”When you speak of the trolls, they’re in your hallway.” The second half is rarely used. The Swedes are a bit more superstitious and instead uses trolls: När man talar om trollen, så står de i farstun, i.e. “When one speaks of the wolf, (one sees its tail).” The French do the same but derive their proverb from the Latin with their Quand on parle du loup, (on en voit sa queue), i.e. Speak of the devil and he’s presently at your elbow, etc.Speak of the devil (and he shall appear).Speak of the devil (and he is at your tail).Usually the proverbs are split in two with only the first half used, such as with the English versions (there are several): Some speak of dogs, cats or wolves, other proverbs of donkeys, devils or tigers, and yet others of kings, lions and trolls. This proverb, to speak of someone as a way of summoning them or perhaps as a warning of keeping your tongue, is found in different versions all around the world. Get an audio file and a print-ready PDF of Cicero’s letter to Atticus in which he uses the proverb “Lupus in fabula”. Two versions of one proverb, that ultimately mean the same thing. Shackleton Bailey, 1999)Īs mentioned, in English you can say speak of the Devil or talk of the Devil. visited), and at such an hour that I had to ask him to stay.” (transl. ”We were speaking of Varro: Talk of the devil! He called (i.e. ![]() ![]() “De Varrone loquebamur: lupus in fabula, venit enim ad me et quidem id temporis ut retinendus esset.” - Cicero, Att. In a letter to Atticus written in Tusculum the 9th of July 45 B.C., Cicero tells Atticus about Varro, who had swung by Cicero’s house: However, we not only find Lupus in fabula in Terence’s, but also in the Roman orator and statesman Cicero’s work. When you speak of someone or something and they or it suddenly appears, almost as if you were calling or summoning them, this proverb is perfect.Īn English equivalent would be to Speak, or talk, of the Devil, and you use the Latin version in just the same way. literally “The wolf in the story”, means and provides clues as to how to use it: Terence makes it rather clear to us in just these few lines what the proverb Lupus in fabula, i.e. Adelphoe with Ctesipho and Syrur from Terence’s Comedies, St Albans Abbey, mid 12th century
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