Jedem das Seine Jedem das Seine "" () is the literal German translation of Latin "suum cuique", a fundamental juridical concept meaning "to each his own" or "to each what he deserves". During World War II the phrase was cynically used by the Nazis as a motto displayed over the entrance of Buchenwald concentration camp. This has resulted in use of the phrase being considered controversial in modern Germany. "Jedem das Seine" has been an idiomatic German expression for several centuries. For example, it is found in the works of Martin Luther and contemporaries. It appears in the title of a cantata by
Line in the sand (phrase) Line in the sand (phrase) A line in the sand is a metaphor with two similar meanings: Biblical link to John 8:6. Some have (perhaps erroneously) interpreted Jesus' writing in the sand, as drawing a line in the sand in order to address those who are about to stone a woman caught in adultery. However, the literal translation is not that he drew a line in the sand, but that he "wrote" (or "drew lines" in some translations) in the sand, an important distinction. The exact origin of the phrase is unknown: the "Oxford English Dictionary" suggests a transitional use