Latin for Even More Occasions

Latin for All Occasions #2

by Henry N. Beard

Oh, darn, there I go again! You know, I just can't help speaking Latin.

Ecce, denuo ago, sicut soleo! Non enim possum facere quin Latine loquar.

It's so second nature to me, sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it!

Adeo huius mihi rei natura facta est, ut interdum nesciam quidem me sic facere!

So you thought you'd already soaked up as much scire facere (savoir faire) as you could by reading that howlingly funny yet highly literate guide to all things Latin, the best-selling Latin for All Occasions. Well, you still have some things to learn. Henry Beard, having already freed former altar boys and Latin-class alumni and alumnae from their previously held assumption that Latin is dead, is now going all out to bring this formerly moribund language into the twentieth century. Henricus has realized that he simply cannot stop when there are people in this world who don't know how to say. "Please don't squeeze the Charmin!" in Latin ("Sis, noli Volvivoluptatem comprimere!"), so he has prepared an entirely new, even funnier way to deal with all possible situations. You can impress your friends as never before on St. Patrick's Day when you yell, "Hibernia in aeternum!" ("Erin, go bragh!") and wow a tour guide by musing, "Scire velim ubi taberna munusculorum sit" ("I wonder where the gift shop is"). Break into show biz with your impressions of Marlon Brando, "Proeliator fuissem" ("I could've been a contender"); Cary Grant, "ludaea, ludaea, ludaea" ("Judy, Judy, Judy"); and James Cagney. "Tu, rattus turpis!" ("You dirty rat!"). Breeze by the stiffest of maitre d's by saying, 'Cauponas percenseo" ("I'm a restaurant reviewer"). Your Latin education simply isn't complete without it.

Tete oblecta! (Have fun!)

Genres: Language, Humor, Reference, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Henry N. Beard (born ca. 1945) is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine National Lampoon and the author of several best-selling books.

Beard, a great-grandson of Vice President John C. Breckinridge, was born into a well-to-do family and grew up at the Westbury Hotel on East 69th Street in Manhattan. His relationship with his parents was cool, to judge by his quip "I never saw my mother up close."

He attended the Taft School, where he was a leader at the humor magazine, and he decided to become a humorous writer after reading Catch-22.

He then went to Harvard University from which he graduated in 1967 and joined its humor magazine, the Harvard Lampoon, which circulated nationally. Much of the credit for the Lampoon's success during the mid 1960s is given to Beard and Douglas Kenney, who was in the class a year after Beard's. In 1968, Beard and Kenney wrote the successful parody Bored of the Rings.

In 1969, Beard, Kenney and Rob Hoffman became the founding editors of the National Lampoon, which reached a monthly circulation of over 830,000 in 1974 (and the October issue of that year topped a million sales). One of Beard's short stories published there, "The Last Recall", was included in the 1973 Best Detective Stories of the Year. During the early 1970s, Beard was also in the Army Reserve, which he hated.

In 1975 the three founders cashed in on a buy-out agreement for National Lampoon; and Beard left the magazine. After an "unhappy" attempt at screenwriting, he turned to writing humorous books.

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially a comical/goofy phrase book I read to satisfy an obscure GR challenge. I don't know Latin. I don't know fake Latin. I still don't know Latin.

But I'll save you time and just give you the 5 phrases you'll need from this book:

I think, therefore I am depressed.
Cogito, ergo doleo.

Is that a scroll in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?
Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?

Yes, that is a very large amount of corn.
Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est.

You talking to me?
Memetne adloqueris?

See that man? He's a spy for the German tribes.
Videsne illum? Explorator Germanicus est.

[Elise Renckens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jammer dat het voor een aanzienlijk deel bestaat uit herhaling van het originele boek, dat voelt niet als waar voor je geld. Maar het blijft hilarisch.

[Jordan St. Stier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather amusing read, that while not being useful in any possible way, is very entertaining and is a rather fun way to practice your Orient Express Latin or whatever Latin situations you may find yourself in.

[Red Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to reread now that I’m actually learning Latin and can at least pronounce the phrases

[ak · Rating 4 out of 5]

*see review for X-Treme Latin*

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

a bit of fun

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun, hahaha. I thought this book was astounding. I learnt something and i had great many laughs doing it. Splendid. Bravo, truly.

[Zui · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was not as funny as the original but a good read anyway