Silly national mottos

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Some national mottos are funny or ironic, others are just silly or downright stupid. Here are a few:

Angola: República de Angola (Republic of Angola). Yeah, no sh**t guys, we get it. Your name is Angola and you're a Republic. It's like if our motto was 'Canada' That would silly, no?

Austria: formerly AEIOU, with one possible meaning being Austriae est imperare orbi universo (It is Austria's destiny to rule the world). Get over yourself kids. Should we bring up Austria-Hungary's war record?

Bahamas: Forward, Upward, Onward Together Almost as bad as some kitsch airline slogan. Try again kids.

Barbados: Pride and Industry. Industry in Barbados?

Belgium: Eendracht maakt macht, L'union fait la force and Einigkeit gibt Stärke (Unity gives Strength). Gold medal for irony.

Belize: Sub umbra floreo (Under the shade I flourish). Is Belize a flower shop or something?

Botswana: Pula (Rain). ... Now introducing Canada's new motto: "Snow."

Cape Verde: República de Cabo Verde (Republic of Cape Verde). Our motto will be our official name. That's really awesome, no? No.

Gibraltar: Nulli Expugnabilis Hosti (Conquered by no enemy). Read: Suck it, Spain.

North Korea: 강성대국 (强盛大國, Gangseong Daeguk) (Prosperous and great country). ...

Luxembourg: Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn (We wish to remain what we are). A tax haven.

Mozambique: República de Moçambique (Republic of Mozambique). Portuguese Africa: Unity in sh**tty Mottos

Nepal: जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरियसि (Mother and motherland are greater than heaven). Godless feminist liberals.

Ottoman Empire: دولت ابد مدت (The Eternal State). How'd that work out for you guys?

Panama: Pro mundi beneficio (For the benefit of the world). Check out our drugs guys - For the benefit of the world.

Portugal/Estado Novo: Orgulhosamente sós (Proudly Alone). A real neckbeard motto!

Prussia: Suum cuique (To each his own). Piss off.

Syria: وحدة ، حرية ، اشتراكية (Waḥdah, Ḥurrīyah, Ishtirākīyah) (Unity, Freedom, Socialism). Told you Assad was a True Leftist. Leave Assad alone guys

Rhodesia: Sit Nomine Digna (May she be worthy of the name). Nope, you weren't worthy of the name.

Any other good ones?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Amazing thread, man.

[Bacon King]

Maryland: Fatti maschii, parole femine, Italian (?) for "Manly deeds, womanly words"
Puerto Rico: Joannes Est Nomen Eius, Latin for "John is his name"

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Colombia's Libertad y orden (Liberty and order) is a bit contradictory.

Lithuania: Tautos jėga vienybėje (The strength of the nation lies in unity). Yes, the great and powerful Lithuania.

Qatar: دولة قطر (State of Qatar). Another original one.

The Russian Empire: Съ Нами Богъ (God is with us). The Bolsheviks would argue otherwise...

Somalia:  Go forward, and never backward. (insert pirate joke here)

Turkey: Egemenlik kayıtsız şartsız milletindir (Sovereignty rests unconditionally with the nation). Thank you, Captain Obvious!

Tuvalu: Tuvalu mo te Atua (Tuvalu for the Almighty). They'll need divine help at this point if they don't want to sink in 40 years.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Maryland: Fatti maschii, parole femine, Italian (?) for "Manly deeds, womanly words"
Puerto Rico: Joannes Est Nomen Eius, Latin for "John is his name"

Since when did Maryland and Puerto Rico declare independence?

[Indy Texas]

Afghanistan: (none). Sums up the epic fail that country is.

British Antarctic Territory: Research and Discovery. Better suited to a university.

French Polynesia: Tahiti Nui Mare'are'a (Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze). Sounds kind of like some sort of frozen mixed drink involving spiced rum and a souvenir glass you get to take home with you.

[Dr. Cynic]

Winter is Coming

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Well I'm sure for a lot of those they were historical and also they are probably being directly translated out of context.  That's like reading a great historical Chinese novel via Google translate while simultaneously having no knowledge of the culture.

I mean if you were to go to Europe and say New Hampshire's motto is "Live free or die" at best you would get eye rolling and a groan... at worst you would be assailed by an unbroken stream of antiamerican slurs.

In the United States the White House, majority of the Senate and majority of the House agree we should pass a clean CR.  Do we have one?  E pluribus unum (Out of many, one).  Yeah.  We are the model of unity.

[Redalgo]

I like those for Bahamas, Belize, British Antarctic Territory, and French Polynesia... and would add:


For lack of inclusiveness...

