"Playing a Grand Piano Risks Ever-Decreasing Enthusiasm"

[steepholm]

If you're like me, you probably have trouble remembering long and arbitrary lists. That, of course, is what mnemonics are for. However, in today's fast-paced world there are just too many mnemonics to keep up with. That is why I have invented this metamnemonic - an easy and convenient way to consolidate all your bouts of amnesia into one manageable senior moment.

"Playing a Grand Piano Risks Ever-Decreasing Enthusiasm" is the key to no less than eight separate mnemonics, that will help you in such diverse areas of life as playing musical instruments, geology, and astronomy.

Pregnant Camels Ordinarily Sit Down Carefully: Perhaps Their Joints Creak (geological eras)
All Cows Eat Grass (spaces on bass clef)
Green Buses Drive Fast Always (lines on bass clef)
Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally (order of mathematical operations)
Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain (colours of rainbow)
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (lines on treble clef)
Dumb Kids Prefer Candy Over Fancy Green Salad (taxonomic categories in biology)
Eddy Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddy (guitar strings)

I seek no reward for my invention, other perhaps than to be serenaded yearly on the guitar and piano, while a choir of geologists, taxonomists, mathematicians and astronomers dilate in four-part harmony on the mystical powers of the goddess Mnemosyne. Is that too much to ask?

Comments

[larryhammer]

Yes, but it leaves out "A Kind Samurai Told Naomi How My Yak Ran Wild" (order of kana in Japanese) and "Big Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins' (order of resistor color coding). Tho' admittedly I only use one of those on a daily basis.

---L.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to franchise the metamnenomic concept. In fact, I've got a great idea for a way of remembering all the metamnemonics people come up with...

[aryky.livejournal.com]

This has led to a chain of thought ending in the staggering realization that My Very Elegant Mother has no longer Just Served Us Nine Pizzas! I was never too upset about Pluto's demotion, but somehow the loss of the pizzas seems like a more serious issue.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

That is indeed a desolate thought, as we stare out from Neptune into the encroaching void. With no pizza.

On the other hand, "My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nine" would make a great first line for that hymn to Mnemosyne, at least if it were sung by the Muses.

[aryky.livejournal.com]

I am in no position to judge where this ranks on your all-time list of things said, but it is quite possibly the best thing that you have ever said to me.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

*twinkles*

[larryhammer]

She can, however, serve us Noodles. Which may not be pizza, but a good bowl of freshly made ramen can take one quite far.

---L.

[owlfish]

RE: Camels

The variant on this I learned is much longer: Camels often sit down carefully. Perhaps their joints creak. Persistent early oiling might prevent permanent rheumatism.

[spatch]

I am here at the behest of sovay to mention my favorite spelling mnemonic, "George Ellington's Old Grandmother Rode A Pig Home Yesterday". It sure beats rats in Tom's house. Tom probably agrees.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Both of them were new to me - thank you!

[ethelmay.livejournal.com]

I almost always have just as much trouble remembering the mnemonic as the thing itself. When I was taking US history, we were supposed to invent our own mnemonics for the presidents. All I can remember of mine is What A Jolly Miss Marple Agatha Jotted (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson). And there's a mnemonic for some of the downtown streets in Seattle that goes Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest, but as I was almost always going the other direction and each letter stands for two streets, it was pretty muddling. I got on better just chanting Pine, Pike, Union, University, Seneca, Spring. The library was at Spring, so no need to go further anyway.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I almost always have just as much trouble remembering the mnemonic as the thing itself.

I fear you have stumbled on the one flaw in my otherwise-impregnable scheme!