Nomen est omen – ‘the name is the sign of destiny’, so I’m reliably informed. Hence a husband and wife running a sweetshop being called Mr and Mrs Sweet, and a head gardener I once worked for being called Mr Greenfield. As friends of mine would recount, I changed my preferred first name in 1995 to Francis, which is my middle name. Hmmm, so by association: Francis of Assisi, Francis Bacon (the philosopher), Sir Francis Drake, Francis Meynell?
[This revelation tempts me to use Latin phrases more in daily life, which I had thought was the preserve of Oxford graduates only. Note that
Oxford came second to Cambridge in Archaeology, Classics, English, History, History of Art, Mathematics, Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies
in the Guardian's 2006 league tables for universities, which pleases me. My brother was clearly right to switch from one t'other to advance his Theology.]
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 11:23 pm |
Honos reddatur dignis. However, I think it is fair to say: ‘Patet omnibus veritas’, irrespectively of their alma mater. But useless Latin phrases are the prerogative of the Oxonian, and so all I dare say is: ‘Anathema sit!’
Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 12:37 am |
Oops.