dum spiro, spero

[ doom -spee-roh, spey-roh; English duhm -spahy-roh, speer-oh ]

/ dʊm ˈspi roʊ, ˈspeɪ roʊ; English dʌm ˈspaɪ roʊ, ˈspɪər oʊ /

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Latin.

while I breathe, I hope: a motto of South Carolina.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

How to use dum spiro, spero in a sentence

The Senate will have to expedite its usual clock to do that, and that requires...dum da-dum...unanimous consent.
The Senate's (Hoped For) Cease-Fire|Michael Tomasky|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Romney ad blitz starts today, but not in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and, da-dum, Wisconsin.
Six Last Thoughts from Charlotte|Michael Tomasky|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The camera cuts to Ilsa at that moment, and there is clear shock on her face, and the violins go, da-DUM.
Whom Did Ilsa Really Desire?|Michael Tomasky|August 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He talks about attending the Dum-Dum convention in August, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Tarzan.
What Happened to Big-Screen Hunk Casper Van Dien?|Ramin Setoodeh|July 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Should I email that dum-dum of a guy I know or just leave it in my draft folder?
I'm in Love With David Gergen|Jessi Klein|October 15, 2008|DAILY BEAST
The grand thing is to have each of your five fingers go "dum, dum," an equal number of times, which is the principle of all three!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Tommy Chitling hasnt won the point, and I went partners with him against the Artful and dum.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens
"It's a dum shame you didn't have any real friends like me to warn you off before you hit that ranch," went on Bill.
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman
Written in a pretty hand it was—handwriting befitting a dum fine-lookin' girl like that!
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman
Serves you dum well right, tryin' to git somethin' f'r nothin'.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland