# How would you say "caveat emptor \[of himself\]" in Latin **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463 "2010-11-04T15:06:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/1 "2010-11-04T15:06:50Z")
How would you say “Buyer Beware of him-/herself” or “Buyer beware of the buyer”? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/2 "2010-11-04T15:09:02Z")
Caveat se emptor. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/3 "2010-11-04T15:15:47Z")
Oh. Easy enough. Like French. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/4 "2010-11-04T15:17:25Z")
Correction. _Se_ should be in the genitive case. It should be _Caveat sui emptor._ ETA, On second thought I’m not sure of that. It might be the accusative, which would still be _se_. Bah. I think I was right the first time. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/5 "2010-11-04T15:21:52Z")
Caveat Emptor is my joke wine label (it would be great to really have it as a label). If I turn up at some function with a bottle or two of wine I will ask, “Anyone for the Caveat Emptor '05?” It’s nice because those that get it have a laugh, those that don’t aren’t even aware that there was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/6 "2010-11-05T00:46:56Z")
From Pompeii: [Cave canem](http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/canes/molossian.html). “Canem” is accusative. So “se”, the accusative, is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/7 "2010-11-05T00:56:58Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/8 "2010-11-05T15:43:03Z")
How many people learned this phrase from watching the “Brady Bunch” ? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/9 "2010-11-05T16:18:59Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > How many people learned this phrase from watching the “Brady Bunch” ? I remember the one where they visited Hawaii. I missed the Ancient Rome episode. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/10 "2010-11-05T16:37:28Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > How many people learned this phrase from watching the “Brady Bunch” ? Yep! Along with “pork chopsh. And apple shaush.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/11 "2010-11-05T17:23:00Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Caveat Emptor is my joke wine label (it would be great to really have it as a label). If I turn up at some function with a bottle or two of wine I will ask, “Anyone for the Caveat Emptor '05?” > > It’s nice because those that get it have a laugh, those that don’t aren’t even aware that there was a joke. Caveat Bibitor might be even better. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/12 "2010-11-05T17:36:01Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Caveat Bibitor might be even better. Or _Cēveat Bibitor_. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/13 "2010-11-05T17:59:46Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > Or _Cēveat Bibitor_. “Let the drinker take it up the ass?” ---
**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:** [November 5, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/14 "2010-11-05T18:04:42Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > “Let the drinker take it up the ass?” Et equus quō invehitur. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/15 "2010-11-05T18:10:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > Et equus quō invehitur. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/16 "2010-11-05T18:40:25Z")
I know equus is horse, but what’s invehitur? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-say-caveat-emptor-of-himself-in-latin/559463/17 "2010-11-05T18:47:02Z")
“Rode in on.”