"Remember You Will Thirst"

A

Anonymous

Guest

Ave, thirsty forum-goers!

I am a homebrewer (active on homebrewtalk.com) and have recently settled on a name for my operations: Cap'n Jewbeard's Fyne Fermenteds. (My logo is an adaptation of the Calico Jack Rackham flag, with the skull and cross't swords; I have added a yarmulke and payes to the skull).

As we in my outfit are pirates of a certain breeding and education, we have decided that a Latin Motto would suit us well (and it will be sewn onto our flag that we will use when we carouse at Renaissance Faires).

So- to the actual translation:

I wanted to make a subtle nod to the phrase "Memento Mori," which, if I understand correctly, means "Remember you will die" and, in its original (pre-christian) incarnation was an exhortation to enjoy life, much as "Eat, drink, and be merry..."

My motto will be something like "Remember You Will Thirst", or "Remember Your Thirst", encouraging the crew to drink up and enjoy.

I am hoping to stay within these parameters:
1) I'd like to keep it to a two-word phrase, if possible, and possibly ending with the "i", as "Memento _____i". I don't know Latin word forms well enough to know if this is possible.

2) If that is not feasible, I'd like to keep it at least reminiscent of the original phrase, to create a tickle of amusement for those who recognize it.

Thanks all! And for those who help me, I may ship you a sample of "live yeast cultures in solution" so ye can see what we do aboard ship.
 

Cato

Consularis

  • Consularis

Location:
Chicago, IL
Three ideas:

1. Memento sitire - "Remember to thirst (you will thirst)" is probably the best direct translation.

2. In an effort to mimic the original phrase as much as possible, I considered memento colli = "remember to be quenched". The problem with this phrase is that the verb colluo, -ere - "wash out, rinse" is rather obscure and it's use in the sense of "quench" mainly poetic license. It's a little too forced for my taste.

3. Could a bit of bowdlerized Latin work? If so, how about memento sicci - "Remember you will be dry"? The adjective siccus - "dry" (root of the english word "desiccate") is common enough, and although there's no verb sicco - "to dry (out)" in Latin, I'd accept the coinage. It works sort of like the famous fake-Latin phrase Illegitimi non carborundum - "Don't let the b@stards get you down". The last word of this phrase is not Latin but can be guessed from cognates to mean "(to be) worn down".

Plus, we all know the effects too much beer can have (an overindulger can get sickie very quickie:)), so this might also work as a double entendre for English speakers ("Remember you will get sick?"). Depends, I guess, on your own sense of humor (and the quality of your beer--maybe it's not such a hot idea:))
 
A

Anonymous

Guest

Oh gods, it's beautiful! I love it!

And I tell you, homebrew may be delicious, but it can carry a wicked hangover- or, as we sometimes call it, a Crawlunder (as in "...a rock and die").

The motto "Memento Sicci" shall grace my standard and all of my bottles, and will serve as sound advice in an uncertain world.

May I reward you with some of the fruits of our labor? If you'd like a grain-based yeast culture (can't ship beer in the mail, but I think live yeast cultures are cool), that'll be a couple of weeks. There's a mead going too, but who knows how long that will take?

Thanks again!
 

Iynx

Consularis

  • Consularis

Location:
T2R6WELS, Maine, USA
Everybody seems happy, and that's good. But I'd like to raise a point or two.

1. Sitire can mean "to be thirsty". It can also mean "to refrain from drinking". If I saw memento sitire over a skull-and-crossbones I'm sure I would read it as "remember not to drink".

2. This is not an issue,of course, with sicci, which y'all just made up on the spot. But after memento (which I take to be the second imperative of memini) we need (I think) either an infinitive or an accusative. Hard to get the latter ending in -i. And the only way to get an infinitive ending in -i would be to imagine a deponent verb: siccior, sicci, siccus sum. Doesn't change your motto, but it provides, at least to my mind, a better rationale. And I like saying "siccior, sicci, siccus sum".
 
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