INLECEBRA EST de hoc libro iudicium Lating exprimere. No! Get thee behind me, Satan!--the Latin for which Mr. Ehrlich does not give in this delightful book. He does give the Latin for at least 1,200 other phrases, though: some familiar, most unfamiliar, all thoroughly indexed in English. Moving from the index to a Latin word or phrase, pertinent, provocative, or practical, one is treated not merely to the Latin, but to some astute animadversions, often quite amusing.

Let us ...