Write It Down So You Don't Forget!
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Introduction
If you are like me, sometimes you need help remembering things. This is a list of mnemonics, which is a fancy word meaning memory aids. These are things to remember to help you remember other things!
1
Count the number of letters. Fork--left Knife,Spoon--right
This is a way to remember how to set the table properly. There are four letters in the word "fork" and in the word "left," so the fork goes on the left side of the plate. There are five letters in the words "knife" and "spoon." There are five letters in the word "right." So the knife and spoon go to the right of the plate.
2
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles
This is a way to remember the order of the planets. Take the first letter of each word of the sentence to remind you of the first letter of each planet. The correct order is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Of course, now that they have recently decided that Pluto is no longer a planet, perhaps we will need to change the word "Nine" to "Nuts" and leave off the "Pickles." A variation of this one is: My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets. There again you have the problem with Pluto, though!
3
"I" before "E" except after "C," or when sounded like "A," as in neighbor and weigh
This is a spelling rule to help you remember the order of your "i"s and "e"s. Only trouble with this one is that there are several more exceptions to it besides just "neighbor" and "weigh."
4
A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream
This is a way to help you remember how to spell the word "arithmetic."
5
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
This is the order of colors in the rainbow or visual spectrum. Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet
This one always bothered me because I always want to put a "purple" in there somewhere.
This one always bothered me because I always want to put a "purple" in there somewhere.
6
Spring Forward, Fall Back
For those of us who must endure Daylight Savings Time, this is the method used to remember what to do with your clocks and when to do it.
7
To recognize a Stroke----remember the first three letters: "S," "T," and "R."
If you suspect someone may be having a stroke, this is a way to remember what to check for to recognize the fact.
S---Smile---ask the person to smile
T---Talk---ask the person to repeat a simple sentence after you.
R---Raise---ask the person to raise both arms above his or her head.
If the person has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately.
S---Smile---ask the person to smile
T---Talk---ask the person to repeat a simple sentence after you.
R---Raise---ask the person to raise both arms above his or her head.
If the person has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately.
8
FAST ---another Stroke recognition mnemonic
A variation of the item before this one.
Face---ask person to smile
Arms---ask person to raise arms above head
Speech--ask person to repeat a simple sentence
Time---act fast to get the person medical attention if he or she has trouble with any of these tasks.
Face---ask person to smile
Arms---ask person to raise arms above head
Speech--ask person to repeat a simple sentence
Time---act fast to get the person medical attention if he or she has trouble with any of these tasks.
9
Soh Cah Toa
This is an algebraic mnemonic. It is to help you remember how to figure out what the sine, cosine, and tangent are. Once again using the first letters of each word, this becomes:
Sine = Opposite over Hypotenuse
Cosine = Adjacent over Hypotenuse
Tangent = Opposite over Adjacent
I have absolutely NO practical use for this in my life now as my days of caring much about the dimensions of triangles are over, but perhaps it will be of use to someone reading this. I mostly just like saying, "Soh Cah Toa."
Sine = Opposite over Hypotenuse
Cosine = Adjacent over Hypotenuse
Tangent = Opposite over Adjacent
I have absolutely NO practical use for this in my life now as my days of caring much about the dimensions of triangles are over, but perhaps it will be of use to someone reading this. I mostly just like saying, "Soh Cah Toa."
10
Bless My Dear Aunt Sally or Please My Dear Aunt Sally
Another math mnemonic. This is to help you remember the order or sequence in which operations are carried out in algebraic and numerical expressions. Once again, I have no use for this now, but maybe it will apply to someone else. Hmmmm.....seems like I learned a lot of things in school that ended up having no practical application to my life.
The beginning letters stand for: Brackets, Multiplications, Divisions, Additions, and Subtractions or Parenthesis, Multiplications, Divisions, Additions, and Subtractions depending on which version you are using.
The beginning letters stand for: Brackets, Multiplications, Divisions, Additions, and Subtractions or Parenthesis, Multiplications, Divisions, Additions, and Subtractions depending on which version you are using.
11
Every Good Boy Deserves Favor (or Fudge!) (or Does Fine)
www.eudesign.com/mnems/_mnframe.htm
These are useful mnemonic sentences denoting the order of notes on staves of music. There are several, some with variations:
1. Treble stave lines (with "G-clef"):
a). "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour"
(Notes on each line - E, G, B, D, F)
b). "Face"
(Notes between each line - F, A, C, E)
2. Bass stave lines (with "F-clef"):
a). "Good Boys Deserve Fun Always"
(Notes on each line - G, B, D, F, A)
b). "All Cows Eat Grass"
(Notes between each line - A, C, E, G)
1. Treble stave lines (with "G-clef"):
a). "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour"
(Notes on each line - E, G, B, D, F)
b). "Face"
(Notes between each line - F, A, C, E)
2. Bass stave lines (with "F-clef"):
a). "Good Boys Deserve Fun Always"
(Notes on each line - G, B, D, F, A)
b). "All Cows Eat Grass"
(Notes between each line - A, C, E, G)
12
Count the letters: port---left
This, similar to the first item in this list, helps you remember something by counting the letters in the word. This helps you to remember that port is the left side of the boat. The right side is starboard, of course, which doesn't follow the letter counting rule. I guess you are just supposed to figure that one out by process of elimination.
13
Lefty, Loosey, Righty, Tighty
This is a way to help you remember which way to tighten or loosen a screw. Turn it to the left to loosen it, and to the right to tighten it.
14
HOMES
This is a way to remember the names of the Great Lakes (thanks, Pam!). The letters in the word HOMES stand for the first letter of each lake. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. I uncovered a couple variations of this. They are the sentences, "Sergeant Major Hates Eating Onions" and "Sam's Horse Must Eat Oats."
15
StalaCtites and StalaGmites
This is a way to tell the difference between these two types of cave crystal formations.
StalaCtites with the C come down from the Ceiling of the cave.
StalaGmites with the G come up from the Ground of the cave.
StalaCtites with the C come down from the Ceiling of the cave.
StalaGmites with the G come up from the Ground of the cave.
16
PrinciPAL and principLE
How to remember to spell these words for the definition that you want.
principal---the administrator at your school is your PAL
principle---a standard which you believe in or live by is a ruLE
Of course, if you have ever been sent to visit the Principal at school because you didn't obey one of the principles of the classroom, you may or may not consider the Principal to be your pal!
principal---the administrator at your school is your PAL
principle---a standard which you believe in or live by is a ruLE
Of course, if you have ever been sent to visit the Principal at school because you didn't obey one of the principles of the classroom, you may or may not consider the Principal to be your pal!
Grateful, this is a handy dandy list, but my brain will still be taxed.
I have MUCH trouble with #13, especially because I can't figure if it is my right side, or my other right side.
I will remember the nine pickled moms.
I have MUCH trouble with #13, especially because I can't figure if it is my right side, or my other right side.
I will remember the nine pickled moms.
Isn't HOMES one of those tricks for the Great Lakes?
Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
When your from Arizona and, as a child, have never seen a lake other than the ones on a golf course, it's pretty difficult to remember anything about great lakes.
I didn't see a real lake until I was about 12; the same year I went to YMCA "snow camp" during Christmas break.
Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
When your from Arizona and, as a child, have never seen a lake other than the ones on a golf course, it's pretty difficult to remember anything about great lakes.
I didn't see a real lake until I was about 12; the same year I went to YMCA "snow camp" during Christmas break.
Oh yeah! You're right, Pam. I should have included that one! Being from Ohio, I've definitely heard that one.
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