Make Your Point > Archived Issues > AGE QUOD AGIS
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pronounce
AGE QUOD AGIS:
Say it "OG eh kwod OG iss."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Although you could just use English to express the idea of age quod agis--"Do what you're doing"--it sounds more authoritative, and more beautiful, in Latin.
The same goes for fe_____ len__: you could just say "Make haste slowly," but the Latin version rings with authority and beauty.
(To reveal any term with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
This phrase is Latin for "do what you are doing."
In other words, age quod agis often means "focus on the task at hand."
Some people use it to mean "do what you do best" or "whatever you choose to do, do it well." (But the literal translation is simply "do what you're doing.")
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: It's a full statement with a subject and a verb, so it can be its own sentence.
Other forms: none.
how to use it:
Use this fancy motivational phrase as a motto, a comment, or a piece of advice.
Just make sure your context reveals the meaning--for those of us unfamiliar with Latin, it's not exactly easy to understand, just by looking at it.
examples:
"Rule 10. Pay attention. Almost everything else will fall into place if you do. Don’t think about the revisions in the tax code. Or anything else. In Latin: Age quod agis –'Do what you are doing.'"
— Speed Cleaning, 28 November 2016
"Doc: And you must be Ringo. Look, darling, Johnny Ringo. The deadliest pistoleer since Wild Bill, they say. What do you think, darling? Should I hate him?
Big Nose Kate: You don't even know him.
Doc: Yes, but there's just something about him. Something around the eyes, I don't know, reminds me of... me. No. I'm sure of it, I hate him.
Wyatt: [haltingly, to Ringo] He's drunk.
Doc: En vino veritas. ["In wine lies the truth."]
Johnny: Age quod agis."
— Val Kilmer, Joanna Pacula, Billy Claiborne, and Michael Biehn, Tombstone, 1993
has this page helped you understand "age quod agis"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "age quod agis" without saying "concentrate on one thing" or "do the thing you're doing."
try it out:
I work with teenagers, some of whom get overwhelmed. "I have three tests next week! And my college applications are due soon! I can't start this paragraph right now; it's impossible!!"
It often helps for them to remind themselves, "This thing I'm doing right now--it's the ONLY thing I have to do right now. Age quod agis."
Talk about a stressful or overwhelming situation you're experiencing, or one that you experienced in the past. At what moment, or during what particular task, might it be helpful for you to tell yourself, age quod agis?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Subject Line Crosswords."
We'll revisit some of the email subject lines from 2019 issues, using them as a tool for recall.
Each day this month, see if you can complete the mini-crossword with words we studied last year. If you need extra clues, look below the puzzle to view definitions and parts of speech. And I'll share the answers in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:

Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. adjective meaning "frosty, coated in frost, or coated in something that reminds you of frost"
3. verb meaning "to make something even worse than it already was"
DOWN
1. adjective meaning "stubborn in a mean, hard way; unmoved by reason or begging"
Answers:

If you like, you can review the words rimy, exacerbate, and obdurate.
Try this today:

Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. noun meaning "anything so loud, lively, showy, boisterous, and/or passionate that it reminds you of people performing a Spanish courtship dance"
3. adjective meaning "full of joyous excitement, as if boiling or bubbling"
DOWN
1. adjective meaning "empty (or practically empty) of any thoughts, ideas, or intelligence"
review this word:
1. A near opposite of AGE QUOD AGIS is
A. VADE MECUM (GO WITH ME).
B. FAC TOTUM (DO EVERYTHING).
C. CASUS BELLI (CAUSE FOR WAR).
2. In this age of _____, we need the reminder: "age quod agis."
A. order-online and voice-to-text
B. multitasking and divided attention
C. bleeding hearts and special snowflakes
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Although you could just use English to express the idea of age quod agis--"Do what you're doing"--it sounds more authoritative, and more beautiful, in Latin. This phrase is Latin for "do what you are doing."
Part of speech: It's a full statement with a subject and a verb, so it can be its own sentence.
Use this fancy motivational phrase as a motto, a comment, or a piece of advice.
"Rule 10. Pay attention. Almost everything else will fall into place if you do. Don’t think about the revisions in the tax code. Or anything else. In Latin: Age quod agis –'Do what you are doing.'"
Explain the meaning of "age quod agis" without saying "concentrate on one thing" or "do the thing you're doing."
I work with teenagers, some of whom get overwhelmed. "I have three tests next week! And my college applications are due soon! I can't start this paragraph right now; it's impossible!!"
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Extra clues:
If you like, you can review the words rimy, exacerbate, and obdurate.
Extra clues:
1. A near opposite of AGE QUOD AGIS is
|