# Your favorite mnemnonics **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 25, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735 "2007-11-25T22:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/21 "2007-11-26T04:22:09Z")
Well, for biology I used to talk about that great movie, _Citizen Kade_. The vitamins A, D, E and K are all the fat soluble vitamins, that the body can store. The other vitamins are all water soluble, and don’t stick around. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/22 "2007-11-26T05:21:59Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] I learned: **Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds** [/QUOTE] We learned **Four Cops Got Drunk At Ed’s Bar** and **Bob Elliott Adams Died Gulping Cafeteria Food**. As kids, we loved that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/23 "2007-11-26T06:52:30Z")
On the esoteric side, the seven types of energy losses in a reaction turbine; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, All Get Loose. Moisture, Throttling, Windage, Friction, Admission, Gland and Leaving. Catchy, no? A Naval related one - When someone has to enter a smoke filled space, thay have a rope tied around them, going back to someone outside the space. You communicate by means of tugs on the rope. The mnemonic for remembering the tug code is OATH; 1 tug = Okay, 2 = Advance, 3 = Take up slack, 4 = Help! or haul me in. Even though I never used this, I remember it 30 years later. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/24 "2007-11-26T07:36:31Z")
Every first-year student of Japanese learns the following: **Eat a duck and mouse** For _itadakimasu_, which doesn’t have an intelligible English equivalent, but is what one says before a meal; and **Don’t touch my mustache** For _Dou itashimashite_, “You’re welcome.” In _Toy Story 2_, Al the toy dealer ends his phone conversation to a Japanese collector with this one. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/25 "2007-11-26T07:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] A rather boring one for musical modes: I Don’t Play Like My Aunt Lucy (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian). I’m sure somebody can come up with a racy one. [/QUOTE] When I was younger, I came up with: In Dark Pants Lie Many Amazing Lengths. Not the best mnemonic but obviously I still remember it. I usually even remember that it’s the first L that’s Lydian. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/26 "2007-11-26T07:51:46Z")
[QUOTE=SaintCad] Linnean classification: Karen, please come over for great sex. kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. [/QUOTE] I always like King Phillip came over from Germany stoned, especially because you get the king and the phi in there. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/27 "2007-11-26T10:35:43Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] **freckafree** Did Jupiter get demoted too? [/QUOTE] Contrary to popular belief, Jupiter isn’t actually a planet. It’s a mammal. My favourite alternative to _Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain_ (for the colours of the visible spectrum) is _Roll Over You Great Big Innocent Virgin_. Thanks Mr Jones! (my Physics teacher at secondary school). ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/28 "2007-11-26T10:45:33Z")
The first seven train stations on Philadelphia’s Main Line: Old maids never wed and have babies. (Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr.) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/29 "2007-11-26T10:59:38Z")
My co-worker suggested: “Pigs Mate And Then Cry” The stages of mitosis: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, Cytokinesis. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/30 "2007-11-26T11:52:23Z")
Kings and queens of England: Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve, Harry, Dick, John, Harry three. Edward One, Two, Three, Dick Two, Harry Four, Five, Six, then who? Edward Four, Five, Dick the Bad, Harrys twain and Ned the Lad. Mary, Lizzie, James the Vain, Charlie, Charlie, James again. William and Mary, Anne o’Gloria, Four Georges, William, Victoria. Edward Seven, Georgie Five, Edward, George and Liz (alive). After Liz, who will it be? The next in line is Charlie Three. But if he’s not then alive, The next in line is Willie Five. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/31 "2007-11-26T13:05:23Z")
[QUOTE=Runs With Scissors] I heard this attributed to Billy Bragg, for remembering the notes of the strings of a guitar in standard tuning (starting with the sixth, or top, string): **E** very **A** rmpit **D** oes **G** et **B** ody odor **E** ventually [/QUOTE] Mine came from the wonderful **My Music** on BBC radio: **E** ating **A** rtichokes **D** ispenses **G** as **B** y **E** ructation It appealed to my juvenile mind at the time. Si ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/32 "2007-11-26T13:41:43Z")
