In the Maine Supreme Court opinion that was submitted to Idaho justices in the instant racing case as a supplemental authority before this morning’s arguments, a footnote addresses the latin phrase “sine die,” or “without a day,” used to describe when the Legislature adjourns for the year.

“Sine die, the Latin term for ‘without day,’ has become a part of legislative parlance, despite the fact that it is not actually contained in the Maine Constitution,” the state’s justices wrote. “Although Latin scholars pronounce the term ‘see-nay de-ay,’ Maine legislators, and those who work with the Legislature, have historically pronounced the term ‘sigh-neh dye.’ We do not opine on the correct pronunciation.”

In Idaho, the best use I’ve seen of the term over the years was a few years back on the final day of a legislative session, when I spotted a photocopy machine in a Statehouse hallway on which someone had taped a sign, saying: “Out of Toner – Sine Dye.”