| A | B |
|---|
| ad hoc | “for this” – improvised, made up on the spot for a specific task. |
| ad nauseam | “to the point of nausea” – something that goes on and on, way too long. |
| alter ego | “another me” – a second self, another personality, a secret identity. |
| aqua vitae | “the water of life” - something that heals, usually alcohol. |
| carpe diem | “seize the day” - don’t put things off; do them now. |
| circa | “around” - approximately but not exactly. |
| deus ex machine | “a god out of a machine” - an outside force that comes down and fixes everything. |
| ergo | “therefore” – a keyword signaling the conclusion. |
| et cetera | “and other things” – and so forth, more like what came before. |
| gratis | “as a kindness” – free of charge, costing you no money |
| in medias res | “into the middle of things” - starting a story in the middle at a climactic moment. |
| non sequitur | “it does not follow” - something that doesn’t follow logically from what came before. |
| mea culpa | “my fault” – it is admitting that a mistake was the result of something wrong you did. |
| modus operandi | “manner of operating” - standard operating procedure. |
| persona non grata | “a person not wanted” – someone who used to belong but is no longer welcome. |
| pro bono | “for the good” - done for the good of all and personal gain, done for free. |
| quasi | “as if” – a fake version of something, close but not the real thing. |
| quid pro quo | “something for something” – a barter, a trade of one thing for another. |
| semper fidelis | “always faithful” – the motto of the Marine Corps. |
| sic | “thus” – indicates that you’re quoting something as is and you know there’s a mistake. |
| sine qua non | without this there’s nothing” - a defining characteristic. |
| status quo | “the state of things as is” – how things currently are, the existing state of affairs. |
| tabula rasa | “blank slate” - a fresh start, a total do-over. |
| terra incognita | “unknown land” - something that’s completely unknown and unexplored. |
| verbatim | “word for word” – quoted exactly as it is in the original. |
