Comi, bibui, lascivi?

October 7, 2008 9:01 PM

Comi, bibui, lascivi. Does it mean what my friend was aiming for?

My friend (ok, it's really my husband, and yeah, it's for XBox Live) needs a motto of at or under 21 characters. What he's shooting for is "I ate, I drank, I played (or I was playful)". Did he get close with the attempt? If not, do you have any suggestions?

Even happier alternatives would also be translations of "breakfast of champions" or "I eat champions." Thank you in advance.

posted by lilywing13 to writing & language (8 comments total)

Before I start studying again...

I ate, I drank, I played (or I was playful)
Edi, bibi, lusi (or lascivi), but the disyllabic variant has more cadence.

ientaculum (breakfast) defensorum/propugnatorum/campionum/as(/d)sertorum (of champions)

or meal of champions = cena defensorum

I eat champions => Devoro defenses/propugnatores/assertores
posted by palionex at 9:36 PM on October 7, 2008

wouldn't ludi be the better verb for play? Not that I know ludi is the correct decliniation or whatever you latin nerds do to make latin work for you.
posted by troy at 10:29 PM on October 7, 2008

Isn't "lascivi" related to Latin "lascivus" which means lustful?

It's the root of the English word "lascivious", and that word was what I thought of when I saw "lascivi". That may not be what you want others to think when they see your motto.

As to "lusi", the problem is that it sounds too much like "loser".

I don't know if "ludi" is right, but if it is, it has the additional advantage of not suggesting any incorrect interpretations.
posted by Class Goat at 10:53 PM on October 7, 2008

How about Japanese?

Taberu, nomeru, zareru

食べる飲める戯れる

(Babelfish translates that as "Eat, Drink, Frolic". Would that do?)
posted by Class Goat at 11:03 PM on October 7, 2008

You guys rock!
I'll run everything by the guy and mark best answers sometime tomorrow.
Thanks again!
posted by lilywing13 at 11:27 PM on October 7, 2008

Yeah, I would say edi, bibi, lusi.

I thought the same as Class Goat regarding lascivi. Ludo is a better verb to use. Ludi isn't right, though - that's either the genitive of ludus (play or game - noun) or the present passive infinite (i.e. "to be played", or something similar). Lusi works fine.

Note that it's bibi, not bibui. (The verb forms are bibo, bibere, bibi, bibitus.)
posted by badmoonrising at 5:30 AM on October 8, 2008

I suppose lascivious is the most familiar derivative, but lascivio also has a primary textual meaning of playing in the sporty kind of way.

As badmoonrising stated, ludi isn't the right form to use.

If "lusi" doesn't work for him, here are some alternatives:

rui = I destroyed
vici = I conquered (as in veni, vidi, vici)
fregi = I shattered/crushed
posted by palionex at 8:54 PM on October 8, 2008

Yes, I gave everyone best answers. Thank you all very much for the thought-out answers to help with a fun thing.
posted by lilywing13 at 10:17 PM on October 8, 2008