Illegitimi non carborundum

Illegitimi non carborundum is a mock-Latin aphorism meaning "Don't let the bastards grind you down". (Carborundum is an industrial abrasive material.)

History

The phrase originated during World War II. Lexicographer Eric Partridge attributes it to British army intelligence very early in the war (using the plural dative/ablative illegitimis). The phrase was adopted by US Army general "Vinegar" Joe Stillwell as his motto during the war.^[1] It was later further popularized in the US by 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.^[2]

Generations of Harvard students have taken the phrase into the world, as it is the first line of an unofficial school song Ten Thousand Men of Harvard, the most frequently played Fight song of the Harvard Marching Band. This is, to some extent, a parody of more solemn school songs like "Fair Harvard thy sons to your Jubilee throng" etc. The first verse goes:

Illegitimum non carborundum;

Domine salvum fac.

Illegitimum non Carborundum;

Domine salvum fac.

Gaudeamus igitur!

Veritas non sequitur?

Illegitimum non carborundum—ipso facto!

Variants

There are many variants of the phrase, such as

• Nil illegitimi carborundum.
• Non illegitimis carborundum.
• Illegitimi nil carborundum.
• Non illegitimi carborundum.
• Nil bastardo carborundum.
• Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
• Illegitimis non carborundum.
• Illegitimus non carborundum est.
• Nil illegitimo in desperandum carborundum
• Nil carborundum illegitamae
• Noli ilegitimus carborundum
• Nolite Illegitimos Conterere Vos

Only one of these is a possible Latin phrase,^{[citation needed]} Illegitimis non carborundum [est]. But it is possible only under peculiar assumptions, such as that the verb carborundum is a Latin gerundive carrying the connotation "should" or "ought".

Illegitimi suggests illegitimate to the English speaker, but it is certainly not the usual Latin word for "bastard", nor does it carry the same negative connotation as in English: it was never used as a general insult as the English term "bastard" still is.

It also should be kept in mind that "bastards" is often used in English as a generic derogatory term, not necessarily relating to the marital status of one's parents.^[3]

Henry Beard in his 1991 book Latin for Even More Occasions offered some tongue-in-cheek Latin for the sentiment, in a section called "Dopey Exhortations Are More Forceful in Latin":^[4]

Never let the bastards wear you down.
Noli nothis permittere te terere. Nothis is the dative plural of nothus, which derives from the Greek word νόθος. The native Latin word for "bastard", current with this meaning during the Golden Age, is spurius; it is not illegitimus, or nothis, or bastardus. However, nothis means the father is known, spurius means the father is not known. The sole advantage of nothus for this translation is that it has a figurative derogative meaning, but only in poetical or post-classical Latin.

Use as a motto

• "F2 Zoo" - Foxtrot Company, Second Regiment, United States Military Academy
• St. John's School of Nurse Anesthesia
• 3d Space Operations Squadron Weapons & Tactics Flight (USAF)(2004–2006)
• The U.S. submarine USS Tunny (SSN-682)
• The weekly Alaskan newspaper the Nome Nugget
• Whitehorse Daily Star, in the capital of the Yukon Territory
• University of Idaho Navy ROTC Drill Team
• The comic strip Odd Bodkins
• Toronto FC Supporters Group, Red Patch Boys - 75 Mile Bastards Chapter
• Informal motto for the seminarians at Nashotah House Theological Seminary: Nolite Illegitimos Conterere Vos.
• Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets - Echo Company (E-Frat) motto
• Mercers house, Dauntsey's School UK.
• U.S. Navy squadron VFC111 "Sundowners" at NAS Key West, Florida.
• US Army Special Forces 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
• Eta Beta Tau fraternity, Mansfield University, Mansfield, Pennsylvania.

In popular culture

The arts

• Nil Carborundum, title of a 1962 play and TV comedy by Henry Livings.^[5]
• Nil Carborundum Illegitimo, in Principia Discordia from 1965.^[6]
• Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, in The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood.
• Illegitimi non carborundum, in Lucifer's Hammer (1977) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, page 29.
• Nil illegitimo carborundum is a maxim credited to the fictional philosopher Didactylos in Terry Pratchett's Small Gods.
• Non Illegitimus Carborundum is the school motto of the fictional girl's school St. Trinian's, appearing on the school's coat of arms.
• Illegitimis non Carborundum is printed on a banner in the artwork for The Toasters' 7th studio album Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down.
• Illegitimus Non Carborundum Est is also printed on a banner in the artwork for Dee Snider's solo album Never Let the Bastards Wear You Down.
• Nil carborundum illegitimis is said by Landon Kettlewell in Cory Doctorow's Makers ^[7]
• Illegitimi non carborundum in "Fight Song" by The Republic Tigers
• Don't let the bastards grind you down! memorably quoted by Albert Finney in the 1960 film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
• "Don't let the bastards grind you down" last phrase of Motorhead "(Don't Let 'Em) Grind Ya Down" song from Iron Fist album.
• "So don't let the bastards grind you down" is the chorus of the song Acrobat, by U2.
• "Don't let the bastards get you down" appears in the chorus of Rihanna's 2011 single "Cheers (Drink to That)" from her album Loud.
• "Don't let the bastards grind you down" is frequently spoken by Norman Stanley Fletcher in the BBC series Porridge, usually for the purpose of irritating Prison Officer Mackay but also as part of a lesson to the younger inmates on how to cope with being inside.

Politics

• Mentioned with translation by the Member of Parliament for Twickenham Toby Jessel in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on June 7, 1993.^[8]
• Mentioned by Premier of Newfoundland, Danny Williams in reference to a power deal with Nalcor Energy on February 20, 2009.^[9]

Sports

• Illegitimum non carborundum in Ten Thousand Men of Harvard, Harvard's most-frequently played fight song.

See also

• Dog Latin
• List of Latin phrases

References

1. ^ Why Do We Say ...?, Nigel Rees, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1944-3
2. ^ Illegitimi Non Carborundum page^{[dead link]}, at Santa Cruz Public Libraries ready reference, quoting William Safire, Safire's New Political Dictionary
3. ^ See the discussion in Hugh Rawson, Wicked Words (New York: Crown, 1989), pp. 36f
4. ^ Beard, Henry, Latin for Even More Occasions. (1991). chapter one
5. ^ Nil Carborundum (TV 1962) - IMDb
6. ^ "The Principia Discordia". Ology.org. 1995-10-03. http://ology.org/principia/body.html. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
7. ^ Cory Doctorow. "Makers". Tor Books. http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=49181. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 
8. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 7 Jun 1993". Publications.parliament.uk. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199293/cmhansrd/1993-06-07/Debate-1.html. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
9. ^ Terry Roberts (20th February 2009). "Williams hopes Harper takes a few tips from Obama". TheWesternStar.com. http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=224324&sc=506. Retrieved 2010-04-15. 

External links

• Two alternative explanations