Benidorm
August 25
Dear Editor,
Definition of the word ‘mnemonic’- ‘Memory device that aids information retention.’
One of the most popular and easiest mnemonics used in the USA is to help us remember the names of the five Great Lakes that exist there. The mnemonic is ‘HOMES’.
The initials thus stand for the names of said lakes: Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior.
That’s easy enough, but to remember the exact order of the nine planets in our solar system, beginning with ‘Mercury’ and ending with ‘Pluto’ isn’t so easy!
That’s why my favourite mnemonic is the following ‘Clincher’, ‘Mary’s Vivacious Eyes Make John Sit Up Nights Pining!’ So we now have an easy 1. Mercury (nearest the Sun), followed by Venus, 3. Earth, 4. Mars, 5. Jupiter, 6.Saturn, 7.Uranus, 8. Neptune, and finally, 9. Pluto!
Easy as pie! Right?
Sincerely yours,
Richard M,McBride
