelines are made for) has been circulated by some twat or other in maybe two councils.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:42

cf. Woolfe reforms.

Dudley · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8679

sinister agent wrote:

Tenner says it's lousy reporting and fact-checking, and nothing's been banned anywhere, but a stupid guideline or two (which everyone will ignore, for this is what council guidelines are made for) has been circulated by some twat or other in maybe two councils.

In short, it's the new "Festivas"?

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:25

sinister agent wrote:

Tenner says it's lousy reporting and fact-checking, and nothing's been banned anywhere, but a stupid guideline or two (which everyone will ignore, for this is what council guidelines are made for) has been circulated by some twat or other in maybe two councils.

I'd request details for further particulars, me.

romanista · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:53

British councils misunderestimate* their people

Q.E.D.

* what a nice word to use on a day as historic as today....

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

Plain English: "Vendi, Vidi, Vici!"

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

Is it not significant that it doesn't identify any particular council?

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

davpaz wrote:

Plain English: "Vendi, Vidi, Vici!"

Ah, the capitalist creed.

Dudley · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8679

I came, I saw, I did some shopping.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:28

For the thickos

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

I lol-ed

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 25670

We should get rid of all words of a foreign origin that have been absorbed into our language, because that way we'd be left with about 20 words and nobody will be confused.

Pretty sure this is just lazy reporting, as someone has said. My brother lives in Brent, the most culturally diverse place in the country, and he is studying Latin at his (local comprehensive) school.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

I wish I'd done Latin at school. Then I could be as smug as Stephen Fry et al

...wait... et al?

Kern · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:49

You would have ended up with an intimate knowledge of Quintus and what he does in fields.

[EDIT: oh, someone's already mentioned him. I'm going back to sleep]

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

Quintus est in atrio. I remember the kids who did latin saying that a lot

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

Caecilius est Pater.

devilman · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:53

davpaz wrote:

I wish I'd done Latin at school. Then I could be as smug as Stephen Fry et al

...wait... et al?

I quite enjoyed latin at school. I can't remember much of it though except somnambulo (I sleepwalk) and semisomna (half-asleep) and a few random bits like do, dare, dedi, datum.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

Po-Tater surely?

Nemmie · **Joined:** 13th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 1643

Ad astra per aspera.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12297

Grumio culinarium circumspectat.

Canem tablem sur!!!

(Or something similar, it's been 14 years)

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:37

This is all Greek to me.

MrChris · **Joined:** 1st Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 30498

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

see, this is why i wanted to learn latin.

Cogito ergo sum left out

myp · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:40

Mr Chris wrote:

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

That's my favourite. Along with ars est celare artem. I love Latin.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

"after this, therefore because (on account) of this"

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

davpaz wrote:

"after this, therefore because (on account) of this"

Yes - it's the logical fallacy that a sequence of events is the same thing as a chain of causality.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

ah. right. philosophy or law?

myp · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:50

Craster bummed a goat and it died. It doesn't necessarily mean that him bumming it caused it to die.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38489

I get it. Tony Blair stepped down, the economy collapsed (ish). Not necessarily Gordon's fault.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:54

It's more about Craster doing bumming of goats, though.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:56

myoptika wrote:

Craster bummed a goat and it died. It doesn't necessarily mean that him bumming it caused it to die.

No, his badger stabbed it in a jealous rage.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

Craster wrote:

Caecilius est Pater.

I knew it couldn't have just been me who learned from those little cartoons. They were the best. Also, 'caecilius' is a brilliant name.

Squirt · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6534

People called Romanes, they go, the house?

Rodafowa · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 14:01

Ecce! In pictura ist puella, nomine Cornelia.

There. The only thing I can remember from 2 years of Latin. Other than how to pronounce it (e at the end of a word is never silent, v pronounced as a modern w etc).

TheAlbinoKid · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2008 **Posts:** 108

This is good... Monty Python AND Shakespeare references in the same thread

Regarding the original article, I read this on the bbc website and it did specifically mention Bournemouth (I think) Council as being involved in this idea, and it also had a representative saying that it wasn't a ban, it was just a guideline to aid clearer communication. To be honest, although I don't mind a bit of Latin knocking about, I think it's more than reasonable to ask staff to write in English instead to avoid misunderstandings.

Oh yeah, and "quis custodiet custodes ipsos?", just to show willing.

MrChris · **Joined:** 1st Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 30498

TheAlbinoKid wrote:

Oh yeah, and "quis custodiet custodes ipsos?", just to show willing.

Ah, I know that one - Samuel Vimes

TheAlbinoKid · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2008 **Posts:** 108

Dulce et decorum est pro patria dormire?

GazChap · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 15:09

You need to change your avatar, AlbinoKid vis-a-vis myoptika's de-modding.

Rodafowa · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 15:18

Ave Caesar, mouritari te salutat!

Oh, and my roleplaying-gamer nerd-o-fave - alea jacta est.

TheAlbinoKid · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2008 **Posts:** 108

GazChap wrote:

You need to change your avatar, AlbinoKid vis-a-vis myoptika's de-modding.

I think it makes me look prophetic

myp · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 15:28

Prophetic ambivalence - I've never seen that before.

TheAlbinoKid · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2008 **Posts:** 108

myoptika wrote:

Prophetic ambivalence - I've never seen that before.

It's called hedging your bets... have you never listened to David Pleat's pre-match punditry before?

Shin · **Posted:** Tue Nov 04, 2008 15:47

Carpe Jugulum

For the other TP fans

Be Excellent To Each Other

Latin is too complicated for thickies
and non english speakers

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

Latin is too complicated for thickies and non english speakers

Who is online

Latin is too complicated for thickies
and non english speakers