# Favorite Mnemonics **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485 "2003-08-25T09:59:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/1 "2003-08-25T09:59:56Z")
The order of the planets: **M** y **V** ery **E** ducated **M** other **J** ust **Sat** **O** n **N** ine **P** izzas. The colors of the rainbow: **ROY G. BIV** or **R** ichard **O** f **Y** ork **G** ave **B** attle **I** n **V** ain The order of biological taxonomic classification: **King** **Ph** illip **C** ame **O** ver **F** rom **G** reat **S** pain. The order of electron orbitals: **S** ober **P** hysicists **D** on’t **F** ind **G** iraffes **I** n the **K** itchen Trig rules: **SOHCAHTOA** (say it like “sockatowah!” and pretend it’s some ancient Indian word for triangle.) Lines on the treble clef: **E** very **G** ood **B** oy **D** eserves **F** udge. But my favorite of all, for remembering the order of the phases of cell division: **I** **P** ut **M** y **A** ss **T** ogether. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/2 "2003-08-25T10:29:03Z")
The Great Lakes: HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) The six counties of Northern Ireland: FAT DAD (Fermanagh, Armagh, Tyrone, Derry, Antrim, Down) ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/3 "2003-08-25T11:56:18Z")
One I still remember from school, so it obviously worked: Trigonomety: The cat sat on an orange and had hysterics, i.e. T C S O A O A H H so Cosine = Adjacent over Hypotenuse, for example ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/4 "2003-08-25T11:58:32Z")
Oh, I missed your SOHCAHTOA. But I still prefer mine… ---
**Author:** ![the\_Scarlet\_Pimpernel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@the\_Scarlet\_Pimpernel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Scarlet_Pimpernel)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/5 "2003-08-25T13:01:48Z")
the order of sharps (on the music staff): **F** ather **C** ampbell **g** ot **d** inner **a** t **e** leven **b** ells. the order of flats: **Be a d** amn **g** ood **c** \*\*\* **f** \*\*\*er. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/6 "2003-08-25T13:42:32Z")
Variations of two already mentioned Planets: Mother Very Easily Made Jelly Sandwiches Under No Pressure Great Lakes (in order from W to E): She Made Harry Eat Onions There’s Righty tighty, Lefty loosie. And from _Scooby Doo_ of all places, how I remember the difference between cave formations: “Stalagmites hold tight, but stalactites might.” (Stalagmites hold tight to the cave floor-grow upwards- while stalactites might fall from the ceiling-grow downwards.) ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/7 "2003-08-25T13:54:37Z")
> [@](#): > > My Very Educated Mother Just Sat On Nine Pizzas. The O should be a U for Uranus. I’ve known it as My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas Spaces in the treble clef: FACE And of course FOIL for Quadratics: First Outer Inner Last ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/8 "2003-08-25T13:56:27Z")
Quiet Nerds Barf Only Near School. According to Bart Simpson, those are the original Provinces of Canada (Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia). Don’t know enough about Canadian history to verify it, though. ---
**Author:** ![WortMeWorry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@WortMeWorry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WortMeWorry)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/9 "2003-08-25T14:17:55Z")
The order of planets Mary’s Violet Eyes Made John Stay Up Nights Proposing. The four points on a compass. Never Eat Sour Watermelons. ---
**Author:** ![kitarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/10 "2003-08-25T15:49:30Z")
Digits of Pi: Gee, I Wish I Could Calculate Pi Easily. The number of letters in each word is a digit of pi. You can go a bit further, but the rest of the mnemonic isn’t very good. It’s something like: “Gee, I wish I could calculate Pi Easily, Homer did say, and if abominable snowmen…” and I forget the rest. It gets a bit strange - a friend and I had to make up a mnemonic to remember it in maths class when we were much younger and we rather gave up making it memorable after the first bit. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/11 "2003-08-25T16:15:54Z")
