There are some phrases in other languages that English has adopted, and people don’t realize that they originated somewhere other than English. There are others that we’re acutely aware came from another language. Having studied Latin, I tend to notice both types of these, and think about what they mean in English compared to what they mean in Latin.
One of these phrases—one that never fails to entertain me—is Modus Operandi. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, it means “method of operation.” You might have heard it shortened to M.O. Taking this a step further, that means that in the ancient Roman empire, there was a way to say “That’s how I roll.” Keep that in mind next time someone recites Latin to seem intelligent.
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