seize the day

A calque of the Latin *carpe diem*, the phrase appears originally in the works of the poet Horace. The Latin *carpo* denoted the act of plucking or harvesting, and was traditionally employed as a metaphor for the quiet enjoyment of a specific period of time. Horace’s instruction was an invitation to gather the benefits of the present, much as one might pick ripe fruit before it spoils.

The English preference for the word *seize* is a product of a traditional mistranslation. The verb was confused with *cape*, the singular imperative of *capio*, which denotes the act of grabbing or seizing something by force. As a result, a rural metaphor for harvesting time was replaced by a more aggressive suggestion of capturing it.