Although English is a Germanic language, it’s heavily influenced by Latin. Early Europeans traded with Latin speakers in the Roman Empire, and later, Catholic monks wrote religious texts and conducted services in Latin. Though few English speakers know Latin today, many of our words have roots in this ancient language. We could go on ad infinitum (forever) about the influence of Latin on the English-speaking world, but instead, let’s learn the roots of the most common Latin phrases we use today.

Ad Hoc

“Ad hoc” literally means “to this,” but it essentially describes things created as needed, or when necessary. “Ad hoc” can be used as either an adjective (“We formed an ad hoc committee to plan the gala”) or an adverb (“Let’s buy the supplies ad hoc”).

Bona Fide

The literal Latin translation of this phrase is “with good faith,” but in modern usage, “bona fide” is another way of saying “genuine” or “sincere.” When used as a legal or business term, it means there was no intent to defraud or deceive. (“He was a bona fide expert in personal finance.”)

Carpe Diem

Read today as “seize the day,” this phrase comes from the Roman poet Horace and is more accurately translated as “pluck the day.” It encourages us to enjoy the moment without worrying about the future. (“She was determined to carpe diem on her vacation.”)

Caveat Emptor

“Let the buyer beware” puts the onus (another Latin word meaning “burden”) on the person buying an item to know and understand the risk inherent in their purchase. (“Caveat emptor is a good approach when selecting a used car.”)

Deus Ex Machina

“God from the machine” sounds like a sci-fi plot, but this comes from ancient Greek theater traditions. At the end of some Greek plays, a machine would raise or lower an actor playing a god onto the stage, and he would then resolve the conflict of the narrative. Today, “deus ex machina” (still mostly used as a literary device) refers to anyone or anything who suddenly and unexpectedly provides a solution.

In Flagrante Delicto

Literally “in blazing crime,” the idiom “in flagrante delicto” loosely translates to “caught in the act.” This often refers to a crime, but it can also be a euphemism for sexual activity. (“When we opened the door, we saw them in flagrante delicto.”) It’s sometimes shortened to just “in flagrante.”

In Media Res

“In media res,” meaning “in the midst of things,” is a literary device that describes a story that begins in the middle of the action or plot. (“My favorite novelists tend to start a story in media res.”)

In Memoriam

As a preposition, this means “in memory of,” and as a noun, it’s a synonym (often used as a modifier) for an obituary. These are works created in memory of someone who has died. (“The actor’s photo was shown on the in memoriam photo reel.”)

Magnum Opus

Directly translated as “great work,” this is an artist’s most significant work or achievement. (“Many believe the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is Michelangelo’s magnum opus.”)

Mea Culpa

“Mea culpa,” or “by my fault” is a phrase that comes from the Roman Catholic mass, where it is said during a confessional prayer. It’s a way of acknowledging personal fault or error. (“She offered a mea culpa for forgetting my birthday.”)

Non Sequitur

“It does not follow” — a non sequitur is a statement that does not clearly or logically follow the one before it. (“They were talking about the weather when he brought up a non sequitur about his new car.”)

Persona Non Grata

A persona non grata is an unwelcome person. As the translation suggests, you don’t want to become a persona non grata. (“The accused man was persona non grata among his former friends.”)

Quid Pro Quo

“Something for something,” or “quid pro quo,” is when something is given in return for something else. It can be a fair exchange of goods and services, but the phrase also has meaning in legal context, because if a deal is considered one-sided, courts can decide a quid pro quo did not exist. (“The job negotiation was on a quid pro quo basis.”)

Veni, Vidi, Vici

“I came, I saw, I won.” This phrase is popularly attributed to Julius Caesar when he achieved a quick military victory in modern-day Turkey and sent this message back to the Roman Senate. (“After she won the chess tournament, the champion shouted, ‘Veni, vidi, vici.’”)
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One of the many quirks of the English language (and most languages) is our knack for twisting words into proverbs, phrases, and idioms. But often, the literal meaning of those word combinations makes no sense at all.

Even more often, native speakers are so used to hearing and using these sayings that they don’t even think about the meaning. They just instantly understand the phrasing due to familiarity and context.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of idioms out there. Here, we’ll survey a few of the most well-known —  see if you know what they really mean.

Sick as a Dog

In 17th-century Britain, people often associated dogs with vomiting a lot; that’s where this saying comes from. If you’re sick, especially with your head in a toilet, you’re sick as a dog.

Every Dog Has His Day

Even the mangiest among us will have a good, triumphant day at some point. This saying could be offensive, or could be used to inspire hope.

