West Wing FF: Latin Phrases Drabbles
Latin phrases drabbles.
Illegitimi non carborundum - (Sam/Josh if you squint, PG, post Disaster Relief)
‘Roll with the punches?’
‘Josh.’
‘It’s almost hard to believe you don’t write for a living.’
‘I….’
‘No really, I’m overwhelmed by the thought that everyone devoted to consoling me in my time of need.’
‘Illegitimi non carborundum?’
‘Law degree not withstanding, Sam, I have no clue what you just said.’
Silence. Then, ‘Don't let the bastards get you down.’
‘You just thought it sounded better in Latin.’
‘Yeah.’
Another long pause. ‘Say it again the other way.’
‘Illegitimi non carborundum?’
‘This is gonna be…can you…?’
‘Sure, Josh.’
He falls asleep to Sam murmuring nonsense Latin in his ear.
"Illegitimi non carborundum. - Don't let the bastards get you down."
* * * *
Si vis amari, ama - (Sam/Toby, PG, post-series)
The new apartment was as he had expected. Clean and tidy, with book-lined walls. He recognized the President’s…Jed’s…memoirs sitting between Dickens and a battered dictionary that was also familiar.
Sam handed him a whisky, and accepted a cigar, and that was familiar too. If he did nothing else, this would go exactly like all the other times. Sam would say goodnight with that same regretful but resigned smile, he would leave for the plane to New York, and they would vanish into their separate lives for another six months.
He leant in towards Sam, and wrote them a new ending.
"Si vis amari, ama - If you wish to be loved, love"
* * * *
Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae - (Sam and Toby with Josh, after Will goes to work for the VP, PG)
‘You sent me a defective deputy.’ Toby pointed out.
‘Not intentionally.’
‘I’m saying….’
‘I know what you’re saying, Toby, but no.’
‘We don’t need long.’ Josh called at the speakerphone. ‘What are you doing that’s so important?’
Sam whispered something Josh couldn’t make out. Then, ‘I can’t come back there, Toby, I just…’
‘Can’t. Okay.’ Toby hung up.
‘That’s it?’
‘Well, I’m not dragging him back by force, Josh.’
‘But that’s it? What did he say?’
‘Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae.’
‘Which means…?’
‘If you don’t shut up, I’m going to California too?’
‘But…’
‘He’s earned some peace, let it go.’
"Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae. - I feel again a spark of that ancient flame."
* * * *
Insanabile cacoethes scribendi - (Sam and Toby, pre-White House, PG)
It was always easy with Josh. Toby, however, within two minutes, seemed to have condemned Sam as a quixotic adolescent who didn’t know when to end sentences.
It was Josh, ironically, who proved different. ‘Sam? When I said, “We need it by six” what did you hear?’
Toby glowered and Josh, miraculously, backed down and left.
Toby handed the missing speech back. ‘It’s good.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Josh may have been right about your hearing…’
‘Why didn’t you tell him…?’
‘We need to train him out of thinking he can demand our speeches to order.’
From then, it was always ‘we’.
"Insanabile cacoethes scribendi - An incurable passion to write. "
* * * *
Amicus humani generic - (Sam and CJ, PG)
‘Toby? Have you seen Sam?’ CJ asked.
‘He’s in his office.’
‘I only ask because in Senior Staff he…’
‘He’s fine.’
‘… said that he had a day full of cheese meetings,’ she finished dryly.
‘He’s fine.’
Outside, Sam was shaking hands with a young woman.
‘Mr. Seaborn, thank you so much. You don’t know what it means to have someone…’
He smiled warmly at her. When she left, CJ looked at Sam in query. He grinned teasingly, arms wide. ‘Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.’
‘You’re Lady Liberty now?’
‘Too much?’
‘Whatever gets you through the day, Spanky.’
"Amicus humani generic - friend of the human race"
Illegitimi non carborundum - (Sam/Josh if you squint, PG, post Disaster Relief)
‘Roll with the punches?’
‘Josh.’
‘It’s almost hard to believe you don’t write for a living.’
‘I….’
‘No really, I’m overwhelmed by the thought that everyone devoted to consoling me in my time of need.’
‘Illegitimi non carborundum?’
‘Law degree not withstanding, Sam, I have no clue what you just said.’
Silence. Then, ‘Don't let the bastards get you down.’
‘You just thought it sounded better in Latin.’
‘Yeah.’
Another long pause. ‘Say it again the other way.’
‘Illegitimi non carborundum?’
‘This is gonna be…can you…?’
‘Sure, Josh.’
He falls asleep to Sam murmuring nonsense Latin in his ear.
"Illegitimi non carborundum. - Don't let the bastards get you down."
* * * *
Si vis amari, ama - (Sam/Toby, PG, post-series)
The new apartment was as he had expected. Clean and tidy, with book-lined walls. He recognized the President’s…Jed’s…memoirs sitting between Dickens and a battered dictionary that was also familiar.
Sam handed him a whisky, and accepted a cigar, and that was familiar too. If he did nothing else, this would go exactly like all the other times. Sam would say goodnight with that same regretful but resigned smile, he would leave for the plane to New York, and they would vanish into their separate lives for another six months.
He leant in towards Sam, and wrote them a new ending.
"Si vis amari, ama - If you wish to be loved, love"
* * * *
Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae - (Sam and Toby with Josh, after Will goes to work for the VP, PG)
‘You sent me a defective deputy.’ Toby pointed out.
‘Not intentionally.’
‘I’m saying….’
‘I know what you’re saying, Toby, but no.’
‘We don’t need long.’ Josh called at the speakerphone. ‘What are you doing that’s so important?’
Sam whispered something Josh couldn’t make out. Then, ‘I can’t come back there, Toby, I just…’
‘Can’t. Okay.’ Toby hung up.
‘That’s it?’
‘Well, I’m not dragging him back by force, Josh.’
‘But that’s it? What did he say?’
‘Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae.’
‘Which means…?’
‘If you don’t shut up, I’m going to California too?’
‘But…’
‘He’s earned some peace, let it go.’
"Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae. - I feel again a spark of that ancient flame."
* * * *
Insanabile cacoethes scribendi - (Sam and Toby, pre-White House, PG)
It was always easy with Josh. Toby, however, within two minutes, seemed to have condemned Sam as a quixotic adolescent who didn’t know when to end sentences.
It was Josh, ironically, who proved different. ‘Sam? When I said, “We need it by six” what did you hear?’
Toby glowered and Josh, miraculously, backed down and left.
Toby handed the missing speech back. ‘It’s good.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Josh may have been right about your hearing…’
‘Why didn’t you tell him…?’
‘We need to train him out of thinking he can demand our speeches to order.’
From then, it was always ‘we’.
"Insanabile cacoethes scribendi - An incurable passion to write. "
* * * *
Amicus humani generic - (Sam and CJ, PG)
‘Toby? Have you seen Sam?’ CJ asked.
‘He’s in his office.’
‘I only ask because in Senior Staff he…’
‘He’s fine.’
‘… said that he had a day full of cheese meetings,’ she finished dryly.
‘He’s fine.’
Outside, Sam was shaking hands with a young woman.
‘Mr. Seaborn, thank you so much. You don’t know what it means to have someone…’
He smiled warmly at her. When she left, CJ looked at Sam in query. He grinned teasingly, arms wide. ‘Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.’
‘You’re Lady Liberty now?’
‘Too much?’
‘Whatever gets you through the day, Spanky.’
"Amicus humani generic - friend of the human race"