Brain-scratchers

What are Mnemonics?

Mnemonics are devices to help us remember (Eselsbrücken). They can be used to aid the memorisation of many types of information.

Do you know what the following mnemonics are to aid the memory of?

a   Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
b   My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets

Answer Key
a   The order of the colours in a rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
b   The order of the planets in average distance from the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Planet Nine

Spoonerisms – You just be moking!

Spoonerisms are named after the Rev. Archibald Spooner (1844 – 1930). Spooner, a long-serving Oxford don (Dozent), frequently and unintentionally made verbal slips, often with hilarious results. While meaning to say “a well-oiled bicycle“ Spooner talked of a “well-boiled icicle“. He also famously reprimanded a student who “hissed my mystery lecture“ (missed my history lecture) adding in disgust, “You have tasted two worms“ (wasted two terms).

What about ’-ish’?

’-ish’ is a very popular suffix used by native speakers meaning ’somewhat’ (in etwa). E.g. He’s thirtyish / I’m tiredish. Or when asked “Are you hungry?” you can simply answer “-ish!”