Close, but No Cigar

At fairs and carnivals of yore, cigars were often given as prizes for some of their games. As we all know, fair games are often quite unfair. Rigged near-misses are common, so many players’ results would have been close, but no cigar.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Similar to “the grass is always greener on the other side,” the idea here is that things may appear nice from a distance, but the reality is often not what you thought it would be. While the notion has been around for a long time, its original form comes to us from the Bard himself. Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, 1596, has the line as “all that glisters is not gold.“

When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do

Often shortened to simply “when in Rome,” this phrase has expanded far beyond referencing the Italian city. It is now used to justify any behavior that could be attributed as specifically popular in the local setting, such as dining late in Spain or cheek kisses in France.

All’s Fair in Love and War

There are few experiences more extreme than being in love or involved in a war. Anything is fair under these circumstances. Using the phrase suggests that rule applies to all intense situations; any behavior is justifiable.

Among the Blind, the One-Eyed Man Is King

To borrow another cliché, it’s all relative. Even a person with few skills is better than a person with no skills.

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder

The beauty of a person, place, view, or anything else is an abstract, subjective concept. The value is determined by the person who is experiencing it. Beauty is down to interpretation, and something uninspiring to one person could be breathtaking to another.

Beggars Can’t Be Choosers

Those reliant on the generosity of others must accept what they are given, and cannot influence what they receive. It’s another way of telling someone they can’t be too picky.

Curiosity Killed The cat

Investigating other peoples’ business, or things that you have no involvement in, can have bad results. Be careful what you stick your nose into.

Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

Nothing in life is guaranteed, so don’t count on potential good things until that potential has been realized.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

If you put all your hopes into one thing, and that thing doesn’t work out, you’ll be in trouble. Sometimes, baskets break or fall, and that’s bad news for the eggs inside them.

It Takes Two to Tango

If a situation involves more than one person, then the responsibility of the outcome lies with both parties.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

The external appearance of a book gives almost no information compared to the thousands of words contained inside it. This idea applies to more than just books. A person’s looks have very little, if anything, to tell you about who they are within.

Do you know what your friends from Maine mean when they talk about the horrors of mud season? Or why on earth people from Rhode Island love to eat cabinets? Look below for 10 New England slang words and in no time you’ll be telling people how wicked it is to go leaf peeping.

Bubbler

In the rest of the country, you quench your thirst at a water fountain or a water cooler. In New England (particularly Massachusetts), it’s a “bubbler,” most likely because of the bubbling and babbling sound. Props to you if you say it with a broad Boston accent, turning the “r” into a broad “ah” sound.

Carriage

“Grocery cart” is the self-explanatory term in most of the country, but in New England, they’re known as “carriages.” And if you hear “buggy,” you’re talking to someone from the South.

Clicker

While other states know this as the TV remote, New Englanders refer to this device as the “clicker.” Again, getting the name from the sound — the clicking noise of the buttons as you push them to change the channel.

Frappe

In most of the United States, milkshakes are made with ice cream, milk, and syrup, or flavoring. In New England, a “milkshake” is only milk and syrup (but it’s not just chocolate milk — it’s shaken and frothed until light and foamy). A “frappe” (pronounced “frap”) is the thicker version that includes ice cream.

New England bonus: Cabinets are the Rhode Island-specific name for a frappe. Why? Well, you keep your blender in the cabinet, of course.

Grinder

The special sandwich that has meat, veggies, and cheese on a long roll is traditionally known as a “sub” (unless you’re eating a “hoagie” in Pennsylvania). In New England, it’s called a grinder for unknown reasons. Just be sure to ask for a grinder in the deli and you’ll get the sandwich you crave.

Leaf Peepers

“Leaf peeper” refers to tourists who come to New England to drive slow, eat doughnuts, and look at the changing leaves throughout the fall season. New England has a lot of pride in its beautiful fall foliage and leaf peepers are a welcome tradition. The nickname is said with affection.

Mud Season

Any New Englander will tell you it’s “mud season” with a groan of pain. Existing after the dead of winter but before spring, “mud season” is cold and gray, but that’s just warm enough that the ground turns to mud. The mud gets everywhere — in the car, in every establishment or home you walk into, on your clothes — and it’s just cold enough so the mud sometimes freezes, only to melt again and get everywhere. Plan your visit for another time.

Rotary

Instead of a roundabout (the traffic control where you drive in a circle, exiting and entering on a curve), New Englanders call it a rotary. And there are a lot of them.

