Awareness of the outside world. The six official languages of the UN are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, & Spanish. “A delegate may speak in any official UN language. The speech is interpreted simultaneously into the other official languages of the UN. At times, a delegate may choose to make a statement using a non-official language. In such cases, the delegation must provide either an interpretation or a written text of the statement in one of the official languages. Most UN documents are issued in all six official languages, requiring translation from the original document.” UN: Official Languages
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Skipping State of The Blog this month. Nothing of note to say on the subject. [Archives]
Writing about other writing instead.
In Language Writer: Let me mnow your mnemonics!, Gaston Dorren talks about the “mnemonic device known as ‘bridge for donkeys’ in German and Dutch: an artificial and often tenuous, but helpful connexion between the hard word and something familiar.” LW: mnemonics
I don’t know another language well enough – despite years of study – that I need such a device. The essay caused me to recall other ways I get around the short circuits in my own brain.
Merriam-Webster defines mnemonic as “assisting or intended to assist memory.” MW: mnemonic
When I was a kid – maybe 2nd grade? – I had trouble with lower case b and lower case d. On their own in space, they were indistinguishable to me. Fortunately, I had a friend name Robin. (Waves hi, wherever you are.) Let’s say I was going for a B. If I put it in her name and it came out Rodin, I knew it was wrong. No other letters, just those two, for long enough that I can still recall doing the mental exercise.
That was then. This is now.
On the blog, I wrote Coach Courtney as Couch Courtney so often that one reader (waves hi) thought it was an inside joke. Nope. Just me not having a clue. Couch? Coach? Shrug. All I know is that when I refer to the lady who teaches me saddle seat, the vowels should not match. C*OA*ch C*OU*rtney.
I mistype were & where. I have no idea why. I don’t even see it. This one I have to rely on my beta reader (waves hi) catching once the post is published. Oops.
Do you use any mnemonics?
Non-fiction 4U
Donkey dude’s website, Gaston Dorren, Language Writer. Article by, Aeon: Talking gibberish, The study of languages has long been prone to nonsense. Why is linguistics such a magnet for dilettantes and crackpots? Book mentioned previously. [Danish Horses Say Vrinsk]
Gretchen McCulloch, Internet Linguist. “I’m the Resident Linguist at WIRED, where I write a column about internet language.” & “Assorted other bylines” GM: Writing
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Yes.
Remembering our license plate numbers: 2 sons-in-law are firefighters. Once I remember FHP stands for Fire House Personnel, the round number that follows is easy. The other is harder. The letters are the initials of another son-in-law. The number is a common price point. Once I remember that he is frugal., no problem.
In grade school, our Principal told us how to spell princiPAL – he was a Pal (a person) and stood on two legs (A). The other word was princiPLE. I think of Mr. Hartman every time I write either word.
One daughter has a phone number whose last 4 digits are one year short of the American Revolution..
A friend was born on January 23, 1945. 012345.
Etc., etc. and so forth.
Recently I’ve recently begun transposing letters, don’t know why. And despite having had the same license plate for over 20 years, I’ve only just figured out how not to transpose the first two digits. Say it like a chant, with the emphasis on alternate letters. The “hv” at the end is easy, the number part is hard.
I seem to be messing up words, too, I really need to proofread better.
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