Classical Latin Phrases a site that gives many such phrases:

http://www.yuni.com/library/latin_2.html
The locus classicus is the Humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam

ab, a
off, away from, by, from (it is the prefix of Ablative)
ab imo pectore
from the bottom of the heart
ab incunablis
from the cradle (incunabula, earliest printed books, as from Gutenberg
ab initio
from the beginning
ab origine
from the origin
ab ovo usque ad mala from egg to apples (as in Roman feasts), from start to finish
abeunt studia in mores studies pass into character
a bove maiori discit arare minor
from an elder ox the younger learns to plow
absit invidia
no offense intended (Gk.apotropaic)
absit omen
may there be no (ill) omen (in what one has said)
ab uno disce omnes
from one learn all!
ab urbe condita (a.u.c.) from the citys foundation (dating Rome from 753 BC)
a capite ad calcem
from head to heel (as we say, from head to toe)
actum est de republica it is over with the republic (the republic is over and done)
actum ne agas
do not do what has been done (do not reinvent the wheel)
ad
to, toward, with regard to
ad astra per aspera
to the stars through hardships (to heights of power, position)
ad kalendas Graecas
to the Greek kalends (i.e. never- Greeks did not reckon days
such as Kalends, Ides, Nones)
ad extremum
at last (cf. in extremis)
ad finem
to the end (cf. Eng. affinity)
ad hoc
with respect to this
ad hominem
to the (individual) man (attacks ad hominem are assaults on
character)
ad infinitum
to an infinite degree; endlessly
ad interim
in the meantime; during the interval
ad libitum
at will; as much as one pleases (abbrev. ad lib.)
ad modum
after the fashion
ad nauseam
to the point of disgust or revulsion
ad patres
(gathered) to his fathers (i.e. deceased)
ad rem
to the thing; to the point (cf. in re)
ad summum
to the highest point or amount
ad captandum vulgus

in order to captivate the crowd (gerundive of purpose)

aequabiliter et diligenter
steadily and diligently
aequanimiter
with composure, with equanimity (animus=mind)
aequo animo
idem ac supra same as above
aere perennius
more lasting than bronze
a fortiori
by a stronger reason
alia tentanda via est

another way must be tried (gerundive+esse=necessity)

alibi

elsewhere

alma mater

nourishing mother (of a school), <alo, alere, to feed

alter ego
alter ipse (est) amicus
alterum tantum

other self (alter, altera, alterum, other)

a friend is another self
a second (amount/time) as much

amici probantur rebus adversis

friends are tested by adversities
amicus curiae
friend of the court
amor nummi
amor patriae
animis opibusque parati

love of wealth (<nummi, coins) (cf. auri sacra fames)

love of country
ready in courage (lit. mind) and wealth

anno mundi
annus mirabilis

in the year of the world (reckoning creation at 40004 BC)

a year of wonder, a marvelous year (<miror, mirari, miratus)

ante bellum
ante meridiem

before the war

before midday, before noon

a posse ad esse

from possibility to actuality

a posteriori

from that which follows, from effect to cause (opp. a priori)

apparatus belli

military hardware

arbiter bibendi

judge of the drinking, toast-master

arcana coelestia
arcana imperii

celestial mysteries (<arcanum, a secret)

state secrets

ars est celare artem

ars longa, vita brevis
artium baccalaureus

art consists in concealing art

art is long, life is short
bachelor of arts (B.A.)

artium magister

master of arts (M.A.)

audaces fortuna iuvat

Fortune favors the bold

auri sacra fames

accursed (lit. sacred) hunger for gold

auspicium melioris aevi

aut Caesar aut nihil
aut vincere aut mori

augury of a better time

either Caesar or nothing
either to conquer or to die

auxilium ab alto

help from on high

basis virtutum constantia

constancy is the basis of the virtues

bellum lethale

lethal war

beneficium accipere libertatem est vendere

to accept a favor is to sell your liberty
benigno numine
with favorable providence
bis dat qui cito dat
bis peccare in bello non licet
bis pueri senes

He gives twice who gives promptly

To blunder twice in war is not allowed
Old men are twice children

bona fide

in good faith, in good trust (opp. mala fide)

caeca invidia est

caelitus mihi vires

Envy is blind
My strength is from heaven

campus Martius

Field of Mars, military drill ground

captatio benevolentiae

The securing of goodwill (rhet.)

i.e. putting an audience in good humor
carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
Seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow
casus conscientiae
a case of conscience
caveat emptor
Let the buyer beware
cave canem
Beware of the dog
cave quid dicis, quando et cui
Beware what you say, when & to whom
cede deo

