Main      Site Guide    
Message Forum
Re: Language Puzzles
Posted By: enile, on host 195.54.240.7
Date: Friday, January 29, 1999, at 03:56:17
In Reply To: Re: Language Puzzles posted by Howard on Wednesday, January 27, 1999, at 18:42:26:

> > > My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas.
> > > Roy G. Biv is a colorful character.

> > I would have never understood the "mother serving pizzas" sentence if I hadn't read an article in NewsWeek last night, reporting that some astronomers' colloquium or other is expected soon to demote Pluto from full status as a planet in our solar system. ...So it may be that soon, the article concluded, we won't be able to use that mnemonic device "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" to remember the names of the planets. Weird, huh?
> >
> Yeah, I read that same article.
> But it's still good for a while?

I'm not sure it's even good now - Pluto is inside Neptune's orbit at the moment.

>
> > Third, everyone knows ROYGBIV--Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Apple Computers developed this clever mnemonic device to help us remember which attractive colors their iMac is available in. :-)
>
> You've given Apple too much credit. Old Roy G. Biv was mentioned in the 7th grade science book I used when I first started teaching in 1959. I think the first time I heard of an Apple computer was about 1983.
>
Doesn't that just make Apple all the more remarkable?

cf: 'Richard of York gave battle in vain'.

> Is it possible that all this computer stuff has come about in 16 years?

No - I remember feeding punched tape in the early seventies, and before that an analogue machine which looked like a telephone exchange and gave the answers on dials. But we're talking pre-history now so youngsters like Howard wouldn't be expected to remember.

Every good boy deserves favour
Good boys deserve favour always

en'closet nerd with a stick shift'ile


Link: Fourmilab solar map

Replies To This Message