Why isn't there a mnemonic for how to spell mnemonic?
Of all the trivial stories in today's papers, I like the sidebars about the death of old mnemonics for the order of planets in the solar system.
With the inclusion of new "celestial bodies" of Ceres, Charon and (for the moment anyway) "Xena" , we apparently now have twelve planets in the solar system, eight of the type now to be called 'Classic Planets', with the others known as 'Dwarf Planets', although to my mind, if they're going to be called Dwarf Planets, they should abandon "Pluto" and name the first four Happy, Doc, Dopey and Grumpy.
However, generations of schoolchildren grew up learning the mnemonic for the order of the nine planets as something like "My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies."
But now we have to find a new mnemonic, to include the three extra words planets.
I kind of like the one the Times had this morning:My Very Eccentric Mother Called Janet Sang Utter Nonsense Playing Charlie's Xylophone.
Of course, those of us with mothers named anything other than Janet are buggered.
With the inclusion of new "celestial bodies" of Ceres, Charon and (for the moment anyway) "Xena" , we apparently now have twelve planets in the solar system, eight of the type now to be called 'Classic Planets', with the others known as 'Dwarf Planets', although to my mind, if they're going to be called Dwarf Planets, they should abandon "Pluto" and name the first four Happy, Doc, Dopey and Grumpy.
However, generations of schoolchildren grew up learning the mnemonic for the order of the nine planets as something like "My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies."
But now we have to find a new mnemonic, to include the three extra words planets.
I kind of like the one the Times had this morning:My Very Eccentric Mother Called Janet Sang Utter Nonsense Playing Charlie's Xylophone.
Of course, those of us with mothers named anything other than Janet are buggered.