Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Latin term or phrase:
nil illegitimo carburimdum(?)/carbunmdum
English translation:
Don´t let the bastards get you down
Added to glossary by
Chris Rowson (X)
Mar 15, 2002 11:23
22 yrs ago
Latin term
Dave Dale
nil illegitimo carburimdum(?)/carbunmdum
Non-PRO
Latin to English
Tech/Engineering
A comment accompanying a letter from an aeronautical engineer
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | Don´t let the bastards get you down |
Chris Rowson (X)
|
| 5 +1 | Don't let the bastards get you down! |
Sven Petersson
|
| 5 | Don't let the bastards grind you down |
John Kinory (X)
|
Proposed translations
+1
11 mins
Selected
Don´t let the bastards get you down
The correct form is "Illegitimis non carborundum".
The joke is that carborundum looks like a good Latin gerundive, reminiscent of real quotes from ancient Romans, in which case it would be beautiully idiomatic.
But it is actually the 20th C English name of a mineral and not Latin at all. The word "illegitimus" is also doubtful as classical Latin.
The phrase was invented by some English classical scholar during the 2nd WW. Nice sense of humour.
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Note added at 2002-03-15 13:14:38 (GMT)
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I note the aeronautical engineer knows something about Latin: behind the distortions of copying, it is still perceptible that he has correctly singularised the original form \"illegitimis\" to \"illegitimo\". So the translation should, in this case read \"Don´t let the bastard get you down\", only one bastard, presumably specific.
Unless you like John´s \"grind\", when correspondingly.
The joke is that carborundum looks like a good Latin gerundive, reminiscent of real quotes from ancient Romans, in which case it would be beautiully idiomatic.
But it is actually the 20th C English name of a mineral and not Latin at all. The word "illegitimus" is also doubtful as classical Latin.
The phrase was invented by some English classical scholar during the 2nd WW. Nice sense of humour.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-15 13:14:38 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I note the aeronautical engineer knows something about Latin: behind the distortions of copying, it is still perceptible that he has correctly singularised the original form \"illegitimis\" to \"illegitimo\". So the translation should, in this case read \"Don´t let the bastard get you down\", only one bastard, presumably specific.
Unless you like John´s \"grind\", when correspondingly.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
5 mins
Sven Petersson
Sweden
Sweden
Native in English
Sweden
Medical Translator
Native in: Swedish 
, English
Works in: English to Swedish, Danish to Swedish, German to Swedish, and 13 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
18
Don't let the bastards get you down!
Implicit in answer.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Flavio Ferri-Benedetti
: And by the way, it is "fake" Latin
0 min
|
|
Yes indeed!
|
|
| neutral |
John Kinory (X)
: See below re carborundum
1 hr
|
|
Agree!
|
1 hr
John Kinory (X)
John Kinory (X)
One-stop Hebrew language services
Works in: English to Hebrew, German to English, Hebrew to English, and 3 more.
View
Related KudoZ points
:
7
Don't let the bastards grind you down
nil = don't
illegitimo = bastards
carborundum = abrasive mineral
Yes, fake Latin :-)
The joke is that carborundum is an abrasive substance, used in engineering; hence the 'grind' bit.
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Note added at 2002-03-15 15:19:34 (GMT)
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Chris is right:
Don\'t let the bastard (Head of Production, Head of Accounts, VP S&M ... [G]) grind you down.
illegitimo = bastards
carborundum = abrasive mineral
Yes, fake Latin :-)
The joke is that carborundum is an abrasive substance, used in engineering; hence the 'grind' bit.
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Note added at 2002-03-15 15:19:34 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Chris is right:
Don\'t let the bastard (Head of Production, Head of Accounts, VP S&M ... [G]) grind you down.
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