Tag Sale

In most of the country, people hold yard or garage sales: a weekend event where you put items for sale on your front lawn and sell them to people walking by. In New England, they’re called “tag sales,” most likely because of the tags you attach to the items you want to sell.

Wicked

If you’ve ever mocked, or admired, a Boston accent, you already know this one. “Wicked,” particularly around Massachusetts, is an intensifier of very, such as “wicked hard” or “wicked beautiful.” It’s a useful catch all, and it’s a wicked easy way to tell if someone’s from the area.

Sometimes an abbreviation will become so ubiquitous that it replaces the full word or phrase. Some of the words you use every day started out as acronyms before they became common vocabulary. Sometimes they evolve through common usage and other times they’re copyrighted. Make sure to R.S.V.P. for this language lesson.

First, an important distinction: An “acronym” is created from parts of a phrase or longer words, and is pronounced as a new word (NASA, PIN). An “initialism” is a similar abbreviation, but the individual letters are pronounced: FBI, DNA, for example.

SCUBA

You can’t get your SCUBA certification without learning what this acronym stands for. It means “Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus,” which is a pretty straightforward description of the equipment and the activity.

TASER

This one originated in a pulp fiction series. It stands for Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle, named after the title character’s weapon in the 1911 book of the same name (by Victor Appleton, apparently a pseudonym). The weapons’ functionalities differ, but it’s interesting how fiction finds its way into real life.

RADAR

Lots of technological terms are acronyms. A long string of words isn’t always easy to remember, so industry jargon evolves into regular vocabulary. “RADAR” stands for “Radio Detection and Ranging” — at least this one makes a little more logical sense than TASER, right?

SONAR

Similar to “RADAR,” “SONAR” refers to a different type of ranging. Instead of radio detection, this one’s all about using sound to navigate — it stands for “Sound Navigation Ranging.”

LASER

There’s a reason “LASER” goes by the acronym and not its full name — “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.” It might make sense when it’s written out, but that’s a lot to remember.

CARE Package

You might send these types of parcels because you care, but that’s not what they’re named for. “CARE” stands for “Cooperative for American Remittances,” an organization that helped send packages from Americans to their friends and family in Europe after World War II. The original CARE packages contained macaroni, cornmeal, Carnation chocolate drink mix, and dried milk.

SMART Car

No, Smart cars weren’t named for their genius capabilities. “SMART” is an acronym that stands for “Swatch Mercedes Art.” It’s a pretty big name for such a tiny car, but that’s the name Swatch and Daimler Benz agreed on for their collaboration.

CAPTCHA

You’re not imagining it. It sounds exactly like what it was created to do — capture. The “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart” was always intended to be an acronym, and it’s a lot less work than saying the whole thing.

SPAM

Maybe you’ve eaten SPAM before, but do you know what the acronym means? It stands for “Shoulder of Pork and Ham” — though whether it tastes like its namesake is up for debate.

YAHOO!

Yes, even search engines and company names are acronyms. This one is “Yet Another Hierarchically Officious Oracle.” This tech conglomerate is still hanging on, but its overly long name doesn’t mean much anymore.

Canola Oil

There’s not a canola plant, but you can still find this all-purpose cooking oil in many a pantry. It comes from the rapeseed plant, but that’s a loaded name to try to sell. Canadian scientists made the rapeseed oil better suited for cooking, and now you can purchase “Canada Oil, Low Acid.”

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It’s no secret that Americans borrow phrases from other countries. To quit something “cold turkey” (abruptly) came from Canada, and the Brits taught us that you can’t “have your cake and eat it, too” (have it both ways). But Americans have created plenty of their own sayings, so jump on the bandwagon and learn more about these popular idioms and expressions.

Break a Leg

Meaning: Good luck

To non-English speakers, this might sound insulting to hear before a big performance, but “break a leg” actually means “good luck” in the theater lexicon. It originated in 20th-century American playhouses, born from the superstition that saying “good luck” might have the opposite effect. The expression could have been adapted from the German phrase “Hals-und Beinbruch” (meaning “neck and leg break”), which likely came from a Hebrew blessing that sounded similar, “hatzlakha u-brakha” (“success and blessing”).

Putting Lipstick on a Pig

Meaning: To make superficial changes in an attempt at making something more favorable

Swine cosmetics aren’t the latest trend — this saying is actually a valuable lesson in life. It suggests that you can dress something up, but that doesn’t change what it is. From Charles H. Spurgeon’s 1887 collection of proverbs, the saying, “A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog,” might have inspired the American saying, which wasn’t recorded for another century. The first written account of the lipstick phrase dates to a 1985 article from The Washington Post, discussing plans of a park renovation that locals felt should be much grander, with a radio host commenting, “That would be like putting lipstick on a pig.”

Shoot the Breeze

Meaning: To gossip or talk idly

We all “shoot the breeze” from time to time, but this idiom has nothing to do with projectiles and everything to do with small talk. This phrase emerged in the mid-20th century when “breeze” was slang for “a rumor.” One of the earliest recorded examples of the phrase dates to 1937 in the Indiana Weekly Messenger, which included the quote, “I’m no cop. I just wanted to shoot the breeze with you.” This expression might have evolved from the earlier saying “shoot the bull,” taken from the phrase “bull session,” which described an informal gathering for discussion.

Jump on the Bandwagon

Meaning: Support what is already popular

American showman P.T. Barnum popularized the term “bandwagon” in the mid-19th century, but today it deals with much more than the circus. A bandwagon was originally a large vehicle that carried the musical act during a circus or a parade and was used to draw a crowd of spectators. Today, it is a metaphorical wagon that fans “jump” on en masse to support their favorite sports team, politician, or celebrity. A bandwagon can also denote a party, cause, or movement. Whatever the entity is, it attracts more and more attention because of its mass appeal.

Plead the Fifth

Meaning: Remain quiet

Non-Americans might be confused with this phrase, which refers to the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It protects citizens from self-incrimination, known as the “right to remain silent.” Americans also use this as slang when they don’t want to answer a question (but obviously did something wrong), as in, “Who ate the last piece of pizza? I plead the fifth!” The Fifth Amendment has been around since 1791, but “pleading the fifth” as an expression didn’t emerge until the 1950s.

In the Nosebleeds

Meaning: The highest (and cheapest) seats

With these nosebleeds, you’ll need to trade in the tissues for binoculars. In America, these seats are the cheapest and highest in a stadium or venue — they’re the farthest from the stage or field. The expression comes from the high altitude of the seats, alluding to the idea that an attendee could suffer from a nosebleed up there. It first appeared in the 1950s to describe seats in American football stadiums, and gained traction in the 1980s. The British also have a fun nickname for these seats — “the gods.”

Riding Shotgun

Meaning: Sitting in the passenger seat

American kids might exclaim, “I call shotgun,” before a road trip — something that could be very puzzling to a foreign bystander. The idea of a shotgun seat dates to the Wild West, when an armed man rode beside the driver on a stagecoach (a public transportation coach pulled by horses) to protect passengers from would-be attackers. Hollywood Westerns popularized the phrase “riding shotgun,” and by the 1950s, it was a common slang term used by American kids.

Green Thumb

Meaning: Great at gardening

No need to rush your green thumbed friend to the doctor — the expression simply means that they are excellent at growing plants. The term was first recorded in the Ironwood Daily Globe as “horticultural slang” in 1937. The British version of this is “green fingers,” which dates to the 1906 novel The Misses Make-Believe by Mary Stuart Boyd. There are several entertaining theories about where these phrases came from. The most amusing involves King Edward I’s love of peas. Whichever of his workers had the greenest thumb did the most work (shelling the most peas) and would be honored. A more likely scenario is the color green’s association with plants, or the algae that grows on potted plants that gets all over gardeners’ hands.

Sounding Like a Broken Record

Meaning: Repetitive

If someone or something is repeating over and over again (usually to the point of being annoying), it sounds like a broken record. When a vinyl record is scratched or dented, its needle might get stuck, causing that section of music to play on repeat. From this annoying occurrence, a popular idiom was born. Though the phonograph (early record player) was invented in 1877, this expression wasn’t coined until the 1930s.

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Let’s talk pronouns. Pronouns are words that replace nouns. “It” is a pronoun that replaces an item such as a book. “Did you bring your book home? I need to borrow it.” Or a pronoun can replace a name. Those are personal pronouns such as “he, she, we, they, us, them, etc.” There are 23 personal pronouns (and counting!) but we’re going to talk about another type of pronoun: indefinite pronouns.

Indefinite pronouns are used when you don’t know (or care) what the specific noun is, but you just need to indicate that there is a noun. Indefinite pronouns include: each, either, both, several, neither, nothing. Then there are the indefinite pronoun pairs: anybody/anyone, everybody/everyone, nobody/no one, somebody, some one. How do you know which pronoun to use?

Let’s break down the difference between each pronoun pair, along with some examples and mnemonic devices to help you remember which word to use. By the end of this lesson, nobody will feel left behind and someone will feel good about when to use each word.

