I have lost a day
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The exclamation (Perdidi diem) of Titus, the Roman emperor, when on one occasion he could call to mind nothing done during the past day for the benefit of his subjects.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “I have lost a day” mean?
The exclamation (Perdidi diem) of Titus, the Roman emperor, when on one occasion he could call to mind nothing done during the past day for the benefit of his subjects.
Is “I have lost a day” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.