elgarak
Illuminator
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2003
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- 4,472
Delvo
Дэлво Δε&#
Effect (noun): result; that which is caused
Effect (verb): cause; result in
Both of these have something to do with "cause & effect". You could express the same thought using "cause" (or "result"), with little or no adjustment in the rest of the sentence.
* * *
Áffect (noun, with emphasis on first syllable): feature; aspect; what stands out about something or is most noticed about it; usually an expression on a person's face or a mood implied by body language
Afféct (verb): influence; change; alter; regulate... also fake; force; pretend
These do not indicate cause & effect relationships or have any particular relationship with the word "cause". The noun does have an overall similar sound to one of its synonym, "aspect".
Effect (verb): cause; result in
Both of these have something to do with "cause & effect". You could express the same thought using "cause" (or "result"), with little or no adjustment in the rest of the sentence.
* * *
Áffect (noun, with emphasis on first syllable): feature; aspect; what stands out about something or is most noticed about it; usually an expression on a person's face or a mood implied by body language
Afféct (verb): influence; change; alter; regulate... also fake; force; pretend
These do not indicate cause & effect relationships or have any particular relationship with the word "cause". The noun does have an overall similar sound to one of its synonym, "aspect".
Trebuchet
Penultimate Amazing
My problem with those is not remembering which is which (witch?), but that I frequently type homophones. I've never understood how that works.
Confusingly, in the naval historical novels I read, "port your helm" means turn the ship to the right. It's from the fact that on ships with a tiller it moves opposite the rudder. Apparently they carried that over to the wheel on sailing ships.
bobdroege7
Illuminator
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- May 6, 2004
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- 4,409
Where wolf?
There wolf!
There wolf!
theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
At some point, I'm spending more effort keeping track of the mnemonics than of the actual meanings and spellings of words.
alfaniner
Penultimate Amazing
It's its own problem, not mine.
Elagabalus
Philosopher
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Eh. It's sinistra/destra in my Italian copy of "Moby Dick". Of course that was starboard and larboard.
Trebuchet
Penultimate Amazing
Chile/Chili? I use the former for the country and the latter for the peppers, but what's proper for the soup/stew? I very much like it, as long as it's not chilly.
And I just used the wrong "its" when I typed that.
And I just used the wrong "its" when I typed that.
fleabeetle
Graduate Poster
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Well, yes,I suppose; nonetheless, this has me thinking (not for the first time), "soldiers are funny people".
arthwollipot
Limerick Purist Pronouns: He/Him
Speaking of funny people, I have found this thread quite interesting as I have very rarely required a mnemonic device for distinguishing similar words. I was one of those lucky kids who scored 100% on every spelling test without even thinking about it (not even exaggerating), so I've never had a problem with their/they're/there or affect/effect or other common word confusions.
Mnemonic devices have never really worked for me either. A lot of people have a mnemonic, for example, for remembering the order of planets in the solar system. My mnemonic was "Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto" because I learned it while Pluto was still a planet.
Mnemonic devices have never really worked for me either. A lot of people have a mnemonic, for example, for remembering the order of planets in the solar system. My mnemonic was "Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto" because I learned it while Pluto was still a planet.
Elagabalus
Philosopher
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Why do I find this revelation completely unsurprising?
Alternate snark: Of course, you're the guy who still insists on showing up at the bus stop 10 minutes early despite having realtime updates from the FindMyBus app. So there's that.
You can remember the order for the last three because of the discovery of Uranium, Neptunium* and the biggee Plutonium.
How many moons does each planet have (currently)?
*Neptunium is the first transuranic element and is related to T-rex.
arthwollipot
Limerick Purist Pronouns: He/Him
I do that, yes. Why do you find it unsurprising that I am good at spelling?
No idea. The number keeps going up. I can tell you the number for the first four planets (0, 0, 1, 2) and then the next two out are somewhere in the sixties, I think. Maybe more.
deadrose
Illuminator
Most of the mnemonics I know are more related to memorization than grammar.
In Seattle,it's always useful to remember that "Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest", which helps you remember the 12 east/west streets in the main downtown core (they're named in groups of two - 2 J names, 2 C names, etc, running south to north).
Medical school is full of mnemonics to help you recall all the information you need - "On Old Olympus’ Towering Top, A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops" helps you remember the 12 cranial nerves, for instance.
In Seattle,it's always useful to remember that "Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest", which helps you remember the 12 east/west streets in the main downtown core (they're named in groups of two - 2 J names, 2 C names, etc, running south to north).
Medical school is full of mnemonics to help you recall all the information you need - "On Old Olympus’ Towering Top, A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops" helps you remember the 12 cranial nerves, for instance.
Trebuchet
Penultimate Amazing
Or stalactites stick tight to the ceiling. Stalagmites might do so, but they don't.
I still don't know if the soup/stew is chile or chili. Let alone if it should have beans (beens?) in it. The kind I had for lunch did have them.
I still don't know if the soup/stew is chile or chili. Let alone if it should have beans (beens?) in it. The kind I had for lunch did have them.
arthwollipot
Limerick Purist Pronouns: He/Him
The mites go up, the tites come down.
Wowbagger
The Infinitely Prolonged
That's a good one!
That's a classic one.
If you have to "keep track of it", then it's not a good mnemonic, at least not for you. The whole point of mnemonics is to be easy to remember. Some people remember things in different ways, so find one that's right for you in every case. One that works automatically, without thinking much about it.
The reason my Entomology/Etymology one is so... weird... is because it works for me! Nothing to keep track of. It's automatic! I guess it helps that I like Ents and HTML.
Stalagmites might reach the roof, someday.
OR:
stalactite =ceiling
stalagmite = ground
Chile is the pepper plant. Chili is the dish.
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SusanB-M1
Incurable Optimist
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That is one of my particular annoyances, especially when it is incorrectly used by someone writing a supposedly serious article in relation to promoting (in this case) her book. I wrote and pointed out very politely the reason for the wrong use.
SusanB-M1
Incurable Optimist
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I too was like that. Perhaps there is a spelling gene!
arthwollipot
Limerick Purist Pronouns: He/Him
If American-style Spelling Bees existed in my country, I'm pretty sure I would have been a champion.
fleabeetle
Graduate Poster
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I treasure a memory from school, in the sixth form -- two guys I knew: one a scientist, who wanted a mnemonic (no "traditional" one), to remember a sequence of something in physics. The other -- an arty-and-literary type and a total loon -- obliged him with "No Parson Can P*** In Church As Subtly As Can Mr. Zadok, Though Many S*** Silently". Certainly many years after -- I have no idea what it was, that needed to be remembered.