Although I rarely need sine, cosine, or tangent these days, I still remember Brother Eppy teaching us “ **O** h **h** ell, **a** nother **h** our **o** f **a** lgebra” for sine=opposite/hypotentuse, cosine=adjacent/hypotenuse, tangent=opposite/adjacent. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/33 "2007-11-26T13:51:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Bad boys rape our young grils but Violet gives willingly, better get some now. > > Black, Brown red orange yellow breen blue violet white, (I forget what those last four were but they were rarely used anyway). Also given more politically correctly as Big Boys Race Our Young Girls, But Violet Generally Wins I’ve never seen it with the extension, but it looks like the black/gold/silver/none markings for what percentage deviation in those values. By the way, the color scheme is pretty clearly based on the rainbow, with “Roy G. Biv’s” name standing out in the middle (without that upstart “Indigo” to mess things up) ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/34 "2007-11-26T14:28:31Z")
King Phillip Came Over For Group Sex kingdom phylum class order family genus species IPMAT interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase telophase (mitosis) sohcahtoa sin=opposite/hypotenuse, cos=adjacent/hypotenuse, tan=opposite/adjacent o-s-t…m-u-s…t-i-s-n-t (to the Mickey Mouse theme) o, s, t, mus, tis, nt (latin word endings) Every Good Boy Does Fine / FACE EGBDF / FACE (musical notes) I guess they work, because I still remember them lol. I haven’t really had a use for mitosis or Latin but sohcahtoa does come in handy from time to time, as does knowing the music notes and rarely, taxonomy. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/35 "2007-11-26T14:33:26Z")
There’s always: > [@](#): > > Timid Virgins Make Dull Company at Weddings > (Or “Add Whiskey.”) This is the formula for converting true directions or courses to compass readings: True plus Variation equals Magnetic heading. Beyond that, add the Deviation to get the Compass heading. In all of these corrections, “at weddings” means Add Westerly variations and deviations as part of the calculation (and, by implication, subtract easterly ones). [http://ficus-www.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/mnemonics.html](http://ficus-www.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/mnemonics.html) C.S. Forester gave the WWII version of this – it’s the reverse: **Can Dead Men Vote Twice** (Lacking the “AW” part) It’s the Mnemonic Plague! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/36 "2007-11-26T15:03:57Z")
Order to Division: Dad, Mom, Sis, Brother Divide Multiply Subtract Bring Down. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/37 "2007-11-26T15:37:23Z")
Not the usual kind of mnemonic, but I always liked this one for the digits of pi (the number of letters in each word gives 3.14159…) How I need a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy chapters involving quantum mechanics. ---
**Author:** ![Barrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Barrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrington)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/38 "2007-11-26T15:44:06Z")
Not an mnemonic, rather an acronym, but one which has remained in my brain since school Geography: **SUNWAC** Swale, Ure, Nidd, Warfe, Aire, Calder - the rivers of Yorkshire, north to south, before the Ouse/Humber confluence Generally, for some reason, I have difficulty remembering mnemonics. For example, the colours of the rainbow I remember as “Roy G Biv”. The mnemonic we were actually taught was a jokey variation - “Rowntree’s Of York Gave Battle In Vain” - Rowntree’s being the large chocolate manufacturer in the city of York. And I keep trying to remember various mnemonics for the Linnaen classifications, without success, which is a pain when you’re very interested in biology. I wish that would stick, I really do. Oh, and for the notes on the treble stave, I was taught “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour” (sexist, huh?) and “FACE”. These seemed to be de facto standards in the kids’ music tuition books of the 1960s and earlier. Yeah, I remember that, even though I don’t need to (I can read music very well without it!). ---
**Author:** ![enigm4tic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@enigm4tic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigm4tic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/39 "2007-11-26T15:58:59Z")
my favorite one is 12 k of g in a… wait a minute, what did that stand for again? ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735/40 "2007-11-26T16:11:56Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I’ve never seen it with the extension, but it looks like the black/gold/silver/none markings for what percentage deviation in those values. [/QUOTE] That’s it, thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-mnemnonics/427735.md?page=3)