# That Motto

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 25, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616 "2011-02-25T19:38:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Santa\_Cruz\_n](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@Santa\_Cruz\_n](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santa_Cruz_n)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616/1 "2011-02-25T19:38:34Z")

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“Per aspera ad astra”??  
Isn’t it the other way around:  
“Ad astra per aspera”?  
“To the Stars Through Difficulties,” The State Motto of Kansas.

Patrick  
Santa Cruz, California

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616/2 "2011-02-26T00:24:00Z")

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Yes.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616/3 "2011-02-26T00:49:09Z")

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From this column:

[Can I declare a “no-flight zone” over my house?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1117/can-i-declare-a-no-flight-zone-over-my-house)

Since Cecil wasn’t specifically quoting the Kansas motto, isn’t it correct either way? “Through difficulties, to the stars” means the same thing.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616/4 "2011-02-26T01:05:55Z")

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Actually, I’m sure our guest read a classic column posted today–

[Does passionate kissing cause your chewing gum to disintegrate?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/467/does-passionate-kissing-cause-your-chewing-gum-to-disintegrate). Now where, pray tell, did Cecil say this in that column. It’s pretty buried, but I’ll quote the relevant portion.

> [@](#):
>
> Then I recommenced chewing. Result: a queasy sensation in the stomach, otherwise zilch. Tonight we try lipstick plus exercise bike and M&Ms while reading about nuclear war (to induce nervousness). Per aspera ad astra.

.

The Latin saying is quoted in History both ways. Win-win.

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616/5 "2011-02-26T01:45:25Z")

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Thanks Samclem. My “yes” was about the Kansas motto. Didn’t know the provenance.

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**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-motto/572616/6 "2011-02-26T02:38:42Z")

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No. Latin, being a heavily inflected language, did not depend heavily on word order.

That’s why they could use chiasmus and zeugma (try finding that in the dictionary when you’re not certain how to spell it) and even the much maligned ablative absolute, which really is a handy little device.