This is not "Veritas liberabit vos"
May 12, 2014 11:48 AM Subscribe
I am designing a coat of arms, as a gag, that would have the Latin equivalent of "Just to piss you off" as the motto. It just doesn't quite cut it in English. Can this be easily translated into a Latin equivalent?
I don't think the Google Translate answer is really even close: "Ad urinam pedum off iustus es." Any thoughts from our esteemed corps of Latin scholar Mefites?
I don't think the Google Translate answer is really even close: "Ad urinam pedum off iustus es." Any thoughts from our esteemed corps of Latin scholar Mefites?
Best answer: I'll try:
Modo ut tu offensus sit
Literally, "Only so that you might be offended." You could also use indignans or iratus in place of offensus.
posted by Maecenas at 12:13 PM on May 12, 2014
Modo ut tu offensus sit
Literally, "Only so that you might be offended." You could also use indignans or iratus in place of offensus.
posted by Maecenas at 12:13 PM on May 12, 2014
Bah, additional research indicates that using tantum instead of modo might preferable.
posted by Maecenas at 12:16 PM on May 12, 2014
posted by Maecenas at 12:16 PM on May 12, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks, Maecenas. That's headed in the right direction.
Singing Fish: General crudeness will work if the sentiment is the same. Thanks!
posted by flyingrock at 12:35 PM on May 12, 2014
Singing Fish: General crudeness will work if the sentiment is the same. Thanks!
posted by flyingrock at 12:35 PM on May 12, 2014
Best answer: "Irritamentum irae" means "incitement to anger", and has a nice alliterative ring.
If you just want a urine reference, my trusty copy of Adams' Latin Sexual Vocabulary quotes Petronius saying "Qui non valet lotium suum", a useful proverb which translates as something like "He who is not worth his own piss". You could tweak that to something like "Valet lotium tuum" (It's worth your piss).
posted by yarntheory at 7:21 PM on May 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you just want a urine reference, my trusty copy of Adams' Latin Sexual Vocabulary quotes Petronius saying "Qui non valet lotium suum", a useful proverb which translates as something like "He who is not worth his own piss". You could tweak that to something like "Valet lotium tuum" (It's worth your piss).
posted by yarntheory at 7:21 PM on May 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Non valet lotium meum
It's not worth my piss.
Non vales lotium meum
You're not worth my piss.
Mind you, it's a tertiary meaning of valere, and it's getting away from your initial request.
Solum ut te exacerbet
Only so that it might irritate you. (I'm not completely sold on solum, and tantum with ut can lead to other expectations, but it's late and I have work in the morning, so -)
posted by IndigoJones at 8:03 PM on May 12, 2014
It's not worth my piss.
Non vales lotium meum
You're not worth my piss.
Mind you, it's a tertiary meaning of valere, and it's getting away from your initial request.
Solum ut te exacerbet
Only so that it might irritate you. (I'm not completely sold on solum, and tantum with ut can lead to other expectations, but it's late and I have work in the morning, so -)
posted by IndigoJones at 8:03 PM on May 12, 2014
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posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:09 PM on May 12, 2014