"Round up the usual suspects"

Thucydides · Post by **Thucydides** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:10 pm

... is proving oddly difficult to put into Latin.

'Round up' is easy; an imperative, something like 'conlige'

'Suspects' presents a problem; I can't find an ordinary noun for 'suspect'. Hence I can't have an adjective 'usual' to agree with it.

My best so far is:

Conlige eos suetos suspectari

amans · Post by **amans** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:51 pm

Why not just use the perfect passive participle of a verb of your choice: you could use suspicor (suspicatus), suspicio (suspectus), suspecto (suspectatus), since the particple can also be used as a noun. Thus, you can have your adjective conform: suetos suspectatos, for instance. The Latin verbs may not, however, carry the same metaphorical meaning as in English: perhaps these verbs conjure up images of law courts and the like?

cweb255 · Post by **cweb255** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 11:31 pm

suspectati conligandi sunt!

Conligo, conligare has more of a negative connotation to it, it might be better using it rather than conligo, conligere.

benissimus · Post by **benissimus** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 6:28 am

Perhaps better would be a gerundive... suspiciendos "those to be suspected".

adz000 · Post by **adz000** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:55 pm

What about reus?

Reos solitos postulate!

Bring to trial/indict the usual defendants/suspects!

Citare and facere are also used with this noun in the same sense.

Episcopus · Post by **Episcopus** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 12:38 pm

Good shout lad! Reus was staring us in das face!

boloman · Post by **boloman** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 3:08 pm

Hi,

I think an alliterative alternative might be:

Conlige culpabiles per consuetudinem. (pls correct grammar).

"Round up habitual offenders."