| The other day at a staff meeting, one of my | | | | One aspect of Amo, Amas, Amat that is |
| co-workers was talking about a project that had | | | | particularly helpful is that the author will |
| gone badly off the rails. "Per angusta ad augusta," | | | | occasionally translate a phrase using an equivalent |
| I said as he concluded his tale of woe. Everyone | | | | English expression that might not be a |
| looked at me -- uncomprehendingly, of course. | | | | word-for-word rendering (although he does |
| "You know ... through difficulties to honors," I said. | | | | provide the exact translation in the follow-up |
| Now, I am definitely no Latin scholar, but I do | | | | paragraph). |
| arrive at staff meetings armed with several | | | | An example: "Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus" |
| memorized phrases from the ancient tongue, | | | | is translated as "You can't win 'em all," but a more |
| ready to whip them out whenever the occasion | | | | precise rendering would be, "Sometimes even |
| permits. My source? It's a breezy little tome titled, | | | | good Homer dozes." Ehrlich offers the history |
| Amo, Amas, Amat and More; How to Use Latin | | | | behind this phrase, which helps us to understand |
| to Your Own Advantage and to the | | | | why our common expression about not being able |
| Astonishment of Others. Its author is Eugene | | | | to "win 'em all" is indeed a good way to translate |
| Ehrlich, a renowned dictionary editor and | | | | the Latin in this case. |
| contributor to other books about words. | | | | Amo, Amas, Amat includes an introduction by |
| The book is straightforwardly presented, with the | | | | William F. Buckley, Jr., as well as an index to the |
| Latin phrases given in alphabetical order. Each | | | | English translations, which makes for a nice |
| entry consists of the phrase followed by a | | | | cross-reference. |
| phonetic rendering to assist in pronunciation, then | | | | Amo, Amas, Amat was published by Harper |
| its English translation and finally, in most instances, | | | | & Row Publishers of New York; ISBN # |
| an explanatory paragraph to help elucidate the | | | | 0-06-181249-8. |
| more mysterious of the offerings. | | | | |