# How the Grinch stole Christmas - in Latin **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 1, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333 "2005-06-01T05:08:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/1 "2005-06-01T05:08:45Z")
I saw [this](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0865164207/103-8457993-4865414?v=glance) in a bookshop at lunchtime today and immediately bought a copy. I’d never imagined reading the Grinch in Latin. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/2 "2005-06-01T06:02:28Z")
Don’t forget [Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis!](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/1582348251/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/102-7383294-7272151) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/3 "2005-06-01T06:11:17Z")
> [@The Sausage Creature](#): > > Don’t forget [Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis!](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/1582348251/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/102-7383294-7272151) I bought a copy of that at the same bookshop last year. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/4 "2005-06-01T06:13:57Z")
I still haven’t got that one but I want it badly. They offer it in ancient Greek as well (too bad it’s all Greek to me). ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/5 "2005-06-01T06:21:48Z")
> [@The Sausage Creature](#): > > They offer it in ancient Greek as well (too bad it’s all Greek to me). Really? Do you know whether the Greek version is a very recent publication? Because I asked the sales assistant about a Greek version of Harry Potter today and she said that she thought it was still in the translation stage. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/6 "2005-06-01T06:23:18Z")
I don’t have either of those, but there’s a copy of _Virent Ova! Viret Perna!_ on my desk right in front of me, and somewhere or another I’ve a copy of _Winnie Ille Pu_ lying around, too. My sister seems to have a knack for finding great birthday presents for me. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/7 "2005-06-01T06:29:37Z")
Here is the [Ancient Greek Edition.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/158234826X/qid=1117607920/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-7383294-7272151?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) I think I have it on my wish list, although I don’t know what I’d ever do with it besides use it to learn the alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/8 "2005-06-01T06:42:47Z")
Thanks for that **Sausage**. I’ve just ordered a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/9 "2005-06-01T06:49:23Z")
No problem, tell me how it is! I want to get them both but I’ve got my eye on a copy of the _Artes Latinae_ CD ROM. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/10 "2005-06-01T12:18:38Z")
I bought a copy of **Green Eggs and Ham** at the annual conference of the New England Classical Associatioon a few weeks ago. They also had The Cat in the Hat and others (although not the Grinch). This kind of thing has been going on for years. I remember seeing **Winni ille Pu** (Winnie the Pooh) in latin ages ago. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/11 "2005-06-01T13:41:36Z")
I have the Cat in the Hat. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/12 "2005-06-01T13:48:57Z")
It’s great that the suggested reading level is 9 - 12. I guess that means the target audience is kids that are native Latin speakers rather than people that learn it later in life. Those kinds of kids get precious few opportunities to read Christmas classics in their native tongue. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/13 "2005-06-01T15:23:52Z")
My family got me both _Winnie ille Pu_ and _Quomodo Invidiosulus nomine Grinchus Christem Natalem Abrogaverit_ for Christmas last year. Yes, this is terribly cool. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/14 "2005-06-01T15:24:20Z")
O Loca tu Ibis! (Oh the place’s you’ll go!) I had to read it during high school Latin, third year as I recall. It’s really impressive because the can manage the rhyming fairly well and it was super fun to read. Not to mention the book has special meaning to me. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/15 "2005-06-01T20:09:13Z")
Gotta love [Bolchazy-Carducci\* for publishing these – I picked up _Cattus Petasatus_ in a bookstore and was amazed at how much fun it was to read. Besides _Grinch_, _Cat in the Hat_, and _Green Eggs and Ham_, they also have Shel Silverstein’s _The Giving Tree_. Don’t miss the [url=http://www.bolchazy.com/index.php?cat=latin&sub=17]buttons](http://www.bolchazy.com). ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/16 "2005-06-01T20:17:51Z")
Gotta love [Bolchazy-Carducci](http://www.bolchazy.com) for publishing these – I picked up _Cattus Petasatus_ in a bookstore and was amazed at how much fun it was to read. Besides _Grinch_, _Cat in the Hat_, and _Green Eggs and Ham_, they also have Shel Silverstein’s _The Giving Tree_. Don’t miss the [buttons](http://www.bolchazy.com/index.php?cat=latin&sub=17). ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-in-latin/306333/17 "2005-06-01T20:34:43Z")
I studied Latin in high school. My second year, my father gave me a copy of Winnie Ille Pu. > [@](#): > > “Ior mi,” dixit sollemniter, “egomet, Winnie ille Pu, caudam tuam reperiam.”