Tag Archives: EverythingIsBetterWithLatin!™

Surfing the Time Waves

Posted on March 29, 2025 by JE

I’m reading the minor declamations of pseudo-Quintilian in Shackleton-Bailey’s great Loeb edition. The idea is to briefly escape the current political nightmare by immersing myself in the weird little stories of these controversiae. It’s not going that well. For example: … Continue reading →

Posted in books, history, language, politics, review or meta-review, Roman history, Rome, television, words | Tagged , | Comments Off on Surfing the Time Waves

Nerves in a bundle? Fall into a morðcrundel!

Posted on February 22, 2025 by JE

I’m rereading Beowulf, preparatory to teaching it in a couple weeks to my Norse Myth class. This kind of thing always involves falling into the dictionary and getting swept away by a tide of weird words. This afternoon’s discovery is … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, art, books, fantasy, fantasy art, language, Myth & Legend, sword-and-sorcery, words, writing | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nerves in a bundle? Fall into a morðcrundel!

Garum + Chili = ?

Posted on January 11, 2025 by JE

I was trying to figure out why you couldn’t say this in Latin, then thought, “Well, it could only improve garum”, and finally realized: oh, they mean cocina latina. Some of these keywords for Bluesky feeds are deeply ambiguous. (“Conan” … Continue reading →

Posted in language, Roman history, Rome, sword-and-sorcery | Tagged , | Comments Off on Garum + Chili = ?

Kind of a Drag

Posted on January 10, 2025 by JE

Here’s the decoration for my office-door schedule this semester. In some ways I’m one of the volentes, in most ways I’m one of the nolentes, but am feeling the motion either way.

Posted in academia, cartoon, language | Tagged | Comments Off on Kind of a Drag

Masks to the Max

Posted on January 7, 2025 by JE

A rack of personae from a Latin manuscript of Terence in the Vatican Library, which always reminds me of this song by They Might Be Giants (who are, in fact, giants):

Posted in ancient art, books, music, Rome | Tagged | Comments Off on Masks to the Max

Outlaws, Were-Bears, and Skunks

Posted on September 28, 2024 by JE

I’ve been reading the Gesta Herwardi (“The Deeds of Herward” a.k.a. “Hereward the Wake”), one of the original outlaw stories from England (although it’s written not in English, but in Latin—because, no doubt, Everything Is Better With Latin!™). The Robin … Continue reading →

Posted in books, fantasy, language, Morlock, Myth & Legend, sword-and-sorcery | Tagged , | Comments Off on Outlaws, Were-Bears, and Skunks

Thrush to Judgement

Posted on July 3, 2024 by JE

I’ve been rereading Petronius’ Satyricon, to take my mind off the imminent death of democracy in America. It’s not working that well, because Trimalchio (the wealthy boor who is the anti-protagonist of his own episode in the novel) keeps reminding … Continue reading →

Posted in ancient art, art, books, language, politics, television, words | Tagged , | Comments Off on Thrush to Judgement

Pane/Counterpane

Posted on June 24, 2024 by JE

I’ve often wondered what was counter about counterpane—whether it was somehow the opposite of pane (e.g. “a pane of glass”). Turns out: no. In fact, says the AHD, Old French countrepointe is an eggcorn for coultepointe, derived from Medieval Latin … Continue reading →

Posted in words | Tagged | Comments Off on Pane/Counterpane

Hair Apparent

Posted on June 15, 2024 by JE

I was turning for comfort and relief to Seneca, as I often do, when he turned around and stabbed me in the eyeball with this triple-forked slam. He’s writing about his contemporaries who have screwed-up priorities. His contemporaries, but maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in politics, Roman history, Rome | Tagged , | Comments Off on Hair Apparent

Actis Temporibus

Posted on January 1, 2024 by JE

For a few years I’ve had a Latin version of “Auld Lang Syne” on my Latin-for-the-holidays handout, but I’ve never been crazy about it. For one thing, it erases the repetitions in the original. For another, references to drinking have … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, Adventures in the Public Domain, Christmas, language, music, writing | Tagged , | Comments Off on Actis Temporibus