# Trigger a memory for me -- a game of sorts **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 6, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658 "2014-09-06T14:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/1 "2014-09-06T14:53:57Z")
I suppose this may be a glorified “Free Association” sort of thing, but maybe it could be different. I just had the notion that listing or describing things that we used to do, or used to know, or used to care about, might prompt those hidden or dormant memories we all must have loads of. I almost went with “old ice cream flavors” or “old comic books” or whatnot, but decided to open up the flood gates and just see where things go. To start the ball rolling, do either Black Walnut ice cream or Lime Pineapple sherbet conjure up forgotten treats from back when? Another approach to the thread’s main idea is to mention something that “just came up” recently that you hadn’t thought of in a long time. If you can remember what made you think of it, that might be fun, too. Surely some of you have old memories just waiting to be pried loose! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/2 "2014-09-06T23:02:59Z")
When I went to college, my written assignments were done with a fountain pen. Ball popnts existed, but were unreliable and the work looked messy. Typewriters were too expensive for must students to have one. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/3 "2014-09-07T01:30:15Z")
When I was in junior high and high school, I had access to my parents’ IBM Selectric typewriter. We had several typing balls, including _Italic_. I had the best-looking papers in school! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/4 "2014-09-11T16:49:33Z")
In the days before I got even our first Commodore 64 I used a typewriter to write most of the mail I sent – even to family and friends. But I have yet to learn touch typing so that I don’t have to watch the keyboard. In some circles that’s know as the Biblical Method. 😉 Did any of you ever indulge in postal chess? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/5 "2014-09-16T14:35:43Z")
See what this one does in terms of prying loose an old memory: [LARRY VERNE- “MR. CUSTER”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0nHWAoIfxo) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/6 "2014-09-16T16:23:32Z")
Big Z, I’ve always found that particular novelty song cringeworthy. Have you ever heard Ted Knight’s version? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/7 "2014-09-16T16:47:27Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Big Z, I’ve always found that particular novelty song cringeworthy. Have you ever heard Ted Knight’s version? Not to recall. I may have heard Ray Stevens’s version, though. I almost started a new thread on “Novelty Songs of Note” but decided to give this thread a bump instead. Others of the era that pop into my consciousness from time to time: Little Nash Rambler The Mummy Kookie, Kookie… and one I have yet to locate with Stan Freberg (probably) doing a parody of RnR music of the period with lyrics something like “Oh, Donna…” and “Oh, Irving…” as well as one that was a knockoff of “Day-O” that had a line like “…I come through the window…” Any of that stuff sound familiar? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/8 "2014-09-16T21:26:30Z")
Necco Wafers ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/9 "2014-09-16T21:31:58Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Not to recall. I may have heard Ray Stevens’s version, though. > > I almost started a new thread on “Novelty Songs of Note” but decided to give this thread a bump instead. > > Others of the era that pop into my consciousness from time to time: > > Little Nash Rambler > The Mummy > Kookie, Kookie… > > and one I have yet to locate with Stan Freberg (probably) doing a parody of RnR music of the period with lyrics something like “Oh, Donna…” and “Oh, Irving…” > > as well as one that was a knockoff of “Day-O” that had a line like “…I come through the window…” > > Any of that stuff sound familiar? Little Nash Rambler and Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb) are memorable. Freberg’s Day-O was a classic. I don’t recall his “Oh, Donna/Irving” though. “John and Martha”, yes, “Donna and Irving”, no. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/10 "2014-09-16T21:55:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Necco Wafers [Long Boy Kraut](http://search.candy.com/long-boy-kraut) ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/11 "2014-09-16T22:04:43Z")
I still remember my Prodigy ID. (It’s not that far back, but it seems like ages ago) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/12 "2014-09-16T22:05:57Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > \<\< clipped \>\> Freberg’s Day-O was a classic. I don’t recall his “Oh, Donna/Irving” though. “John and Martha”, yes, “Donna and Irving”, no. I have looked on YouTube, starting at [Ritchie Valens-Donna](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMcHbh6HBDk) hoping to see the Freberg knock-off in the sidebar. His thing had the same basic melody and treatment as this but he went off on “Oh, \…” several times before getting to “Oh, Irving…” and the whole thing was like a trial and error attempt to record a hit in the same groove as Valens. Unfortunately all I have is a semi-earworm to offer as evidence that this monstrosity even existed. Somebody, please! [Help Me Rhonda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCibaH9AvU) The main thing is that the “Oh, Irving…” may not even be Freberg; just in his style perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/13 "2014-09-16T22:15:42Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > In the days before I got even our first Commodore 64 I used a typewriter to write most of the mail I sent – even to family and friends. I have terrible penmanship. We picked up an old portable with its own case from somewhere and I used it for all of my correspondence until Dad brought home an electric typewriter. Which was supposed to work as a printer when hooked up to a 64 but we never could get the 64 and the typewriter to play together. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trigger-a-memory-for-me-a-game-of-sorts/697658/14 "2014-09-16T22:22:25Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > I have terrible penmanship. We picked up an old portable with its own case from somewhere and I used it for all of my correspondence until Dad brought home an electric typewriter. Which was supposed to work as a printer when hooked up to a 64 but we never could get the 64 and the typewriter to play together. My wife had a Brother brand typewriter around the same time as the Commodore. I forget what was so special about it. We still have it – somewhere.