Definition of the die is cast —used to say that a process or course of action has been started and that it cannot be stopped or changed Once we signed the contract, the die was cast, and there was no turning back.
Table of Contents
Where does the phrase the die is cast come from?
For example, Now that I’ve announced my resignation, the die is cast. This expression comes from the Latin Iacta alea est, “the dice have been thrown,” which according to Suetonius was said by Julius Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon and invaded Italy in 49 b.c. In English it dates from the first half of the 1600s.
Did Caesar actually say the die is cast?
According to the Greek historian Plutarch (c 46-120 AD) in his Life of Caesar, and in the writings of Suetonius, at the point that Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he uttered the words iacta alea est (or alea iacta est) which translates as “the die is cast” (die being the singular of dice).
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.