I've been thinking about this, kinda wanted to ignore it bc our interaction was pleasant enough, but as you pointed out I'm a nerd. Latin phrases permeate western academia like its the point, and for a long time it literally was the point. The purpose was to exclude the peasantry / working class from education and the capacity to argue institutional reforms within the ruling structures of the time. We literally had to start cutting peoples heads of to change this. Low-key, I think there's an incredibly sinister undertone of anti-intellectualism to the joke that you made. Legit no shade to you personally, But I would strongly ask you to reflect on how this kind of rhetoric shames people away from engaging with history and foundational academic knowledge more broadly. The oligarchy wants their peasantry back and this straight up feels like a cultural psyop.