# Spelling Acronyms? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422 "2011-12-16T16:14:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/1 "2011-12-16T16:14:31Z")
Last night’s episode of _The Mentalist_ introduced me to an “acronym” (more likely, to be precise, an [initialism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym_and_initialism)) that it seems I should have heard before: > [@](#): > > Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants Had you heard (or read) this one before? Have any more like it? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/2 "2011-12-16T16:22:25Z")
> [@](#): > > A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream. [Spelling Mnemonics](http://www.fun-with-words.com/mnem_example.html) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/3 "2011-12-16T16:22:30Z")
Missed the edit window where I tried to add: If this concept looks familiar to you, you may be thinking of > **[Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=615644)** > > This is just one of those “mnemonics” I remember learning, but damned if I haven’t forgottten what OBAFGKM was for. Help! Open field for other such things like Every Good Boy Deserves Favor All Cows Eat Grass (recently revived here at SDMB) Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me which I started 07-09-2011, 11:18 AM and which has gone through Post #87 by 07-16-2011, 03:25 AM ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/4 "2011-12-16T16:23:42Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > [Spelling Mnemonics](http://www.fun-with-words.com/mnem_example.html) Exactly! Nice link. Order of taxonomy in biology: (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach. was also on the show last night ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/5 "2011-12-16T16:27:42Z")
Sorry for the dumb question, but what’s the difficulty in spelling “because” that it requires a lengthy mnemonic? Honest question–it’s not a word I’ve heard of being particularly difficult to spell (like “rhythm” or “vichyssoise” or something). How is it usually misspelled? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/6 "2011-12-16T16:28:09Z")
A friend is a friend until the END (friend vs freind) Father and Mother I Love You (FAMILY) Secretary keeps a secret (learned that a Romona and Beezus book!) Your principal is your PAL (principal vs principle) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/7 "2011-12-16T16:34:41Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Exactly! Nice link. > > Order of taxonomy in biology: > (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) > Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach. I’ve always used: King Peter Could Only Fuck Golden Sheep. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/8 "2011-12-16T16:36:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Sorry for the dumb question, but what’s the difficulty in spelling “because” that it requires a lengthy mnemonic? Honest question–it’s not a word I’ve heard of being particularly difficult to spell (like “rhythm” or “vichyssoise” or something). How is it usually misspelled? Beats me, too! I just thought we could make up some of our own to be at least as silly. Have at! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/9 "2011-12-16T16:37:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve always used: > King Peter Could Only Fuck Golden Sheep. Much to be preferred. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/10 "2011-12-16T16:43:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve always used: > King Peter Could Only Fuck Golden Sheep. My 9th grade teacher (Mr. Kolis, RIP) taught us: Kolis Plays Cards On Friday and Gets Skunked. I teach my students this, 30 years later! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/11 "2011-12-16T17:31:23Z")
Skid Tires On Pavement ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/12 "2011-12-16T17:56:00Z")
My Chemistry teacher taught me this one: > [@](#): > > Most European People Bake Potatoes Hot Hot in October, November, December Anyone got a clue on what that one is for? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/13 "2011-12-16T18:55:10Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > My Chemistry teacher taught me this one: > > Anyone got a clue on what that one is for? Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, Pentane, Hexane, Heptane, Octane, Nonane, Decane ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/14 "2011-12-16T19:06:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, Pentane, Hexane, Heptane, Octane, Nonane, Decane Ding! Ding! Ding! Corrrect. Had you already heard it? or did you figure it out? FWIW, my High School Chemistry teacher in Upstate NY taught it to me, about 34 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/15 "2011-12-16T21:04:56Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Ding! Ding! Ding! Corrrect. > > Had you already heard it? or did you figure it out? I had never heard it before. Just looked at the initial letters, saw the connection in the run of “P-H-H-O-N-D” as Greek number prefixes (well, the “October, November, December” helped immensely here), and then tried to figure out backwards what it could be. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/16 "2011-12-16T23:50:53Z")
Since Our Leaders Insist on Denying Adequate Raises It’s Time To Yell ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/17 "2011-12-17T00:03:34Z")
What’s in the OP (and many of the following posts) is actually an [acrostic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostic), not an acronym or initialism. Not having seen the Psyche episode in question, I have no idea if it was also a mnemonic, but either way, it’s in the form of an acrostic. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/18 "2011-12-17T02:48:19Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > What’s in the OP (and many of the following posts) is actually an [acrostic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrostic), not an acronym or initialism. Not having seen the Psyche episode in question, I have no idea if it was also a mnemonic, but either way, it’s in the form of an acrostic. My favorite acrostic: [Hidden Message on Montreal Headstone | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/headstone.asp) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-acronyms/606422/19 "2011-12-17T04:42:47Z")
> [@ignatz](#): > > since > our > leaders > insist on > denying > adequate > raises > it’s > time > to > yell Solidaritty?