- B -

Dictionary of Latin Phrases and Proverbs: B

balneum
Bath

Bancus Communium Placitorum
Court of Common Pleas

Bancus Regis
King's Bench

banni nuptiarum
The banns of matrimony

barbae tenus sapientes
Men wise as far as the beard; sciolistic

basis virtutum constantia
Constancy is the foundation of virtues

beatae memoriae
Of blessed memory

Beata Virgo Maria
Blessed Virgin Mary

beati pacifici
Blessed are the peacemakes (Beatitudes)

beati pauperes spiritu
Blessed are the poor in spirit

beati possidentes
Blessed are those who possess (legal doctrine, possession is nine points of the law)

Beatitudes
Pronouncements from the Sermon on the Mount

beatus
A blessed person

bella detesta matribus
Wars, the horror of mothers (Horace)

bella horrida bella
Wars, horrid wars (Virgil)

bellum domesticum
Strife/war among family members

bellum internecinum
Internecine war, a war of extermination

bellum letale
Lethal war, deadly war

bellum omnium in omnes
A war of all against all

bene decessit
S/he has left (died) well (a natural death)

Benedicite
Invocation of blessing (a prayer canticle)

benedictus qui venit
Blessed is he sho comes [in the Lord's name]

bene esse
Well-being

bene est tentare
It is well to try

bene exeat
Let him or her go forth. Of good character

beneficium
Kindness of favour

beneficium accipere libertatem est vendere
To accept a favour is to sell one's freedom

bene merenti
Success to those who deserve it

bene meritus
Having well deserved

bene orasse est bene studuisse
To have prayed well is to have pursued well

bene qui latuit bene vixit
S/he who has lived in obscurity has lived well

bene vale vobis
May you prosper

benigno numine
By the favour of the heavens (Horace)

bibamus, moriendum est
Let us drink, for we must die (Seneca)

bibere venenum in auro
To drink poison from a golden cup

biblia pauperum
Books of the poor

billa vera
True bill

Biographia Literaria
Literary Biography (Coleridge)

bis
Twice (to be repeated)

bis dat qui cito dat
S/he gives twice who gives quickly

bis in die
Twice a day

bis in nocte
Twice a night

bis in septem diebus
Twice in seven days/twice a week

bis peccare in bello non licet
It is not permitted to blunder twice in war

bis pueri senes
Old men are twice children

bis repetita placent
The things that please are those repeated

bis vincit qui se vincit in victoria
He conquers twice who conquers himself in victory (Publius Syrus)

bis vivit qui bene vivit
S/he lives twice who lives well

blandae mendacia linguae
The lies of a flattering tongue

bona
Good or Property

bonae fidei emptor
Purchaser in good faith

bona fide
In good faith, genuine, legitimate

bona fide polliceor
I promise in good faith (Cicero)

bona fides
Good faith or Documents proving identity

bona gratia
In all kindness

bona fiscalia
Public property

bonae memoriae
Of happy memory

bona mobilia
Moveable property

bona notabilia
Noteworthy things

bona peritura
Perishable goods

bona vacantia
Unclaimed property

bonis avibus
Under favourable signs

bonis nocet quisqus malis perpercit
Whoever spares the bad injures the good (Publius Syrus)

bonis quod bene fit haud perit
Whatever is done for good men is never done in vain (Plautus)

bono vinci satius est quam almo more iniuriam vincere
A good man would rather suffer defeat than defeat another by foul means (Sallust)

bonum omen
A good omen

bonum per se
Good in itself

bonum publicum
The public good

bon in lingua
An ox on the tongue (a heavy silence)

brevi manu
With a short hand (in a perfunctory manner)

brevis esse laboro, obscurus fio
In trying to become concise, I become obscure (Horace)

brevis ipsa vita est sed malis fit longior
Life is short but misfortunes make it longer

brutum fulmen
Harmless thunderbolt (a vain and empty threat)

bonum vinum laetificat cor hominis
Good wine gladdens a person's heart

bonitas non est pessimis esse meliorem
It is not goodness to be better than the worst.