Articles

TitleDateExcerpt
Dona Nobis Pacem in Music and Peace Traditionsā€œDona nobis pacemā€ means ā€œgrant us peaceā€ or ā€œgive us peaceā€. The words come from the Latin Mass, where they appear near the end of the Agnus Dei before the…
Deus ex machina and the art of the unexpected plot solutionA story can spend hundreds of pages building danger, uncertainty and emotional pressure, then resolve everything through a sudden event that appears from…
Cui Bono And The Search For MotiveCui bono? is a short Latin question meaning ā€œwho benefits?ā€ It is often used when people are trying to understand why an event happened, who may have…
Contra Factum Non Est Argumentum In EvidenceWhen a dispute turns on evidence, confident claims can quickly collide with an inconvenient fact. The Latin expression contra factum non est argumentum…
Audi Alteram Partem and the Right to a Fair HearingAudi alteram partem is a Latin legal maxim meaning ā€œhear the other sideā€. It expresses a basic rule of procedural fairness: a person affected by a decision…
Arguendo in Legal Hypotheticals and Australian Courtroom ReasoningLatin expressions remain part of legal English because they compress complex habits of reasoning into a few recognisable words. Arguendo is one of those…
Amor Et Melle Et Felle Est Fecundissimus And Love’s Complexityā€œAmor et melle et felle est fecundissimusā€ is a Latin saying about the fertile contradiction of love. Its literal sense is that love is made fruitful by both…
Vincit Omnia Veritas And The History Of Truthā€œVincit omnia veritasā€ translates most directly as ā€œtruth conquers all thingsā€ or ā€œtruth overcomes everythingā€. Its force comes from the contrast between…
Veritas Vincit And The Work Of Seeking Truthā€œVeritas vincitā€ is a compact Latin expression meaning ā€œtruth conquersā€ or ā€œtruth prevailsā€. Its force comes from the verb vincit, which suggests overcoming…
Vade Mecum: The Reference Handbook That Travels With YouA vade mecum is a compact reference handbook designed to stay close at hand. The Latin phrase literally means ā€œgo with meā€, which captures the practical…