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A long time ago; from Gaius Lucilius, Satires VI, 284 a falsis principiis proficisci: to set forth from false principles: Legal phrase. From Cicero, De Finibus IV.53. a fortiori: from the stronger: i.e., "even more so" or "with even stronger reason". Often used to lead from a less certain proposition to a more evident corollary. a maiore ad minus
ἀπὸ μηχανῆς Θεός. apò mēkhanês Theós. Deus ex machina. "God from the machine". The phrase originates from the way deity figures appeared in ancient Greek theaters, held high up by a machine, to solve a problem in the plot. "Ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου μετάστηθι" — Diogenes the Cynic — in a 1763 painting by ...
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below).
Another idiom of improbability is 畑に蛤 (Hata ni hamaguri) which means "finding clams in a field". Latin – ad kalendas graecas ("to the Greek Kalends") signified indefinite postponement, since the Greek calendar had no Calends period; also cum mula peperit = "when a mule foaled".
The sands of time is an English idiom relating the passage of time to the sand in an hourglass . The hourglass is an antiquated timing instrument consisting of two glass chambers connected vertically by a narrow passage which allows sand to trickle from the upper part to the lower by means of gravity. The amount of sand determines the amount of ...
knock for six. Cricket To surprise or shock (someone). In cricket, a "six" results from a ball that is hit in the air and beyond the boundary of the field. It is the most valuable outcome for a batsman, being worth (as its name suggests) six runs from one delivery.
Tempus fugit. Tempus fugit ( Classical Latin pronunciation: [ˈt̪ɛmpʊs̠ ˈfʊɡit̪]) is a Latin phrase, usually translated into English as " time flies ". The expression comes from line 284 of book 3 of Virgil 's Georgics, [1] where it appears as fugit irreparabile tempus: "it escapes, irretrievable time". The phrase is used in both its ...
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning could not be readily deduced from the meaning of its individual words. The word comes from the Greek ἰδίωμα (idioma) – the distinctive style of a particular person. The traditional example is "kick the bucket" which is normally understood to mean dying. The extent to which a phrase is thought ...