Terence, Brothers: Idioms and Useful Expressions

Some idioms and useful expressions from Act I

hac nocte last night

hoc vere dicunt this is a true saying

animo obsequere indulge oneself

facio sedulo I do all I can; I make every effort

quid agis? how's it going

ex animo sincerely

par referre to return like for like

quorsum istuc? what do you mean by that?

de meo at my expense

dum erit commodum as long as it suits me

Idioms and expressions for Act II (compiled by T C)

quid fit? what's up?

Requests, commands

mitte istuc atque ad rem redi drop that & get back to the point

delibera hoc consider this, think about it

paullisper mane wait a minute

omitte vero tristitiem tuam cheer up

pugnus continuo in mala haereat slug him

o facinus indignum oh wicked deed

nam hercle by Hercules

res tibi vortat male may the deal turn sour on you

pro sumpreme Iuppiter by great Jupiter

hominum homo stultissime most foolish of men

perii hercle by Hercules I'm dead

festivom caput peach of a fellow

ille sacrilegus that ...!@#*!

ferre auxilium to help

ego meum ius persequor I'll take it to court

operier usque ad necem beat someone half to death

tibi a me nulla ortast iniuria I never hurt you

quingentos colaphos infregit mihi he gave me 500 blows

ego non spem pretio non emo I don't speculate on air

numquam rem facies you'll never be a businessman

in praesentia on the spot [in ready cash]

novi tuom animum I know what you're like

istuc volo ergo ipsum experiri I'd like to see him try it

in ipso articulo oppressit he's caught me with my pants down

quasi iam usquam tibi sint viginti minae as if 20 minae were anything to you

hoc scio animus tibi pendet this I know is most on your mind

timet: ineci scrupulum homini he's worried; I've hit a nerve

labascit he's wavering

minas decem conradet alicunde he'll scrape together 10 minae from somewhere

nil pudet? is he totally shameless?

opus est it is necessary

nil pote supra nothing could be better

quasi nunc non norimus nos inter nos as if we didn't know each other

turpe dictu horrible to say

Idioms and expressions for ACT IV

General Questions

quid est? what is it?

quid tum postea? and then what?

rogas me? you're asking me

quid num? yes, what is it?

quid nunc futurmst? what will come of it now?

quid faciam amplius? what more am I to do?

quor non? why not?

quid huic hic negotist? what business does he have here?

tibi vero quid istic est rei? what business do you have there?

quid nobis cum illis? what do we have to do with them?

nunc quid faciam? now what will I do?

vah, quo modo hac me expediam turba? how am I going to get out of this mess?

quid ibi facit? what is he/she doing there?

quid ni noverim? of course I know it

estne _____ intus? is so-and-so at home?

hem, quid narras? what is it you are going on about?

quid, malum ...? what the devil ... ?

etiam taces? will you be quiet?

Requests and commands

quin tu otiosus esto just relax

dic sodes tell me, please

pater, obsecro, ausculta please, Dad, listen

valeas, habeas illam quae placet so long, enjoy your girlfriend

aperite aliquis actutum ostium hurry up,open the door, somebody

ita uti dixi ... facite do as I said

perge go on

Emotional responses

discrucior animi I am in torment

in amore esse totus be head over heels in love

quae agis curae sunt mihi I care what you do

dimminuetur tibi quidem iam cerebrum I'll smash your head in

non potuit melius it couldn't have been done better

ne ill continebit posthac, si sapiet, manus he will keep his hands to himself after this if he knows what's good for him

misere nimis cupere to want very badly to ...

di bene vortant Gods bless (it)

me tui pudet I am ashamed [to face] you

lupus in fabula the wolf in the story [speak of the devil]

me credo huic esse natum rei, ferendis miseriis this must be what I was put on earth for, to be put upon

animo aequo ferre to take it in good part

patrissas: abi, virum te iudico you take after your father; good for you

prandium corrumpitur my dinner is ruined

Common expressions for various situations

gratias agere [+ dat] to thank someone

bene facis thank you, very kind of you

meum officium facio I am doing my duty

nequeo satis decernere I really can't make it out

ego iam prospiciam mihi now I will look out for myself

caput esse be head [author] of something

morem gerere to humor someone

quid ille gannit? what's he grumbling about?

te iamdudum quaero I have been looking and looking for you

ohe iam now, now; hold on now

eece autem see now

eccum ipsum look there he is, the very one ...