Yield to the divinity

ceteris paribus

With other things being equal (par= aequus)

circuitus verborum
copia verborum

A roundabout expression
Fluency of speech

cogito ergo sum

I think therefore I am- Descartes

non compos mentis

Not of sound mind (mens, mentis)

conditio sine qua non

Indispensible condition

corpus Christi

Body of Christ

corpus delicti

The essential fact of a crime having been committed

corrigenda

Things which must be corrected (gerundive)

cui bono

For whose advantage?

damnant quod non intelligunt

They condemn what they dont comprehend

decet verecundum esse adolescentem

It is fitting that adolescents be reverent

de gustibus non est disputandum

delenda est Carthago

About taste there ought to be no argument

Carthage must be destroyed

Dei plena sunt omnia

Deo favente
Deo iuvante

All things are full of the Deity

With Divine favor
With God helping (<iuvo, -are, iuvi, iutus)

de mortuis nil nisi bonum

de profundis

(Say) nothing save good about the dead

out of the depths

desuetudo

disuse (opp. consuetudo, habit)

deus ex machina

dramatis personae

deity from the machine (an epilogue of Greek

tragedies spoken by an actor let down by crane from above;
that actor had the persona mask of a deity)
The characters (lit. masks) of the play

Deus vobiscum!

God be with you (syn. Dominus vobiscum)

dies irae, dies illa

day of wrath; that day (of Judgement)

dii penates

household gods (cf. lares et penates)

divide et impera !

divide & govern

dum spiro, spero

while I breathe, I hope (motto S. Carolina)

dum vivimus, vivamus

while we live, lets (really) live (anaphora)

ecce homo

Behold the man! Pilatus to the Jews seeking

the crucifixion of Jesus
First edition

editio princeps
empta dolore docet experientia
errare humanum est
errata (ntr. pl.)

experience bought with pain teache (chiasmus)

(chiasmus: e-, d-, d-, e-)
To err is human (infinitive as Subject)
Errors (in printed texts)

est modus in rebus

There is a limit in things (rhyme)

et tu, Brute !

And you, Brutus ! (vocative, cf.Suet. kai su, paie)

ex cathedra
on faith and morals
exceptio probat regulam

Doctrine of papal infallibility when pronouncing

The exception proves the rule

ex Deo nascimur, in Iesu morimur, per Spiritum Sanctum revivimus

From God we are born, In Jesus we die, throught the H. Spirit we live again
ex nihilo nihil fit

nothing comes to be from nothing (anaphora)

ex officio

by virtue of office

ex post facto

after the deed has been done

faber est quisque fortunae suae

each is the architect of his own fate- Appius

Claudius Caecus

facetiae

humorous writings; jokes (cf. Eng. facetious)

facta, non verba

Deeds, not words

fama nihil est celerius

Nothing is more swift than rumor

fasti et nefasti dies

Lucky & unlucky days

festina lenta

Hasten slowly

fiat lux

Let there be light

flecti, non frangi

To be bent, not broken (Passive Infinitives)

forti et fideli nihil difficile

To the brave & faithful nothing is difficult

furor scribendi

Rage for writing

gaudeamus igitur

So lets rejoice (iuvenes dum sumus...)

graviora sunt quaedam remedia periculis

Some cures are worse than the perils (disease)
hoc signo vinces
By this sign (i.e. a crux) you will conquer
honesta mors turpi vita potior

Honorable death is better than base life

iacta alea est

The die is cast Caesar, 49 BC, at the Rubicon

imperium in imperio

state within a state (anaphora)

in nomine Domini

In the name of the Lord

in perpetuum [tempus]

Forever

in vino veritas

in wine there is truth

in caelo quies

in heaven [there is] rest

infra dignitatem

beneath ones dignity

in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas

In things necessary, unity, in things doubtful,
liberty, in all things, charity (Moravian motto)
in secula seculorum
For ages of ages (saeclum= 100 years)(anaphora)
inter alia
inter spem et metum
in toto

among other things (ntr. pl.)

