# Carpe hoc! = Wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 1999, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577 "1999-09-28T22:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mister\_RogersAWC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mister\_RogersAWC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_RogersAWC)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/1 "1999-09-28T22:06:00Z")
I remember one of you folks having a .sig that says Carpe Hoc, then saying one day that it is Latin for **Sieze This!** However, **Sieze This!** is actually \_ **occupo hic** _Is_ would also work in replacing hic. =) Doing my part to fight ignorance. * * * **"No job’s too small, we bomb them all."** -Ace Wrecking Company ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_RogersAWC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mister\_RogersAWC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_RogersAWC)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/2 "1999-09-28T22:06:00Z")
Hmmm…My spaces didn’t work, the macron should appear above the second O in occupo. * * * **"No job’s too small, we bomb them all."** -Ace Wrecking Company ---
**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:** [September 28, 1999, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/3 "1999-09-28T22:34:00Z")
Hmmm…I always read that _carpe diem_ meant “seize the day…” * * * “If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/4 "1999-09-28T22:38:00Z")
It depends on the context, Mr.R. Even I know that. ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/5 "1999-09-28T23:29:00Z")
Occupo hic?? Don`t think so. First, “occupo” is the first person, present tense, of the verb occupare, which means occupy (as in occupy the premises); IIRC, it could be used as well in a professional context (hold a job). Second, **hic** _does_ mean “this” but as applied to masculine nouns. **Haec** corresponds to the feminine gender, whereas **hoc** is used for the neutral form. Ergo :), “Carpe hoc” would be the correct way of putting it, should Latin still be a prevalent form of communication in 1999. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_RogersAWC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mister\_RogersAWC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_RogersAWC)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/6 "1999-09-29T00:21:00Z")
Hmmm…I assumed it was a sexual innuendo that I didn’t understand. I picked the masculine form rather than post the entire chart of this’s from my Latin textbook. And as for occupo, I picked it because I didn’t know whether he meant plural, singular, first, second, or third person. Nominative is nice and simple in such cases. Even so, my whole post was just to help the guy out. I’m just glad to see SOME people besides my tiny Latin class are/have learning the language. * * * **"No job’s too small, we bomb them all."** -Ace Wrecking Company ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/7 "1999-09-29T00:25:00Z")
“What’s this? People called Romanes they go the house?” ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/8 "1999-09-29T00:44:00Z")
Mister\_Rogers: Some thirty years ago, I studied Latin from the 8th to the 13th grade. So it’s a bit rusty. BTW, I think we can safely assume that there is a sexual innuendo but, not knowing _exactly_ what it was our poster wanted us to seize (although I have a good idea), I chose the party of fuzziness; hence, the neutral form. As for nominative, unless I’m mistaken, it applies to nouns and more specifically to subjects in a sentence. As to what Mojo said, I haven’t got a clue 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/9 "1999-09-29T00:55:00Z")
> [@](#): > > “What’s this? People called Romanes they go the house?” ## Now write that 100 times. If you don’t, I’ll cut your balls off. Jeremy… I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine - Kurt Vonnegut ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/10 "1999-09-29T01:23:00Z")
Carpe carpium = Seize the gefilte fish ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/11 "1999-09-29T02:58:00Z")
Indeed, _occupo hic_ translates to _I seize he._ _Carpe hoc_ is an appropriate response to the now-popular expression _carpe diem_, when accompanied by the clutching of the genitals. Other classical exchanges you’ll probably want to know: Saying: _Odi et amo_ (I hate and I love) Response: _Sic? Idem tibi!_ (Yeah? Same to you!) Saying: _Qui bono?_ (Who benefits?) Response: _Mater tua!_ (Your momma.) {this may also be accompanied with genital clutching} Saying: _Ipse dixit!_ (He himself said it!) Response: _Ipsi meum clunem basare licet!_ (He himself can kiss my ass!) ---
**Author:** ![The\_LION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_LION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_LION)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpe-hoc-wrong/8577/12 "1999-09-29T04:41:00Z")
It’s Lioness, actually. Hi Mr. Rogers, just wanted to say I haven’t forgotten you ;). Love, Lioness