Armenia: Մեկ Ազգ, Մեկ Մշակույթ (One Nation, One Culture)
American Samoa: Samoa Muamua le Atua (Samoa, Let God be First)
Brunei: الدائمون المحسنون بالهدى (Always in Service with Allah's Guidance)
Republic of China: 和平反共建國 (Peace, Anti-Communism, National Construction)
Confederate States of America: Deo Vindice (Under God, Our Vindicator)
Dominican Republic: Dios, Patria, Libertad (God, Country, Liberty)
Ecuador: Dios, patria y libertad (God, Homeland and Liberty)
El Salvador: Dios, Unión, Libertad (God, Union, Liberty)
Ethiopia: Itiyopia tabetsih edewiha habe Igziabiher (Ethiopia Holds Up Her Hands Unto God)
Fiji: Rerevaka na Kalou ka Doka na Tui (Fear God and Honour the Queen)
Grenada: Ever Conscious of God We Aspire, and Advance as One People
Hungary: Isten, áldd meg a magyart! (God Bless the Hungarians)
Iran: الله اکبر (Allah is the Greatest)
Iraq: الله أكبر (Allah is the Greatest)
Jordan: الله، الوطن، المليك (God, Fatherland, Sovereign)
Liechtenstein: Für Gott, Fürst und Vaterland (For God, Prince and Fatherland)
Mali: Un peuple, un but, une foi (One People, One Goal, One Faith)
Monaco: Deo juvante (With God's Help)
Morocco: الله، الوطن، الملك (God, the Country, the King)
Nauru: God's Will First
Newfoundland: Quaerite Prime Regnum Dei (Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God)
Nicaragua: En Dios Confiamos (In God We Trust)
Philippines: Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa (For God, People, Nature and Country)
Romania:Nihil Sine Deo (Nothing Without God)
Samoa: Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa (God be the Foundation of Samoa)
Saudi Arabia: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله (There is No God Other Than Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet)
Scotland: In My Defens God Me Defend
Senegal: Un peuple, un but, une foi (One People, One Goal, One Faith)
Thailand: ชาติ ศาสนา พระมหากษัตริย์ (Country, Religion, Monarch)
Tokelau: Tokelau mo te Atua (Tokelau For The Almighty)
Tonga: Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku tofiʻa (God and Tonga are My Inheritance)
Uganda: For God and My Country
United Arab Emirates: الله , الوطن , الرئيس (Allah, Nation, President)
United Kingdom: Dieu et mon droit (God and my Right)
United States: In God We Trust
Vanuatu: Long God yumi stanap (Let us Stand Firm in God)
Venezuela: Dios y Federación (God and Federation)
Yemen: الڷه، الوطن، الثورة، الوحدة (Allah, Nation, Revolution, Unity)


For their amusing irony...

Empire of Brazil - Independência ou Morte! (Independence or Death)
Burkina Faso: Unité, Progrès, Justice (Unity, Progress, Justice)
Comoros: Unité, Justice, Progrès (Unity, Justice, Progress)
DR Congo: Justice - Paix - Travail (Justice, Peace, Work)
Cuba: Patria o muerte (Homeland or Death)
Djibouti: Itixaad, Gudboonaan, Ammaan (Unity, Equality, Peace)
Equatorial Guinea: Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Unity, Peace, Justice)
Gabon: Union, Travail, Justice (Union, Work, Justice)
The Gambia: Progress, Peace, Prosperity
Georgia: ძალა ერთობაშია! (Strength is in Unity)
Guatemala: Libre Crezca Fecundo (Grow Free and Fertile)
Italian Social Republic: Per l'onore d'Italia (For Honour of Italy)
Laos: ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ເອກະພາບ ວັດທະນາຖາວອນ (Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity, and Prosperity)
Libya: Freedom, Justice, Democracy
Malawi: Unity and Freedom
Mauritania: شرف، إخاء، عدالة (Honor, Fraternity, Justice)
Nigeria: Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress
Sierra Leone: Unity, Freedom, Justice
South Sudan: Justice, Liberty, Prosperity
Sudan: النصر لنا (Victory is Ours)
Tanzania: Uhuru na Umoja (Freedom and Unity)
Togo: Travail, Liberté, Patrie (Work, Liberty, Homeland)
Tunisia: حرية، نظام، عدالة (Freedom, Order and Justice)
Uzbekistan: Kuch Adolatdadir! (The Strength is in The Justice)
Vietnam: Ðộc lập, Tự do, Hạnh phúc (Independence, Freedom, and Happiness)
Zaire: Paix - Justice - Travail (Peace - Justice - Work)
Zimbabwe: Unity, Freedom, Work


And for lack of inspiration...

Canada: A mari usque ad mare (From Sea to Sea)
Canary Islands: Océano (Ocean)
Eritrea: دولة إرترݐا (State of Eritrea)
Honduras: Libre, Soberana E Independiente (Free, sovereign and independent)
South Yemen: جمهرݐة الݐمن الدݐمقراطݐة الشعبݐة (People's Democratic Republic of Yemen)

[Velasco]

For lack of inclusiveness..

Dominican Republic: Dios, Patria, Libertad (God, Country, Liberty)
Ecuador: Dios, patria y libertad (God, Homeland and Liberty)
El Salvador: Dios, Unión, Libertad (God, Union, Liberty)

... and lack of originality, I guess.

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Do you need more? At least it's descriptive. Islands use to be surrounded by water   Botswana's motto is "rain" and the country is barren. They have the right to hope.

[politicus]

Some national mottos are funny or ironic, others are just silly or downright stupid. Here are a few:
(...)

Rhodesia: Sit Nomine Digna (May she be worthy of the name). Nope, you weren't worthy of the name.

I think Rhodesia was quite worthy of the name of Cecil Rhodes...

[DavidB.]

"Je maintiendrai" ("I will maintain") has been the national motto of the Netherlands since 1815. Yes, in French. Only 15 years later, the Netherlands weren't able to "maintain" the only French-speaking parts of the country, and Belgium eventually seceded...