For the Color Code of resistors, it’s **B** ig **B** oys **R** ace **O** ur **Y** oung **G** irls **B** ut **V** iolet **G** enerally **W** ins Apparently an older, politically incorrect version was **B** ad **B** oys **R** ape **O** ur **Y** oung **G** irls **B** ut **V** iolet **G** ives **W** illingly Crude and osbcene, but it performs its purpose – I remember it. Then there’s the directional mnemonic: **C** an **D** ead **M** en **V** ote **T** wice? Which works backwards as **T** imid **V** irgins **M** ake **D** ull **C** ompany In mnemonics, as in all else, sex sells. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/12 "2003-08-25T16:17:03Z")
My WTF? moment for the day… I read this thread as “Favorite MENNONITES” And these are NEW glasses!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/13 "2003-08-25T16:48:58Z")
Value of “e” (base of the natural logarithm) 2.714921492459045 2.7 (you just have to remember this part) 1492 twice (Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas) 45 90 45 (angles of a 45-degree triangle) Another “Columbus” Once columbus is two horsepower, ie: 1492 watts = 2 HP The first mnemonic I can remember is from elementry school, to help to spell “together”. To - Get - Her Even to this day, I can’t spell that word and not have this little tiny voice in the back of my brain whisper “to, get, her”. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/14 "2003-08-25T17:06:15Z")
Unless America was discovered in 1828 that first one is wrong ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/15 "2003-08-25T17:06:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*For the Color Code of resistors, it’s > **B** ig **B** oys **R** ace **O** ur **Y** oung **G** irls **B** ut **V** iolet **G** enerally **W** ins > > Apparently an older, politically incorrect version was > > **B** ad **B** oys **R** ape **O** ur **Y** oung **G** irls **B** ut **V** iolet **G** ives **W** illingly > > Crude and osbcene, but it performs its purpose – I remember it. > In mnemonics, as in all else, sex sells. \*\* The version I grew up with is even less PC, and thus apparently even older: Black Boys Rape Our Young Girls Behind Victory Garden Walls. Crude yes, but it removes all doubt of which “B” is black and which is brown. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do anything to help with which is “G” is green or gray. ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/16 "2003-08-25T17:11:41Z")
Thirty is hot, Twenty is nice, Ten is cool, Zero is ice. — how to read a Celsuis weather report when you’re used to Fahrenheit temperatures ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/17 "2003-08-25T17:22:53Z")
I shake my head at all the mnemonics for remembering the planets, as I just remember the names as easily as any mnemonic. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/18 "2003-08-25T17:36:01Z")
> [@](#): > > **kitarak** : Digits of Pi: Gee, I Wish I Could Calculate Pi Easily. Have seven extra digits on me: “How I Need A Drink, (Alcoholic, Of Course,) After The Heavy Lectures Of Quantum Mechanics.” For the order of the planets, I’ve always relied on “Many Villians Earn Money Just Stealing Uncle’s Necktie Pins.” (And in my favourite alternate universe, “Mother Very Easily Made JAM Sandwiches Using No Peanutbutter, _Mayonnaise, or Glue._”) For plant nutrients: “See Hopkin’s Cafe? Mighty Good!” (C, H, O, P, K, N, S, Ca, Fe, Mg) Works best for growing fava beans, of course. 😉 My favourites, though are the entirely personal ones. I tend to remember phone numbers with completely idiomatic memnomic tricks, like “Lithuanian Lunar Jedi.” Hey, that reminds me, I ought to call her today. > [@](#): > > \*\*gotpasswords: \*\*Crude yes, but it removes all doubt of which “B” is black and which is brown. But there’s still _plenty_ of room for confusion. All the “black” boys I know have Brown Behinds. (Sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/19 "2003-08-25T17:40:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Usram \* > \*\*Unless America was discovered in 1828 that first one is wrong \*\* You’re right, reviewing it in my head I say “1828” when on _autopilot_ but my Mnemonic is “Columbus”. Now I got to find out what sea voyage took place in 1828 or if Columbus did something significant in that year. Off to Google… ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/20 "2003-08-25T17:51:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*I shake my head at all the mnemonics for remembering the planets, as I just remember the names as easily as any mnemonic. \*\* Well, sure, but when you were five or six, you probably needed a mnemonic. And thanks to the Coach, from _Cheers_, I will always remember this about Albania _Al-ban-i-a, Al-ban-i-a You border on the A-dri-at-ic Your land is moun-tain-ous and your chief export is chrome_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485.md?page=2)