Kudoz question: What is meant by 'semper fidelis'?

[alexpgp]

A load of people answered this one on ProZ before I saw it, noting that the Latin means "always faithful," but I added my two cents anyway:

"Always faithful / To hell with you (it)!"

As has been noted by others, "semper fidelis" is Latin for "always faithful," and it is the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps.

As the motto of the USMC, "semper fidelis" (and more often, the shorter form "semper fi") is frequently used in a pejorative sense when employed in casual speech, especially among Marines (but not exclusively). Since nobody in their right mind usually goes around uttering short, pithy Latin mottoes to bystanders, it may well be that the person who said this to you meant it in this pejorative sense.

Examples:

"Private, I've just volunteered you for the dirtiest detail in the world."
"Semper fi, Sarge."

"I hear we're not getting resupplied until after the Army gets theirs."
"Yeah, well... semper fi."

Other, more scatological formulations for "semper fi" are possible, too.

Would you believe the asker selected my answer among the others?

The more I think about it, semper fi is a pretty much all-purpose response.

"Hey, you want some of this coffee?"
"Semper fi!"

It doesn't change the basic premise of my answer.


Cheers...

Comments

[tamaraland.livejournal.com]

That's enough to make me start uttering pithy latin statements! I was running short on useful pejoratives, although This Site has been most useful. (http://complex.gmu.edu/neural/personnel/ernie/witty/latin.html) ()