Bush Family Motto = Bush Family Secret?

[Lautremont]

According to a fellow I know, an extremely smart guy who's more of a political junkie than even I am, the Bush family motto translates from the Latin into something close to "I don't know from Uncle."

He's not kidding, and he's not the type to make shit up. Can this be true? What does it mean? If this isn't their motto, what is, and why isn't it more well known?

"I don't know from Uncle" certainly fits the bill, though it's hard to see earlier generations enthusiastically adopting this as their byword.

[Mist]

1. There must be a better translation available--I have a problem with

the use of the word "from" in that context. I think (and I could certainly be wrong!) that using the expression "I don't know from," or "they don't know from" is a translation of a Yiddish expression. How would this tie in with a Latin motto?

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. What is the motto in Latin? n/t

[Lautremont]

4. I think it's something like "Oderint, dum metuant."

I'm not totally sure, though.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. A Google search turned up "Let them hate so long as they fear"

http://www.sacklunch.net/Latin/O/oderintdummetuant.html

A favorite saying of Caligula. How apropriate. :rofl:

[Lautremont]

7. That's kind of unexpected,

but amazingly appropriate!

[hootinholler]

6. Odiferous Dumb Mutant?

Sounds about right.

-Hoot

[Lautremont]

8. Sorry - just read my friend's email a little more closely

He said that the Caligula motto SHOULD be their family motto, but the actual one is "Ego Ignotus Immunda."

I googled this, but the results were all Greek to me. Well, Latin, but you know what I mean. Perhaps you know of a good online translator?

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. Ego Ignotus Immunda = I (am) ignorant and unclean

Ego = first person singular pronoun ("I")
Ignotus = ignorance
Immunda = unclean (thing)

There is an implied "sum" at the end. Sum is the first person singular form of estre, "to be."

The correct translation is probably "I am ignorant of what is unclean," but I think mine is better. :hi:

[annabanana]

10. What I don't know is dirty?

Anything I don't know is garbage anyway.?

[BuyingThyme]

3. Sounds like a secret society motto.

Like the Know Nothings:

The origin of the "Know Nothing" term was in the semi-secret organization of the party. When a member was asked about its activities, he was supposed to reply "I know nothing."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know-Nothings

[calimary]

11. Sounds like the Sgt. Shultz family to me, then.

Are there monkeys on their coat of arms? You know, the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys? It would certainly fit the family of chimpy.