Window Etching

[Si]

Above the front door of a house near where I live, there is a motto etched in the glass which reads as follows:"Flecti Non Frangi"Anyone have any idea what it means? My guess is something like "bend don't break" or something like that. I't doesn't look that old.CheersSi

[sulkycat]

it certainly does, unless its something much more cryptic! i think its something like to be bent not broken

[Dalehelms]

According to Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, it means "to be bent, not broken".

[drapesy]

Well you're all correct really - Latin mottoes are open to variations of translation - basically anything along the lines of the above is correct. Ultimately the meaning is along the lines of'I will yield to a degree but no further' or to put it in the vernacular - 'You can only push me so far...'Quite apt for glass.Anyhoo a search of Google reveals a couple of examples that might be of interest....

[drapesy]

The coat of arms of the O'Carroll family(Ireland)

[drapesy]

and a book of prose by Daniel Batten{looks a touch pretentious to me, but what do I know?}

[sulkycat]

pretentious?moi?;-)

[Si]

Thanks, everyone. I thought it might be something like that, with my limited knowledge of Latin!Thanks againSi