Illegitimi non carborundum

Illegitimi non carborundum

Illegitimi non carborundum is a mock-Latin aphorism meaning "Don't let the bastards grind you down". (Carborundum is an industrial abrasive material.)

Contents

History

The phrase originated during World War II. Lexicographer Eric Partridge attributes it to British army intelligence very early in the war (using the plural dative/ablative illegitimis). The phrase was adopted by US Army general "Vinegar" Joe Stillwell as his motto during the war.[1] It was later further popularized in the US by 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.[2]

Generations of Harvard students have taken the phrase into the world, as it is the first line of an unofficial school song Ten Thousand Men of Harvard, the most frequently played Fight song of the Harvard Marching Band. This is, to some extent, a parody of more solemn school songs like "Fair Harvard thy sons to your Jubilee throng" etc. The first verse goes:

Illegitimum non carborundum;
Domine salvum fac.
Illegitimum non Carborundum;
Domine salvum fac.
Gaudeamus igitur!
Veritas non sequitur?
Illegitimum non carborundum—ipso facto!

Variants

There are many variants of the phrase, such as

  • Nil illegitimi carborundum.
  • Non illegitimis carborundum.
  • Illegitimi nil carborundum.
  • Non illegitimi carborundum.
  • Nil bastardo carborundum.
  • Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
  • Illegitimis non carborundum.
  • Illegitimus non carborundum est.
  • Nil illegitimo in desperandum carborundum
  • Nil carborundum illegitamae
  • Noli ilegitimus carborundum
  • Nolite Illegitimos Conterere Vos

Only one of these is a possible Latin phrase,[citation needed] Illegitimis non carborundum [est]. But it is possible only under peculiar assumptions, such as that the verb carborundum is a Latin gerundive carrying the connotation "should" or "ought".

Illegitimi suggests illegitimate to the English speaker, but it is certainly not the usual Latin word for "bastard", nor does it carry the same negative connotation as in English: it was never used as a general insult as the English term "bastard" still is.

It also should be kept in mind that "bastards" is often used in English as a generic derogatory term, not necessarily relating to the marital status of one's parents.[3]

Henry Beard in his 1991 book Latin for Even More Occasions offered some tongue-in-cheek Latin for the sentiment, in a section called "Dopey Exhortations Are More Forceful in Latin":[4]

Never let the bastards wear you down.
Noli nothis permittere te terere. Nothis is the dative plural of nothus, which derives from the Greek word νόθος. The native Latin word for "bastard", current with this meaning during the Golden Age, is spurius; it is not illegitimus, or nothis, or bastardus. However, nothis means the father is known, spurius means the father is not known. The sole advantage of nothus for this translation is that it has a figurative derogative meaning, but only in poetical or post-classical Latin.

Use as a motto

In popular culture

The arts
  • Nil Carborundum, title of a 1962 play and TV comedy by Henry Livings.[5]
  • Nil Carborundum Illegitimo, in Principia Discordia from 1965.[6]
  • Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, in The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood.
  • Illegitimi non carborundum, in Lucifer's Hammer (1977) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, page 29.
  • Nil illegitimo carborundum is a maxim credited to the fictional philosopher Didactylos in Terry Pratchett's Small Gods.
  • Non Illegitimus Carborundum is the school motto of the fictional girl's school St. Trinian's, appearing on the school's coat of arms.
  • Illegitimis non Carborundum is printed on a banner in the artwork for The Toasters' 7th studio album Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down.
  • Illegitimus Non Carborundum Est is also printed on a banner in the artwork for Dee Snider's solo album Never Let the Bastards Wear You Down.
  • Nil carborundum illegitimis is said by Landon Kettlewell in Cory Doctorow's Makers [7]
  • Illegitimi non carborundum in "Fight Song" by The Republic Tigers
  • Don't let the bastards grind you down! memorably quoted by Albert Finney in the 1960 film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
  • "Don't let the bastards grind you down" last phrase of Motorhead "(Don't Let 'Em) Grind Ya Down" song from Iron Fist album.
  • "So don't let the bastards grind you down" is the chorus of the song Acrobat, by U2.
  • "Don't let the bastards get you down" appears in the chorus of Rihanna's 2011 single "Cheers (Drink to That)" from her album Loud.
  • "Don't let the bastards grind you down" is frequently spoken by Norman Stanley Fletcher in the BBC series Porridge, usually for the purpose of irritating Prison Officer Mackay but also as part of a lesson to the younger inmates on how to cope with being inside.
Politics
Sports

