FOREIGN WORDS AND PHRASES

 1. An initio: From the very beginning

Ex: I have studied economics ah untio.

2. Ad hoc: Established for a particular purpose

Ex: An ad hoc committee was appointed to look into the matter.

3. Ad interim: In the meantime

Ex: You should wait for me. I shall finish my lunch ad interim.

4. Ad libitum: As much as you please

Ex: Please eat ad libitum.

5. Ad nauseum: To a disgusting point

Ex: They discussed the problem ad nauseum.

6. Alpha and omega: Beginning and end

Ex: I went through the alpha and omega of English.

7. Alma mater: Mother institution

Ex: We must always honour and remember our alma mater.

8. Anno domial (A.D.): In the year of Christ.

Ex: The First World War started in A.D. 1914.

9. Alter ego: Bosom friend

Ex: Anosike is my alter ego.

10. Alumul: Ex-students of college or university

Ex: The meeting of the alumni of our college was held last year.

11. Ante meridiem (a.m.): between midnight and noon 

Ex: The meeting took place at 8 a.m.

12. Bizarre: Eccentric, strange

Ex: He had a bizarre accident.

13. Bona fide: Regular. genuine

Ex:  Stella is a bona fide student of out college.

14. Cafe: Coffee house

Ex: We dined at a cafe yesterday.

15. Chauffeur: A car driver

Ex: We employed an experience chauffeur.

16. Cottage: A train of attendants, a procession

Ex: I found a courage of university professors in Lagos streets.positioning

17. Do facto: Real

Ex: The prime Minister is the de facto head of the government in Britain.

18. Dei gratia: By the grace of God

Ex: She recovered from her illness dei gratia.

19. En block: In a body

Ex: The cabinet took the decision en block.

20. Dramatis personae: A list of actors in a play

Ex: The director examined the dramatis personae carefully and selected a few of them for his play.

21. En masse: In a. mass

Ex: The people walked across the road en masse.

22. Eldorado: A country full of gold and precious stones

Ex: We feel very happy in an eldorado.

23. En route: On the way

Ex: I shall visit my sister at Lagos en route to Abuja.

24. Ex-officio: In virtue of one's office

Ex: He is the ex-officio chairman of the selection committee.

25. Ex-parts: On one side only

Ex: I did not like my father ex-parte decision to sell the house.

26. Genre: Style, kind, type

Ex: The novel is a genre of literature.

27. Ibid: In the same book, chapter, passage

Ex: You will find his statements ibid.

28. Id eat: That is to say

Ex: She is like Amina, id est a beautiful girl.

29. il penseroso: pensive, sorrowful

Ex: Akin's death made me Il penseroso.

30. In memoriam: In memory of

Ex: I decided to establish an education institution in memoriam of my mother.

31. Ipso facto: By the very fact, virtually

Ex: He is a genius ipso facto.

32. Laissez-faire: Free trade

Ex: Some nations are adopting the policy of laissez-faire.

33. Lingua franca: Common language of all

Ex: English is the lingus franca of the modern world.

34. Litterateur: A literary man

Ex: Chinue is great litterateur

35. Mademoiselle (Mille): French equivalent of miss

Ex: Mille Rita Mitterand will take you in French classes.

36. Malafide: Acting bad faith

Ex: My friend acted malafide on several occasions.

37. Mosieur (M): French equivalent of Mr.

Ex: I invited M. Cousteau for the party.

38. Nota bene N.B.: Take notice, note well

Ex: N.B. – Use capital letter at the beginning of a sentence.

39. Parole: Word of hon our

Ex: He was released on patrole.

40. Par excellence: Very rare and unique

Ex: Her beauty is per excellence.

41. Per annum: Per year

Ex: He earns five million Naira per annum.

42. Per capita: Per individual

Ex: The per capita income in our country is low.

43. Prima facie: From the first impression

Ex: He seems prima facie to be guilty.

44. Proforma: Model, form

Ex: The proforma of the application is published in the newspaper.

45. Post meridiem (p.m.) after mid day

Ex: The dinner begins at 8 p.m.

46. Status quo: Same position

Ex: The court ordered him to maintain his status quo till another person was appointed to that post.

47. Since die: For an indefinite period.

Ex: The parliament was adjourned since die.

