I'd like to have this phrase translated into Latin: "One thing, six
different ways, every five minutes." The phrase has no real context,
though what is meant by it is more like "One thing (to do), in six
different ways, every five minutes. Also, the numbers are not
figurative, it's a one, a six, and a five. Lastly, the shorter the
finished product, the better.

Hi sciolio-ga

Thanks for using Google Answers.

You gave me eight words in English, and I'm giving you nine words in
Latin.  Short enough?

English:      "One thing, six different ways, every five minutes."

Latin:        Unicum quid, sexies autem ratione, quinto quoque primo
              perficiendum.              
 
              (Literally: Only one thing, but in six different ways,
to be
              completed every fifth minute)

If you wanted it even shorter, you could leave out "perficiendum" (to
be completed), but it wouldn't be idiomatic Latin.


The following web sites may be of interest to you.

Latin phrases used in English
http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/lang/lphrase.html

Latin proverbs and locutions
http://leptir.ifs.hr/~mpinter/proloc.html

Google search strategy (for the above websites)

Search terms: Latin proverbs site:.edu

I checked with a Latin scholar for the translation. I hope it suits your purposes.

All the best,

alanna-ga

This was quick, concise, and just what I needed, thanks.