See also

References

  1. ^ Why Do We Say ...?, Nigel Rees, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1944-3
  2. ^ Illegitimi Non Carborundum page[dead link], at Santa Cruz Public Libraries ready reference, quoting William Safire, Safire's New Political Dictionary
  3. ^ See the discussion in Hugh Rawson, Wicked Words (New York: Crown, 1989), pp. 36f
  4. ^ Beard, Henry, Latin for Even More Occasions. (1991). chapter one
  5. ^ Nil Carborundum (TV 1962) - IMDb
  6. ^ "The Principia Discordia". Ology.org. 1995-10-03. http://ology.org/principia/body.html. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
  7. ^ Cory Doctorow. "Makers". Tor Books. http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=49181. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 
  8. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 7 Jun 1993". Publications.parliament.uk. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199293/cmhansrd/1993-06-07/Debate-1.html. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
  9. ^ Terry Roberts (20th February 2009). "Williams hopes Harper takes a few tips from Obama". TheWesternStar.com. http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=224324&sc=506. Retrieved 2010-04-15. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Silicon carbide — Chembox new Name = Silicon carbide ImageFile = Silicon carbide 3D balls.png ImageSize = 140px ImageName = Ball and stick model of part of a crystal of SiC ImageFile1 = silicon carbide detail.jpg ImageSize1 = 140px OtherNames = Section1 = Chembox… …   Wikipedia

  • illegitimate — (adj.) 1530s, born out of wedlock, formed in English (and replacing earlier illegitime, c.1500), modeled on L. illegitimus not legitimate (see IL (Cf. il ) + LEGITIMATE (Cf. legitimate)). Sense of unauthorized, unwarranted is from 1640s. Phrase… …   Etymology dictionary

  • List of Latin phrases (N) — This page lists direct English translations of Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases, as Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before that of… …   Wikipedia

  • Dog Latin — Dog Latin, Cod Latin, macaronic Latin, or mock Latin refers to the creation of a phrase or jargon in imitation of Latin,[1] often by directly translating English words (or those of other European languages) into Latin without conjugation or… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Sarda (SS-488) — USS Sarda (SS 488), a Tench class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sarda, a game fish of the central, southwestern, and western Pacific Ocean. Financed by bonds purchased during the Seventh War Loan by… …   Wikipedia

  • VF-111 — Infobox Military Unit unit name= VF 111 caption= VF 111 squadron patch dates= October 10, 1942 March 1995 country= United States allegiance= branch= United States Navy type= role= size= command structure= current commander= garrison= ceremonial… …   Wikipedia

  • VFC-111 — Infobox Military Unit unit name=Fighter Squadron Composite 111 (VFC 111) caption= VFC 111 Squadron Insignia dates= November 2006 present country= United States allegiance= branch= United States Navy type= role= size= command structure= current… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste De Devises De Navires Et Escadrilles De La Marine Des États-Unis — US Navy Vessels : vaisseaux de la marine américaine Aircraft Carriers : porte avions USS Enterprise (CVN 65) To boldly go where no man has gone before. Dans la série télé Star Trek: devise célèbre du USS Enterprise (NCC 1701) USS John F …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste de devises de navires et escadrilles de la marine des Etats-Unis — Liste de devises de navires et escadrilles de la marine des États Unis US Navy Vessels : vaisseaux de la marine américaine Aircraft Carriers : porte avions USS Enterprise (CVN 65) To boldly go where no man has gone before. Dans la série …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste de devises de navires et escadrilles de la marine des États-Unis — US Navy Vessels : vaisseaux de la marine américaine Aircraft Carriers : porte avions USS Enterprise (CVN 65) To boldly go where no man has gone before. Dans la série télé Star Trek: devise célèbre du USS Enterprise (NCC 1701) USS John F …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”