afflo
δυοῖν κακοῖν προκειμένοιν τὸ μὴ χεῖρον βέλτιστον → the lesser of two evils, the less bad thing of a pair of bad things, better the devil you know, better the devil you know than the devil you don't, better the devil you know than the devil you don't know, better the devil you know than the one you don't, better the devil you know than the one you don't know, the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don't know, the devil we know is better than the devil we don't, the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
af-flo: (better adf-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n.
I Lit., to blow or breathe on; constr. with acc. or dat.—Of the air: udam (fabam) ventus adflavit, Plin. 18, 17, 44, § 155: adflantur vineta noto, Stat. S. 5, 1, 146: crinem sparsum cervicibus adflare, Ov. M. 1, 542: adflatus aurā, Suet. Tib. 72. —Also of other things which exert an influence upon bodies, like a current of air; e. g. fire, light, vapor, etc.: et calidum membris adflare vaporem, and breathe a glow (lit. a warm vapor) upon our limbs, Lucr. 5, 508: veiut illis Canidia adflāsset, Hor. S. 2, 8, 95: nos ubi primus equis oriens adflavit anhelis, Verg. G. 1, 250; cf. id. A. 5, 739: ignibus (fulminum) adflari, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 22: adflati incendio, touched, scorched, Liv. 30, 6: flammā ex Aetnā monte, id. Fragm. Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 472.—So, adflari sidere = siderari, to be seized with torpor or paralysis (v. sideror and sideratio), Plin. 2, 41, 41, § 108: odores, qui adflarentur e floribus, were wafted, exhaled, Cic. Sen. 17; Prop. 3, 27, 17.—
II Trop., to blow or breathe to or on.
A As v. act., to bear or bring to; constr. alicui aliquid: sperat sibi auram posse aliquam adflari voluntatis, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 13: rumoris nescio quid adflaverat, frequentiam non fuisse, id. Att. 16, 5: alicui aliquid mali faucibus adflare, Auct. ad Her. 4, 49.—So poet.: adflare alicui honores, to breathe beauty upon one, i. e. to impart to, Verg. A. 1, 591: indomitis gregibus Venus adflat amores, Tib. 2, 4, 57.—
B As v. neutr., to be favorable to, to be friendly or propitious to: Felix, cui placidus leniter adflat Amor, Tib. 2, 1, 80.
