# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/41 "2003-08-26T07:04:41Z")
Whoops, forgot another one of my own genius mnemonics: “Friends, Patriots Or Saints Elicit the News, Viewing Mom and Pop Making Love in Zoos”–the bones of the skull. …now how in hell did I remember THAT all these years?? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/42 "2003-08-26T07:13:59Z")
To calculate either distance or size when viewing through artillery field glasses with mill gradations: **WORM** : **W** idth ---------- ( **O** ver) **R** ange X **M** ills To identify the functions of the parts of the cambrian ring: Xylem Up and Floem Down. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/43 "2003-08-26T07:17:50Z")
**R** ed **R** ight **R** eturning f **r** om the sea: Navigation buoys are red on the right and green (originally black) on the left when going upstream (presumably from the ocean). ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/44 "2003-08-26T07:31:02Z")
LEO the lion says GR. (Less electrons=oxidation, Greater=reduction) ---
**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 26, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/45 "2003-08-26T07:58:48Z")
A Boy Has Never Wept Nor Dashed A Thousand Kim: Asmodeus Belial Hastur Nyarlathotep Wotan Niggurath Dholes Azathoth Tind-alos Kadith. (Be lost without that one.) ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/46 "2003-08-26T12:08:18Z")
I’ve got another one for trig rules, which goes **O** scar **H** ad **A** **Heap** **O** f **A** pples (you’ve just got to remember that the order is sin, cos, tan). Another favorite of mine is: ‘Basmo-q, three n’s and a p’, which is just fun to say, and gives us the Canadian provinces (in order from west to east): British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/47 "2003-08-26T17:28:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zsofia \* > \*\*Great _Spain_?! How do you ever remember that? King Phillip Came Over For Great Sex, man. \*\* In our school it was the far more pedestrian: Kentuckians Park Cars On Freeways Going South. That must’ve been the toughest thing I was ever required to memorize, since I’ve never heard of any of the others - planets included! (I do know “FOIL” but that doesn’t really count.) ---
**Author:** ![r.j.a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@r.j.a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/r.j.a)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/48 "2003-08-26T17:38:05Z")
Anyone know any good mnemonics of the “mental image” variety? My Psych teacher, way back in my freshman year of college (1990), told us a story about him working on his Ford in the garage, and it rolled away from him because he didn’t have the brake on and he had to run after it. To this day, whenever I happen to think about that guy, that mental image comes to mind and I remember his name was Mr. Ransford. Rod ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/49 "2003-08-26T17:38:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*The twelve cranial nerves: > > **O** n **o** ld **O** lympus’ **t** owering **t** op, **a** **f** at **a** rmed\* **g** irl **v** ends **s** nowy **h** ops. > > \*[sub]alternate versions exist[/sub] \*\* And for the functions of these nerves (M=motor, S=sensory, B=both): Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Bigger Boobs Matter More Downtown Seattle navigation: Between the Space Needle and Pioneer Square, there are two East-West streets (The North-South streets are numbered) that begin with the letter J, followed by two that begin with the letter C, followed by two that begin with the letter M, S, U, and P, in that order. If you’re on foot and you’re lost, just keep this phrase in mind: Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Pressure. The Knuckle Calendar: Forget how many days are in this month, and could never keep track of the “Thirty Days Hath September” routine? Make a fist, and look at the four knockles on top (and the three spaces between them). The first knuckle is January, the space next to it is February, March (knuckle), April (space), May (knuckle), June (space), July (Knuckle). You’re out of knuckles, so go back to the first one: August (Knuckle), September (space), October (Knuckle), November (Space), December (knuckle). All the knuckles have 31 days, all the spaces have 30 or fewer (Track February on your own). ---
**Author:** ![Alto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Alto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alto)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/50 "2003-08-26T18:50:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > \*\*For sharps: > **F** ather **C** harlie **G** oes **D** own **A** nd **E** nds **B** attle > > And it works in reverse for flats: > **B** attle **E** nds **A** nd **D** own **G** oes **C** harlie’s **F** ather > > \*\* We always said Fanny Clark Goes Down and Eats Beans. It didn’t really work the other way round, but it came close enough that we found it amusing as kids: Beans Eat, And Down Goes Clark’s Fanny. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/51 "2003-08-26T19:15:37Z")
All right, here is my secret, extremely silly Magic Sentence which organizes all the Presidents up to Kennedy, after which you’re on your own. I actually use this frequently: When a joke made me a joker, Van had to poke the fiery poker but let jokes go. Hastily galloping across country, Harry cleverly\* made ready to watch his cool horse run to eastern Kansas. \*Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Ink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@White\_Ink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Ink)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/52 "2003-08-26T19:45:54Z")
My all time favorite is for those pesky cave formations: When the mites (ants) go up, the tights (pants) go down. ---
**Author:** ![sultana\_of\_slash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sultana\_of\_slash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sultana_of_slash)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/53 "2003-08-26T20:25:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WortMeWorry \* > \*\* > > The four points on a compass. > > Never Eat Sour Watermelons. \*\* You need a MNEMONIC to remember North, South, East, West? Geez! ---
**Author:** ![sultana\_of\_slash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sultana\_of\_slash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sultana_of_slash)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/54 "2003-08-26T20:37:24Z")
I can never remember a mnemonic unless it rhymes or it’s dirty. Or both. This one has saved my ass a couple of times during an autopsy. It’s the initials of the branches of the external carotid artery: As Ascending thyroid artery She Superficial thyroid artery Lay Lingual artery Fucking, Facial artery Oliver, Occipital artery Panting, Posterior auricular artery Madly Maxillary artery Squirted! Superior temporal artery Believe it or not, that one enabled me to solve a case when I was brand new, and under the gun. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/55 "2003-08-26T22:37:17Z")
> [@](#): > > My all time favorite is for those pesky cave formations: > > When the mites (ants) go up, the tights (pants) go down. I always found it pretty easy to remember that stala **c** tites grow from the **c** eiling while stala **g** mites grow from the **g** round. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/56 "2003-08-27T00:03:09Z")
I always used 30 days has September. The way I know how many days Feb. has is this: in presidential election years it has an extra day so the politicians have more time to talk. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/57 "2003-08-27T00:17:27Z")
**Tom** , moreover, stala **c tite** s stick **tite** to the **c** eiling; stala **g mite** s, being on the **g** round, **mite** , if only they could. That might be a bit much, but it’s always served me well. Some of us thrive on double-thinks. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/58 "2003-08-27T00:18:44Z")
Oh, and I don’t think anyone’s mentioned **S** an **M** ateo **H** orses **E** at **O** ats for the Great Lakes yet. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/59 "2003-08-27T00:22:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by if6was9 \* > \*\*I always used 30 days has September. The way I know how many days Feb. has is this: in presidential election years it has an extra day so the politicians have more time to talk. \*\* :smack: All my life I have had to figure out if the year is divisible by 4 (but not 400, except in 2000) to know if it’s Leap Year. It never once occured to me that Leap Years coincide with presidential election years. I say again, :smack:. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485/60 "2003-08-27T00:53:37Z")
Hee hee! Don’t feel bad. It took me 35 of my 41 years to figure it out… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mnemonics/197485.md?page=4)