# Anyone able to help with a Latin translation for me?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 29, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183 "2007-11-29T15:27:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183/1 "2007-11-29T15:27:21Z")

</div>

I’m working on a faux coat of arms or military crest, and would like to add a motto in Latin under it. I’m looking for words to the effect “bright and flexible, we float in the bath”\*. I know there are online English to Latin translators out there, but I don’t trust them, and anyway, a human translation is more likely to be idiomatically accurate, which is what I’m after.

\*Can you guess what beast will adorn the crest?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183/2 "2007-11-29T16:06:58Z")

</div>

Bright as in shining or bright as in intelligent?

Former/latter: luminosi/sapientes molles(que), in balineo supermergemus.

Disclaimer: I have not taken Latin in 3 years, and do not currently have access to a dictionary.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183/3 "2007-11-29T16:09:54Z")

</div>

Bright visually - as in bright yellow. (Actually, that’s not really either shining or intelligent). What I really mean is _vivid_.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183/4 "2007-11-29T17:32:46Z")

</div>

[singing]  
Rubber ducky, you’re the one  
that makes bathtime lots of fun  
[/singing]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-able-to-help-with-a-latin-translation-for-me/428183/5 "2007-11-30T08:44:24Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Captain Carrot]  
Bright as in shining or bright as in intelligent?

Former/latter: luminosi/sapientes molles(que), in balineo supermergemus.

Disclaimer: I have not taken Latin in 3 years, and do not currently have access to a dictionary.  
[/QUOTE]

Can someone please explain the the bracketed modifier for me? Is it gender specific or something?  
Cheers.