Customer Reviews

Latin for Even More Occasions

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After Beard's first book, 'Latin for All Occasions', one might say this book is a case of deja vu, or prius visum, as the Latin would have it.

Who said Latin wasn't useful? Henry Beard, in this volume and its predecessor, demonstrates that it is very useful, and not just for identifying a dish on a menu in Rome that looks suspiciously like the Latin word for 'eel'.

This volume begins on a fun note: French sounds even better in Latin:

Savoir faire = Scire facere
Nouveau riche = Novissime locupletatus
Merde! = Merda!

From there we proceed to philosophy:

Cogito, ergo sum
Sum, ergo edo.
Cogito sumere potum alterum.
(I think, therefore I am. I am, therefore I eat. I think I'll have another drink.)

And lest we forget, the memorable Latin phrase for use at a toga party:

Toga! Toga! Toga!
(memorise this, for it will be on the test)

There are things in this volume for sports fans, pop culture fans, those about to celebrate and those who want to be casual. If you want to sound intelligent while saying you think you've just spotted Elvis in the crowd, this book can tell you how to bring up the subject intelligently.

If Caesar had had this book, he might have rephrased his famous utterance as Veni, vidi, nates calce concidi! (I came, I saw, I kicked butt!).

Divinissimum est!

Proving once again, some people have far too much time on their hands. And we are more fortunate for that!

This book and its predecessor (Lingua Latina Occasionaibus Omnibus) will make anyone who struggled through Latin 101 the division of Gaul into three parts proud to be a Latin speaker. A great tool for Classics teachers who want to make Latin a living language for students doing translation, and wonderful for those of us who want to know how to say "I hate Astroturf" in the world's most distinguished language.

Having passed the first 2 years of Latin (failing the third miserably), AND having married a Latin teacher, you have to admit there IS a certain IRONY to that...and that's where Henry beard comes in...

His impeccable tongue-in-cheek manner of illustarting how Latin has been (and can be) used in our language is not only one of the best learning tools I have encountered, but also one of the most humorous!

He leaves no stone unturned in his pusuit to avail us of just how "commonplace" a "dead" language can be in everyday conversation.

He covers things such as sports, great books, snappy comebacks, and even a letter to Santa...!!!

He's like the George Carlin of ancient Rome...only without the blue language, (imho)...this is informative AND hilarious at the same time!

A must read..even if you never studied Latin (or failed it like I did)!

As a whole, the book is mildly amusing. But it is full of great material to use at the bottom of e-mail signatures. Impress your friends! *Age . . . Fac ut gaudeam*.

About 90 % of this book is the very same identical entries that were in his first book, "Latin of all Occasions"

Unless you are a Latin scholar or a linquist, this is not the book for you, don't waste your time or money. I got a copy from the library and did not buy it

Good phrases, very helpfull!