48. Summum bonum: Chief good, important

Ex: Good education is the summum bonum of every woman.

49. Tempo: Characteristics style of movement

Ex: I observed the tempo of her walk.

50. Ultra vires: Beyond one's legal power or authority

Ex: The decision of the president is ultra vires.

51. Versus: Against

Ex: I wrote an essay on the topic 'Marriage versus celibacy'.

52. Via media: Middle course

Ex: We are finding out a media to bring the student and teacher together.

53. Vice versa: In opposed ways

Ex: Change the sentence into indirect speech and vice versa.

54. Viva voice: Oral test

Ex: I succeeded in the viva voice at Lagos University.

RARE AND APT PROVERBS

1. Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.

2. Action speak louder than words.

3. Adversity makes a man wise, not rich.

4. All men cannot be masters.

5. Anger dieth (dies) quickly with a good man.

6. Anger punishes itself.

7. Art consists in concealing art.

8. Art has no enemy but ignorance.

9. Art is long and life is short.

10. Barking dogs seldom bite.

11. Beauty is but skin deep.

12. Beauty may have fair leaves, yet bitter fruits.

13. Bees that have honey in their mouths have stings in their tails.

14. Believe not all that you see nor half what you hear.

15. Those that makes the best use of their time have none to spare.

16. Better a bare foot than none.

17. Better an open enemy than a false friend.

18. Better be alone than in bad company.

19. Better late than never.

20. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

21. Birds of a feather flock together.

22. Blood is thicker than water.

23. Borrowed garments never fit well.

24. Brevity is the soul of wit.

25. A burnt child dreads the fire.

26. Candle lights others and consumes itself.

27. Charity begins at home.

28. The. child is the father of the man.

29. Choose neither a woman nor linen by candle light.

30. Christmas comes but a once a year.

31. Civility costs nothing.

32. Every cloud has a silver lining.

33. There is no companion like the penny.

34. Confidence is a plant of slow growth.

35. Contentment is happiness.

36. Contentment is more than a kingdom.

37. A contented mind is a continual feast.

38. Conversation makes one what he is.

39. He is a poor cook that cannot lick his own  fingers.

40. It costs more to do ill than to do well.

41. If the counsel be good, no matter who gave it.

42. Counsel must be followed not praised.

43. Every couple is not a pair.

44. The course of true love never runs smooth.

45. Creditors have better memories than debtors.

46. It is no use crying over spilt milk.

47. Danger is next neighbor to security.

48. Better pass a danger once than be always in fear.

49. To decide oneself is very easy.

50. He that desires honour is not worthy of honor.

56. A drowning man will catch at a straw.

57. Early to bed a'd early to rise makes a man healthy, wealth and wise.

58. East or west, home is best.

59. Eat at pleasure, drink by measure.

60. Empty vessels make the greatest sound.

61. The end of passion is the beginning of repentance.

62. He has enough who is contented with little.

63. Every man is the architect of his own fortune.

64. Every man is mad on some point.

65. Every pleasure has a pain.

66. Everybody's business is nobody's business.

67. Experience is the mother of wisdom.

68. The face is the index of the heart.

69. Fact is stranger than fiction.

70. All is fair in love a'd war.

71. Familiarity breeds contempt.

72. Fanned fires and forced love never do well.

73. Fault confessed is half redressed.

74. Fault are thick where love is thin.

75. The first breath is the beginning of death.

76. First try and then trust.

77. The folly of one man is the fortune of another.

78. A fool and his money are soon parted.

79. What a fool does in the end, the wise man does at the beginning.

80. Forbidden fruit is sweet.

81. There is great force hidden in a sweet command.

82. Forgive and forget.

83. Fortune favours the brave.

84. When fortune knocks, open the door.

85. Fortune knocks once at least at every man's gate.

86. A friend is never known till a man has need.

87. The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. 

88. All is not gold that glitters.

89. Good beginning makes a good ending.

90. Good counsel has no price.

91. A good face is a letter of recommendation.

92. He is a good orator who convince himself.

93. Good words cool more than cool water.

94. The great fish eat up the small.

95. Great men's sons seldom do well.

96. A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

97. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

98. Handsome is that handsome does.

99. Health is better than wealth.

100. Every heart hath its own ache.

• BEAUTIFUL QUOTATION