# Beware The Ides of March... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757 "2000-03-14T14:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/1 "2000-03-14T14:00:00Z")
I know it’s not until tomorrow, I just am feeling a bit cryptic this morning. So, what’s penciled into the day planners of Dopers for tomorrow? Whatever it is be a little more careful. You know, like scope the rooftops for snipers while your walking down the street and stuff. I’ll just be working, same old, but I’ll be on the lookout for ninjas and evil scientists and superstitious Roman conspiritors. * * * I’ll buy that for a dollar. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/2 "2000-03-14T14:20:00Z")
It’s my cat’s birthday, she’ll be 7. Zem lives with my parents now, being a country cat and disapproving of wild city life, but I’ll give her a call and wish her the best and many more. * * * Gamera is really neat, he is full of turtle meat, we’ve been eating Gam-er-aaaa… ---
**Author:** ![Asmodeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Asmodeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asmodeus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/3 "2000-03-14T14:22:00Z")
I’m off. I got your back. * * * You can pick your friends, You can pick your nose, But you can’t pick your friends nose. ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/4 "2000-03-14T14:22:00Z")
I have a lunch date and two meetings. Plenty of time to be mobbed by Roman Senators and left to die in a pool of my own blood. (note to self: brush up on Latin tonight.) * * * …but when you get blue, and you’ve lost all your dreams, there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/5 "2000-03-14T15:11:00Z")
I get paid every 15th day of the month. The Ides of March are good to me. As are the Ides of May, July, and October. 🙂 - Rick ---
**Author:** ![PurpleCrackwhore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@PurpleCrackwhore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleCrackwhore)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/6 "2000-03-14T15:23:00Z")
I’ll be doing something to remember my mom, it was her birthday… other than that, maybe a date with destiny. * * * I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/7 "2000-03-14T15:48:00Z")
I’m staying away from the forum. Aside from that, I’ll probably clean up a little since my parents are coming to visit. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/8 "2000-03-14T15:50:00Z")
Well, my sons birthday is the 16th, so Its pretty good for me, though I’ve always wanted to go to the St. PAtricks Day parade, but its never been really warm enough. At least where I live… ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/9 "2000-03-14T16:52:00Z")
> [@](#): > > You know, like scope the rooftops for snipers while your walking down the street and stuff. Strange, I do this all the time anyway… > [@](#): > > On the 15th [Caesar’s] guard was down and they got him, in Pompey’s theater, at the foot of Pompey’s statue, where the senate happened to be meeting that day in the temple of Venus that was part of the theater complex. The foundations of the theater survive to this day, where the modern Roman restaurant Da Pamcrazio invites passersby to dine where Caesar was slain. It’s in a wonderful part of the old city, near the Campo dei Fiori. ## Cool! I want to go there! Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel, a beautiful red steam shovel. Her name was Mary Anne. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/10 "2000-03-14T17:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > You know, like scope the rooftops for snipers while your walking down the street and stuff. Great, way to tip off everyone. There goes this year’s body count. I tell ya, life just ain’t fair. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/11 "2000-03-15T06:49:00Z")
I plan on having an exciting day. I’ll go to one of President Clinton’s planned appearances, and jump out of the crowd yelling “Sic sember Tyrannis”, brandishing a plastic knife. Then Bill and I will sit down and have a good laugh about my prank, and I’ll buy him a beer over a fried catfish dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/12 "2000-03-15T06:52:00Z")
From Jack Handy: > [@](#): > > You know what would be a great gift for the President? A chocolate gun. And because he’s so busy, you’d probably have to run up to him real quickly and hand it to him. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/13 "2000-03-14T19:10:00Z")
So all the good ideas have been taken already. Thank you for spoiling my little plan Bricker. Instead I’ll just go moon the mayor of Costa Mesa. ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/14 "2000-03-14T20:24:00Z")
I was always taught that the ‘Ides of March’ were several days around the middle of March, and not necessarily March 15 itself. Now I hear people refering to the ‘Ides of March’ as March 15 only. What’s the deal? Is this a phrase that originated with Billy Shakespeare or did he take it from an earlier source? And what exactly are the ‘Ides’ of anything? Cites and sources if you have them, please. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/15 "2000-03-14T20:37:00Z")
From the M-W online dictionary: > [@](#): > > ides (noun plural but singular or plural in construction) > > [Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin idus] > > First appeared 14th Century > > : the 15th day of March, May, July, or October or the 13th day of any other month in the ancient Roman calendar; broadly : this day and the seven days preceding it ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/16 "2000-03-14T20:51:00Z")
From [Roman Month Divisions](http://www.greenheart.com/billh/calends.html): Roman months were divided into three sections: Calends, Nones and Ides. The **Day** of Ides was the first day of the Ides section of the calendar. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/17 "2000-03-14T20:54:00Z")
## I have a yard customer who I am helping to move. She’s about 70 and her husband is a crippled veteran. ☹ Every day I go over there to work I get plenty of exercise–and I get $50 for the day’s work. 🙂 (Spanish) “Los idus de marzo están aquí.” “Sí, César, pero no se han ido.” ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/18 "2000-03-14T21:00:00Z")
It’s one of my cats’ birthdays too! She’ll be… 10!! * * * – From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion” _the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable_ O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![Sylence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Sylence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylence)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2000, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/19 "2000-03-14T21:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > So, what’s penciled into the day planners of Dopers for tomorrow? Whatever it is be a little more careful. You know, like scope the rooftops for snipers while your walking down the street and stuff. Oh, I don’t know. . . mess around. . . scrawl “BewarE the IDES of MarcH” on the gymnasium in goat’s blood. . . that sort of thing. – Sylence Don’t forget to keep an eye on the clock towers too. We just got a brand new one here on campus and I’m thinking of testing it out. * * * “Excuse me, are you reading Torah and eating crayons?” ---
**Author:** ![timmar68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@timmar68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timmar68)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757/20 "2000-03-15T03:14:00Z")
I will be celebrating Greg’s birthday. He will be 9 on that day. 🙂 * * * MaryAnn “I don’t care if it’s the queen!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beware-the-ides-of-march/14757.md?page=2)