Individuals & Families.

You’d probably be surprised by how much Latin you actually already know. Hundreds of words—like memo, alibi, agenda, census, veto, alias, via, alumni,affidavit and versus—are all used in everyday English, as are abbreviations like i.e. (id est, “that is”) and etc. (et cetera, “and the rest”). Even some entire Latin phrases have become so naturalized in English that we use them, in full, without a second thought—like bona fide (literally “in good faith”), alter ego (“other self”), persona non grata (“unwelcome person”), vice versa (“position turned”), carpe diem (“seize the day”), cum laude (“with praise”), alma mater (“nourishing mother”), and quid pro quo (“something for something,” “this for that”

Permanent Residence (green card) Through Marriage.

You’d probably be surprised by how much Latin you actually already know. Hundreds of words—like memo, alibi, agenda, census, veto, alias, via, alumni, affidavit and versus—are all used in everyday English, as are abbreviations like i.e. (id est, “that is”) and etc. (et cetera, “and the rest”). Even some entire Latin phrases have become so naturalized in English that we use them, in full, without a second thought—like bona fide (literally “in good faith”), alter ego (“other self”), persona non grata (“unwelcome person”), vice versa (“position turned”), carpe diem (“seize the day”), cum laude (“with praise”), alma mater (“nourishing mother”), and quid pro quo (“something for something,” “this for that”).

Besides fairly commonplace examples like these, however, English has adopted a number of much less familiar Latin phrases and expressions that go criminally underused—20 examples of which are listed here. So next time you spot a misbehaving child, or you want to seize the night rather than the day, you’ll have the perfect phrase at hand.

Waivers.

Gladiator in arena consilium capit – Seneca
“The gladiator is formulating his plan in the arena” or essentially “Too late.”

Besides fairly commonplace examples like these, however, English has adopted a number of much less familiar Latin phrases and expressions that go criminally underused—20 examples of which are listed here. So next time you spot a misbehaving child, or you want to seize the night rather than the day, you’ll have the perfect phrase at hand.

Fiancé(e) Visas.

Malum quidem nullum esse sine aliquo bono – Pliny The Elder
“There is, to be sure, no evil without something good.”

Immigration through Family.

It might seem odd to say that you’re “holding a wolf by the ears,”but auribus teneo lupum—a line taken from Phormio (c.161BC), a work by the Roman playwright Terence—was once a popular proverb in Ancient Rome. Like “holding a tiger by the tail,” it is used to describe an unsustainable situation, and in particular one in which both doing nothing and doing something to resolve it are equally risky.

For Military Families.

Malum consilium quod mutari non potest – Publilius Syrus
“It’s a bad plan that can’t be changed.”

Renew your Green Card.

Tantum religio potuit saudere malorum – Lucretius
“So potent was religion in persuading to evil deeds.”

Citizenship & Naturalization.

Fluctuat nec mergitur – Unknown
“It is tossed by the waves but it does not sink.”

Options for Children.

Faber est suae quisque fortunae – Appius Claudius Caecus
“Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.”
“Although the power is lacking, the will is commendable.”