<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=windows-1251" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.3019.2500" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT size=2>
<DIV>Would someone please be so gracious as to translate the following</DIV>
<DIV>phrase into Latin:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"You _can_ beat it with a stick"</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV>Unfortunately, the English phrase turns on the fact that "to beat" can mean</DIV>
<DIV>"to flog" or "to defeat in a contest". Latin uses two separate words for these</DIV>
<DIV>concepts. So I'll cheat a little and propose something a little different:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> De fustibus non est disputandum.</DIV>
<DIV> You can't argue with a cudgel.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This plays on the proverb</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> De gustibus no est disputandum.</DIV>
<DIV> There's no accounting for taste.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Or perhaps you'd prefer</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> De gustibus est disputandum.</DIV>
<DIV> You must argue with cudgels.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>-- Alfredus Scurra</DIV></FONT>
<DIV>--- <A href="mailto:guojia@earthlink.net">guojia@earthlink.net</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>