Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources. Rev. James Wood
golden mean. 30
Aurea nunc vere sunt sæcula; plurimus auro / Venit honos: auro conciliatur amor—The age we live in is the true age of gold; by gold men attain to the highest honour, and win even love itself. Ovid.
Aureo piscari hamo—To fish with a golden hook.
Au reste—For the rest. Fr.
Au revoir—Farewell till we meet again. Fr.
Auri sacra fames—The accursed lust of gold. 35 Virg.
Auro loquente nihil pollet quævis ratio—When gold speaks, no reason the least avails. Pr.
Aurora musis amica—Aurora is friendly to the Muses. Pr.
Aus dem Gebet erwächst des Geistes Sieg—It is from prayer that the spirit's victory springs. Schillerbuch.
Aus dem Kleinsten setzt / Sich Grosses zusammen zuletzt, / Und keins darf fehlen von allen, / Wenn nicht das Ganze soll fallen—Out of the smallest a great is at length composed, and none of all can fail, unless the whole is fated to break up. Rückert.
Aus dem Leben heraus sind der Wege drei 40 dir geöffnet, / Zum Ideale führt einer, der andre zum Tod—Two ways are open for thee out of life; one conducts to the ideal, the other to death. Schiller.
Aus der Jugendzeit, aus der Jugendzeit / Klingt ein Lied mir immerdar, / O wie liegt so weit, O wie liegt so weit, / Was mein einst war—Out of youth-time, out of youth-time sounds a lay of mine ever; O how so far off lies, how so far off lies, what once was mine! Rückert.
Aus der schlechtesten Hand kann Wahrheit noch mächtig wirken; / Bei dem Schönen allein macht das Gefäss den Gehalt—Truth may work mightily though in the hand of the sorriest instrument; in the case of the beautiful alone the casket constitutes the jewel (lit. the vessel makes the content). Schiller.
Aus derselben Ackerkrume / Wächst das Unkraut wie die Blume / Und das Unkraut macht sich breit—Out of the same garden-mould grows the weed as the flower, and the weed flaunts itself abroad. Bodenstedt.
A useful trade is a mine of gold. Pr.
A useless life is an early death. Goethe. 45
Aus grauser Tiefe tritt das Höhe kühn hervor; / Aus harter Hülle kämpft die Tugend sich hervor; / Der Schmerz ist die Geburt der höhern Naturen—Out of a horrible depth the height steps boldly forth; out of a hard shell virtue fights its way to the light; pain is the birth (medium) of the higher natures. Tiedge.
Aus jedem Punkt im Kreis zur Mitte geht ein Steg. / Vom fernsten Irrtum selbst zu Gott zurück ein Weg—There is a way from every point in a circle to the centre; from the farthest error there is a way back to God Himself. Rückert.
Aus Mässigkeit entspringt ein reines Glück—Out of moderation a pure happiness springs. Goethe.
Auspicium melioris ævi—The pledge of happier times. M.
Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait—No sooner said than done. Fr.
Aus ungelegten Eiern werden spät junge Hühner—Chickens are long in coming out of unlaid eggs. Ger. Pr.
Ausus est vana contemnere—He dared to scorn vain fears.
Aut amat, aut odit mulier; nil est tertium—A 5 woman either loves or hates; there is no alternative. Pub. Syr.
Autant chemine un homme en un jour qu'un limaçon en cent ans—A man travels as far in a day as a snail in a hundred years. Fr. Pr.
Autant dépend chiche que large, et à la fin plus davantage—Niggard spends as much as generous, and in the end a good deal more. Fr. Pr.
Autant en emporte le vent—All idle talk (lit. so much the wind carries away). Fr. Pr.
Autant pèche celui qui tient le sac que celui qui met dedans—He is as guilty who holds the bag as he who puts in. Fr. Pr.
Autant vaut l'homme comme il s'estime—A 10 man is rated by others as he rates himself. Fr. Pr.
Aut bibat, aut abeat—Either drink or go.
Aut Cæsar aut nihil—Either Cæsar or nobody. M. of Cæsar Borgia.
Authority, not majority. Stahl.
Authors alone, with more than savage rage, / Unnatural war with brother authors wage. Churchill.
Authors are martyrs, witnesses to the truth, 15 or else nothing. Carlyle.
Authors may be divided into falling stars, planets, and fixed stars: the first have a momentary effect; the second, a much longer duration; and the third are unchangeable, possess their own light, and shine for all time. Schopenhauer.
Aut insanit homo, aut versus facit—The man is either mad, or he is making verses. Hor.
Aut non tentaris, aut perfice—Either don't attempt it, or go through with it. Ovid.
Auto-da-fé—An act of faith; a name applied to certain proceedings of the Inquisition connected with the burning of heretics.
[Greek: Autos epha]—He himself said it; ipse dixit. 20
Aut prodesse volunt aut delectare poetæ—Poets wish either to profit or to please. Hor.
Autrefois acquis—Acquitted before. Fr.
Aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportere—A man ought to be born either a king or a fool. Pr. in Sen.
Autre temps, autres mœurs—Other times, other fashions. Fr. Pr.
Aut vincere aut mori—Either to conquer or die. 25
Aut virtus nomen inane est, / Aut decus et pretium recte petit experiens vir—Either virtue is an empty name, or the man of enterprise justly aims at honour and reward. Hor.
Aux armes—To arms. Fr.
Aux grands maux les grands remèdes—Desperate maladies require desperate remedies. Fr. Pr.
Auxilium ab alto—Help from above. M.
Auxilium meum a Domino—My help cometh 30 from the Lord. M.
Avant propos—Prefatory matter. Fr.
Avaler des couleuvres—To put up with abuse (lit. swallow snakes). Fr.
A valiant and brave soldier seeks rather to preserve one citizen than to destroy a thousand enemies. Scipio.
Avancez—Advance. Fr.
Avarice has ruined more men than prodigality. 35 Colton.
Avarus, nisi cum moritur, nil recte facit—A miser does nothing right except when he dies. Pr.
Avec un Si on mettrait Paris dans une bouteille—With an "if" one might put Paris in a bottle. Fr. Pr.
A verbis ad verbera—From