#34: Nunc Est Bibendum
We’re all familiar with the Michelin Man. You’ve probably seen him — a bulbous figure made of white tires — dozens of times in your life, and probably never thought much about him. But it turns out he has a long history, as well as a Latin name.
Bibendum comes from Nunc est Bibendum, a quote from Odes by the ancient Roman poet Horace. The phrase means “Now is the time for drinking”; early Michelin ads showed the Michelin Man raising a drink up in a toast and reciting the Horace quote. Man, advertising was really different in the 1800s.