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[Reason]

[SOLVED] #137 - Blue - Sub Rosa

[Reason]

After Translation you get:

[SteveC]

Re: [PUZZLE] #137 - Blue - Sub Rosa

[firefox]

wheres Vendi Vidi Vici? tsk tsk

[SteveC]

[Leeravitz]

Most of these phrases are, as far as I know, literally that - they're pieces of phraseology that can be utilised in philosophical, legal etc. contexts. A few are attributable to individuals: Cogito ergo Sum was the 17th century philosopher Descarte's first axiom; Carpe Diem originally comes by way of the poet Horace; Omnia Vincit Amor is Virgil and the specific 'Annus Mirabilis' was 1665 - 1666 (the years of the Plague and the Great Fire of London in England) according to John Dryden.

Oh, and 'Beware this man' should be hunc tu caveto.

None of that helps much though, I figure.

[cassandra]

Sub rosa (secretive, private, etc) has been in use way before Dan Brown popularized it Heh. I just am tired of the Da Vinci Code. Though I suppose it was a good prognosticator for the ARG industry.

Though with the message being Nunc est bibendum, I think this clearly means someone should go hit up the Sub Rosa hotel pub near Piccadilly (Thank you, google, for providing me with ever-increasing sources of tangential speculation.)


PS. In the spirit of Mornington Crescent (and OOG, but entertaining), stop by the Sub Rosa Virtual Stealth Restaurant and Wine Bar.

[Leeravitz]

I think what we have deduced is about correct: that 'nunc est bibendum' is a common Latin phrase, and so is 'sub rosa'. However, as far as I know there is no actual quote that says 'Nunc est bibendum sub rosa'. With this in mind, though, that complete phrase would only be a variation of the traditional 'sub vino, sub rosa', which means, in effect (liberal translation!), what is said under the influence of alcohol should be kept confidential.

The original usage of 'sub rosa' comes from Roman usage, and relates back to a legend involving Cupid. Cupid bribed the god Harpocrates with a rose in order that he would not betray the confidences of Venus. The Romans used to paint roses on the ceilings of their dining rooms in commemoration of this matter, in order to recall to guests who dined that what was said 'sub vino' remained 'sub rosa'.

For this reason, it later became associated with our usage of the term to refer to keeping something secret.

So, given that the card suggests, 'now is the time to drink under (the sign of) the rose' maybe Cass is onto something in suggesting that we may have to second - guess a drinking location from the card! On the other hand, maybe it's just a very generic in - game reference. Our Card Retrieval Team appear to hang around in pubs a lot, and possibly do things that compromise them, so perhaps it's just a jokey recognition of that fact.

It'd be nice to think that the phrases were somehow connected to plot points: but, aside from lots of drinking references (again!), and some bits and pieces that remind me of Salkisms ('Cogito ergo sum'; 'Omnia Vincit Amor' could be right out of Pietro's metaphysical meanderings), and (maybe) the fact that the year of the Cube theft was a bit of an 'Annus Mirabilis' (maybe more of an 'Annus Horribilis'), I can't really see the point. Probably looking too hard for further solutions that aren't there. We're right to have stuck a Solved on it.

[Max Shaft]

I am having trouble entering the answer on PXC, should it be the latin version, or the translation?

Cheers

[Hunting4Treasure]

Try both ways... You have a 50/50 chance of getting it right

[JebJoya]

[Max Shaft]

Cheers Jeb

That worked fine.

Max

[myf]

As a minor aside, I think nunc est bibendum is used as part of the Sebor Absinth logo

[perfecto2002]

I dunno whether this has been mentioned before or not but here goes, also this could just be a pure coincidence anyways...

Well, i was looking at this card and noticed that all the English phrases were written in caps but the first letters of each phrase were the same size as the letters just to the left of them. So being bored I decided to write them all down and rearrange them, and this is what i got:

BAD NEWS MISSING CUBE LOST IT IN BUNA

After going to the wiki and google, i found out that there are actually places around the world called Buna.

Well what do you guys think? Intentional or just me trying to find something that isn't there? Still at least it kept me entertained for a few hours if nothing else lol

[DarkHuman]

unless you can make the lost cube elsewhere doing that.....