Somebody vs. Someone

“Somebody” is an indefinite pronoun. It refers to an unnamed, unspecified person. Maybe you know the name, but it isn’t relevant to the situation. If you are living in a home with several people, you might say, “Did somebody lock the door?”

You know the names of the people who live with you. But it isn’t important who locked the door. It’s just important that it was done by somebody.

“Someone” is also an indefinite pronoun, but it has a slightly different use. “Someone” is considered to be slightly more formal than somebody. If you were writing a term paper, or a professional email, it would make more sense to use the word “someone” over “somebody.”

Examples:

“Someone will come get you when the doctor is ready.”

“Can somebody bring a bag of ice for the party?

A helpful trick to remember which word to use is that someone has an “n” in it, as does the word “professional.” Somebody doesn’t have an “n,” and it doesn’t need to be used in more professional settings. Aside from the formal/informal connotations of the two pronouns, they can be used interchangeably.

Nobody vs. No One

The distinction between “nobody” and “no one” is the same as the “some” pronouns. The two words are synonyms with slight nuances for the usage of one over the other.

“Nobody” is a pronoun, just like “somebody,” and it means not any person. Although “nobody” is generally singular, it’s also sometimes used as a plural indefinite pronoun, which just means that it doesn’t specify whether plural or singular, and it doesn’t indicate gender.

Example:

“Even though I planned my party months in advance, nobody has RSVP-ed yet.”

You could easily substitute “no one” into the above sentence, and it wouldn’t change the meaning, aside from indicating that the setting for the sentence was a more formal one.

Example:

“No one will be in the office over the holiday weekend.”

Bottom Line

Pronoun rules are made to be broken. If you are writing a paper for a professor or a formal letter, “no one” and “someone” might seem more appropriate. However, the “-body” pronouns will still get your meaning across. Also, the same can be said for anyone/anybody and everyone/everybody. In all of these pronoun choices, the words that have “body” in them are more informal.

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If you’ve ever met someone with a true Scottish brogue, you’ll know that it’s often quite difficult to understand him or her even if you’re a native English speaker. Perhaps part of the problem stems from the fact that the Scots pepper quite a few uniquely Scottish words into conversation. Try a few of these Scottish terms in your best burr.

Couthy

Remember this word (pronounced KOO-thee) for its relation to the words “cozy” and “couch.” It only makes sense that couthy means a comfortable place or a warm, friendly person.

Howff

Travelers might potentially end up at a couthy howff since howff (howf) is a beloved meeting place like a neighborhood pub.

Blether

While at the pub, folks might have a blether (BLEH-thuh) with a friend. Blether means to gossip and catch up — typically over a cup of tea or a pint of beer.

Skelf

A splinter or sliver of wood is referred to as a skelf. A “shelf” could also be called a skelf, according to a Scotsman.

Fankle

Get tangled up in something, and you’ve fankled it. It can also be used as a noun. For example, getting involved in a debate over what a Scotsman said would be a fankle.

Glaikit

A glaikit (GLAY-kit) is a Scottish insult. To call someone a glaikit, means they’re stupid, foolish, or thoughtless. Use this word sparingly!

Scran

To enjoy hearty plate of haggis means you’re eating scran — a dish of sustenance in Scotland.

Keek

A number of Scottish words are cousins to English words. Keek rhymes with “peek” and has a similar meaning. It means to stealthily peep at someone or something.

Gallus

Gallus is similar to the word “gallant” and both words refer to something bold and daring.

Dreich

Scotland (and the United Kingdom in general) is particularly known for its gloomy, overcast weather. When the sky is grey, call it dreich (dreekh).

Kenspeckle

Good luck flying under the radar in Scotland. A particularly recognizable or conspicuous person is known as kenspeckle.

Braw

This word is pronounced like “brah” and refers to anything exceptionally nice. For example, visit your bro’s new apartment and say the view is braw. If something’s beyond great, it’s “pure barry.”

Guddle

Rhyming with “puddle,” this verb refers to fishing with your hands under stones or along the banks of a stream.

Peely-Wally

Telling someone he or she doesn’t look well generally isn’t a nice comment to make. At least if you say he or she looks a little peely-wally, it softens the blow.

Boggin

Remember the boggart from “Harry Potter”? A bog is a type of a swamp, so use this word to describe anything filthy or disgusting.

Radge

Combine crazy, rage, rambunctious, and even unfair and you’ve got radge, which can be applied to both a person or a situation.

Haud Yer Wheesht

Mamas will chide their children with this admonishment that essentially means “be quiet.”

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