Category Archives: language

Wearing the Mask

Posted on September 30, 2023 by JE

I’m rereading Seneca’s De Beneficiis, using Kaster’s shiny new OCT edition, and came across this crunchy line: hanc personam induisti: agenda est.—Seneca, De Beneficiis 2.17.2“You’ve put on this mask; you have to act out the part.” Seneca’s line is almost … Continue reading →

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Vale!

Posted on September 14, 2023 by JE

Whenever I see a news item about Romney, I think it’s about the English artist who did such great drawings of Orpheus and Eurydice. I am always disappointed. This is made even worse by the fact that the artist’s first … Continue reading →

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Eldritch Lore of Lightning, Stars, and Magic

Posted on August 10, 2023 by JE

On Facebook, Michael Swanwick mentioned a historical (or maybe apocryphal) episode when the Pope invited Etruscan seers to use lightning magic to defend Rome against Alaric and his Ostrogoths. It’s a pretty good story, whether or not it’s actually history. … Continue reading →

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Antiquus sed Bonus

Posted on July 13, 2023 by JE

Igpay Atinlay by Antgray Idersnay.

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Words to Live By

Posted on July 11, 2023 by JE

“When you’re cooking lentils, don’t add perfume” (ὅταν φακῆν ἕψετε μὴ ‘πιχεῖν μύρον). –Strattis Comicus (whoever he was)

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Not Feeling SANQUINE About This

Posted on July 6, 2023 by JE

Yet another Faceplace ad that falls between sad and funny. I’m pretty sure the Latin on this very serious “blood oath” coin is supposed to mean “what is owed in blood” (quod debitum sanguine) only they misspelled “blood” as SANQUINE, … Continue reading →

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Latin Makes Your Teeth Shiny White!

Posted on July 5, 2023 by JE

I had occasion to use the word vademecum today, which doesn’t happen that often, but whenever it does I’m reminded of Vademecum toothpaste, which my mom used to use. This may be the first piece of Latin I ever learned … Continue reading →

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A Fuzzy Thing Happened…

Posted on June 28, 2023 by JE

Typo of the day is trible (where I intended to type tribe). It caused me a little trouble.

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To Werror Is Human…

Posted on June 14, 2023 by JE

Typo of the day is werror (where I intended to type error). I figure a werror must be some kind of mutant werewolf produced by an experiment gone horribly wrong. “They were neither human nor wolf! You will never escape … Continue reading →

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Serifer Madness

Posted on June 12, 2023 by JE

I know lots of people love the sans-serif type of font, but I hate its guts because it elides a significant distinction, between lower case L and upper case I, both appearing as the same glyph. For highly literate people … Continue reading →

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