Back in 1967 , tough - talking Chicago diarist Mike Royko concocted a new motto for the City of Strong Shoulders—“Ubi Est Mea,“ or : " Where ’s mine?“
Although Mike ’s phrase has had a in effect run , I think it ’s time the Windy City got a unexampled Latin M.O. , inspired by Illinois ' favorite gasbag , Governor Rod Blagojevich .
" Carpe Momento,“ or : " sequester the minute . “
A look back at Blago ’s political career reveals a certain fondness for these rather tragically clichà © d words — not only did he employ them during his State of the State Address in 2004 , 2005 and 2007 , but also on myriad occasions throughout his political career : from urging action in restricting gun sales to fix the city ’s fall apart transit system .
My personal favourite vocalization , however , occurred in 2003 , when Blago pledged to take on state corruption : " We have to usurp this moment and enact meaningful ethics reform , " Blagojevich order . " After all we ’ve been through , we can not expect the multitude just instinctively to hope their government . “
Truer — or more dry — words were never spoken .
harmonise to recent upshot , it seems the only carpe dieming the Gov. has been up to has call for seizing the bit to expect " Ubi Est Mea?“
Before we exit the Holy Writ on Royko ’s news of wicked wisdom , let ’s take a tone back at the history of Blago ’s favored phrase : from its blissful conception , to its rather more spot current state .
Carpe Diem
Once upon a time , before " sequester the moment" adorned poster plastered with frolicking kitten and parachutes and the same , people in reality used the original Latin word — and a bigger increment of time : " Carpe Diem,“ or : " assume the day . “ The phrase come courtesy of poet Horativs Flaccvs , and basically means : life sentence is short ; enjoy it . Blago could take a coil from Horace ’s Holy Writ at this point in time — at least with regard to his governorship .
" Seize the moment of frantic curiosity on any discipline to puzzle out your doubts ; for if you let it excrete , the desire may never recall , and you may remain in ignorance . “
In 1833 , US Attorney General William Wirt portion out this sentiment with Mr. H.W. Miller , a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was after some advice on the secret of succeeder . At this junction , the meaning of " Carpe Diem" drifts a bit far away from fun and spontaneousness , and nigher to the shattering of noses to grindstone .
“Seize the Day”
publish in 1956 by Saul Bellow , this novella tells the story of Tommy Wilhelm , a man on the Leigh Hunt for the problematical American Dream . The phrase acquires an even stronger taste of shoe leather here — smacking of utter boot - strappery .
So many deeds shout out out to be done , And always urgently;The world rolls on , Time presses . Ten thousand years are too long , Seize the Clarence Day , seize the hour !
Mao Zedong ’s far-famed poem , " Reply to Comrade Guo Moruo,“ write in 1961 , added a in spades martial bound to the idiom as it boost Communism . It also inhale the next usage on our list " ¦
Seize the Moment: America’s Challenge in a One-Superpower World
Nixon ’s rule book , published in 1992 , is all about America ’s future : how the US should palm the end of the Cold War , the fall of Communism , etc , etc . More importantly , it cemented the term in the political kingdom — especially since old Tricky Dick had made adept use of it in the past , peculiarly in his 1971 State of the Union Address . Guess Nixon and Blago have more in usual than the specter of impeachment .
