verba grassatorum

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klewlis
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verba grassatorum

Post by klewlis »

alright, since I have had no luck in finding an online dictionary and do not have access to a paper one...

Here is my list of the specific words/terms that I am currently seeking. Can anyone help?

There are a couple for which I obviously do not want a literal translation (eg "loose cannon"), but an appropriate idomatic phrase. So be creative! (Apparently I am not ;)

white (as in caucasian... can i just use albus?)
headphones
"talking back"
brainwashed
rock (as in rock and roll, the noun)
rap (verb and noun... I've thought about just using oration words)
do-rags (as in hair bandanas)
stocking cap (ski cap, toque, whatever)
"ship us platinum"
dime
loose cannon
handguns
fingerprint (verb)
load (a gun)
cock (a gun)
pistols
checks (the money kind)
record (as in album)

There are also a few profanities that I will not post here, but think common swears... and if you have ideas for any of those please PM me with them.

Thanks!
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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benissimus
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Post by benissimus »

Are you writing a rap song in Latin? :shock:
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

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Post by JuliaP »

Some of the characters in Colleen McCullough's "First Man in Rome" series occasionally used some choice Latin obscene swear words. I'll PM you with some. :)

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Post by auctor »

I was looking through CJ Fordyce's 1961 commentry on Catullus the other day... the blurb inside the front cover ends with the twee "a few poems which for good reason are rarely read have been omitted." Naturally my first move was to make a comparison with a 1998 text of the poems - parts of the body in the colloquial and sexual practices which may or may not be acceptable are described in amusingly florid language.

Nice to know that the Romans were less priggish than school-masters and Oxford Press were :roll:

Paul McK

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klewlis
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Post by klewlis »

benissimus wrote:Are you writing a rap song in Latin? :shock:
lol. not writing, translating ;)

one of these days I will pm you with a bit or two for your feedback... I think you'd find it amusing, as I do.
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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klewlis
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Post by klewlis »

JuliaP wrote:Some of the characters in Colleen McCullough's "First Man in Rome" series occasionally used some choice Latin obscene swear words. I'll PM you with some. :)
Thanks Julia!
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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Post by mariek »

klewlis wrote:lol. not writing, translating ;)

Ah.... I see. Sounds like an interesting challenge. Especially when some artists (Public Enemy comes to mind) are pretty dense with their lyrics. When I say "dense", I mean there are A LOT of words, because they say it soooooo fast.

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Post by Episcopus »

Just remember not to conjugate any verbs at all. Especially esse.

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Post by JuliaP »

Episcopus wrote:Just remember not to conjugate any verbs at all. Especially esse.
lol

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klewlis
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Post by klewlis »

mariek wrote:
klewlis wrote:lol. not writing, translating ;)

Ah.... I see. Sounds like an interesting challenge. Especially when some artists (Public Enemy comes to mind) are pretty dense with their lyrics. When I say "dense", I mean there are A LOT of words, because they say it soooooo fast.
It's quite fun, and definitely challenging, which is why I am doing it. It's a good way for me to practice. The toughest part is keeping the rhythm and rhyme--impossible to do it exactly, but I'm trying. :)
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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Post by Episcopus »

It could be especially hard translating a rapper such as Camron into Latin, because he hardly makes sense. The songs sound lovely though. As Steven knows (he is singing 'Diamonds and Pearls' right now). And so often you see phrases like "We be flippin 'em thangs" which are more ambiguous than Latin perfect passive participles. What exactly do you mean Camron? I have a good idiom, cartas nancisci, stack the cheddar/chips/paper/green/cream/dough etc.

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Post by Fredericus »

<i>you see phrases like "We be flippin 'em thangs" which are more ambiguous than Latin perfect passive participles. What exactly do you mean Camron?</i>

Sticking my neck waaay out: I don't know this music at all, and don't know the context in which it appears, but one possibility would be translated into English as "We made rude gestures towards those persons."

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Post by Episcopus »

It could also mean flipping pancakes for my dear mother on pancake day.

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Post by Fredericus »

<i>It could also mean flipping pancakes for my dear mother on pancake day.</i>

Yes, I think that <i>would</i> be more probable in a rap song.

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Post by klewlis »

so... no one has any words for me?

(aside from Julia)
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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Re: verba grassatorum

Post by benissimus »

You can use albus to refer to complexion/hair and pretty much anything on the body. Candidus would be more likely applied to beauty, personality, or fame. As for the other words... good luck!
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

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Post by auctor »

Latinitas Recens
http://tinyurl.com/yw2qu
has just reappeared and should go some way to providing words (or even hints for words) that would've been beyond Cicero's wildest imagination.
You've got your work cut out replicating the tribal patois of the latter-day bards though - especially if you're keeping the rhymes :D

Good luck,
Paul McK

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Post by blue »

you could always check out swearsaurus

it won't have all of them. i don't even know if it has any of them. but it seems like a good bet for a few of those.

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benissimus
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Post by benissimus »

Haha that is a useful tool. I know someone who will really admire "ut si!"
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

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Post by Episcopus »

Why do you not just invent them by making sensible compounds of existing latin words whose meanings in a rap will be easily conveyed? For such things as "do-rags" did not exist then of course!

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Post by klewlis »

Episcopus wrote:Why do you not just invent them by making sensible compounds of existing latin words whose meanings in a rap will be easily conveyed? For such things as "do-rags" did not exist then of course!
Well I will do that if I have to. But why reinvent the wheel, if someone has already created the words for neolatin? :)
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

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Post by Episcopus »

In Latin authors in poetry often twist the strict meaning of a word to fit in with the metrical scheme, who is to say that you can not follow suit? I mean the words that you will use are to be decided by you and the words that you think to best describe a "do-rag" for example :o

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