between hope & fear (<metuo, to fear)
in total (UNUS NAUTA adjective totus)

ipse dixit
ipsissimis verbis

he himself said it
in the very words

ipso facto
ita est

by the fact itself

It is so

iudicium Dei

judgement of God (cf. iudex, iudicis, judge)

iure divino
ius civile
iustitia omnibus

by divine law (< ius, iuris)

civil law
justice for all (motto District of Columbia)

laborare est orare

labor est etiam ipsa voluntas

To work is to worship
work is also pleasure itself

laesa maiestas

(lese-majeste; lit. the severest harm)

high treason

lapsus calami
lapsus linguae

a slip of the pen (lit. reed)

a slip of the tongue (labor, labi, lapsus, to fall)

lares et penates

household gods (cf. lararium)

laus Deo

Praise to God

leve fit, quod bene fertur, onusa load well caried becomes light
lex talionis
lex terrae

law of retaliation (eye for an eye)

law of the land

licentia vatum

poetic license (cf. licet, it is permitted)

lite pendente (abl.<lis pendens)

during the trial (Eng. litigate, litigant, litigious)

littera scripta manet

the written word abides

loco citato

in the literary/scriptural passage cited

lupus est homo homini

lupus pilum mutat, non mentem

man is a wolf to (fellow) man (anaphora)

a wolf changes his fur, not his intent

magister caeremoniarum

master of ceremonies

magna est veritas, et praevalet

magnas inter opes inops
magnum bonus
magnum opus

great is the truth, & it prevails

amid great wealth poverty (antithesis)
a great good (cf. summum bonum)
a great work (mus./ lit.)

malum in se
malus pudor

evil in itself (se= him/her/itself, themselves)

false modesty (lit. bad shame) (Eng. impudent)

mater artium necessitas

Mater dolorosa
matre pulchra, filia pulchrior
materiam superabat opus

necessity is the mother of arts/invention

the sorrowing Mother, appellation of Mary
daughter more beautiful than a beautiful mother
-Horace
the workmanship surpassed the material- Ovid

maturato opus est

there is need for haste- Livy (supine of Purpose)

maximus in minimis

the greatest in the slightest (allitt.,oxymoron)

mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

mea virtute me involvo

my fault, my most grievous fault (anaphora)

I wrap myself in my virtue (allit., conson.)

medice, cura te ipsum

physician, heal thyself- Vulgate (Luke iv, 23)

medio tutissimus ibis

you will go most safely by the middle way- Ovid

meliores priores
the better (men) first (bonus, melior, optimus)
melius est pati semel, quam cavere semper better to suffer once than forever be on
guard- Caesar
(bene, melius, optime)
memento mori
remember (that you) die (to a general at his
triumph); later, a keepsake from a deceased
memorabilia
keepsakes (ntr. pl.)
mens agit molem
mens invicta manet
mens sana in corpore sano
mens, qua nihil est celerius

mind moves substance- the Stoa

the mind remains unconquered- the Stoa
a sound mind in a sound body (anaphora)
mind, than which nothing is swifter (Abl.
+Comparative)

mihi cura futuri

my care is for the future (sum, esse, fui, futurus)

mirabile dictu
mirabilia

marvelous to tell; wonderful to relate

marvels (ntr. pl.)

modus operandi
modus vivendi

method of operating
manner of living

monumentum aere perennius

monument more lasting than bronze

-of the improvement to Rome under Augustus

mos maiorum
more suo
more Socratico
morituri te salutamus
mors omnibus communis

custom of the ancestors; tradition

in his;/her own manner
in the manner of Socrates, by dialectic
those who are about to die salute you (gladiator)
death is common to all men

multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi

multum in parvo

many are called, few are chosen

much in a little (oxymoron)

mundus vult decipi

the world wishes to be deceived (passive Inf.)

mutatis mutandis
mutuus consensus

necessary changes having been made (anaphora,

gerundive)
mutual consent (cf. consentire, to agree)

natale solum

native soil (solum, ntr.)

nec cupias, nec metuas

ne cede malis

neither covet, nor fear (fortune) (hort. Subjunct.)

do not yield to misfortunes

necessitas non habet legem

necessity has no law

nefasti dies

days not given to public business, unlucky days

nil desperandum

nothing to be despaired of (gerundive)

nil sine numine

nothing without providence (<numen, numinis)

noli me tangere

dont touch me (negative imperative)

non olet

it doesnt stink (of coin paid in tax on toilets)

nosce te

know thyself- inscription on Apollos temple

noscere volunt omnes, mercedem solvere nemo everyone wants to know, nobody
wants to pay the cost
novus homo
nunc aut numquam

new man (of those like Cicero, whose family

never before sat in the Senate)
now or never

nuptiae

wedding caeremonia

obit

he/she died

obiter dictum
obscurum per obscuris

a remark in passing, an offhand remark

(explanation of) things dark through the dark,
i.e. a confusing thought explained by more such

occasio facit furem

opportunity makes a thief