Vocabulary Mnemonics

June 14, 2025

Matt’s words

Brazier (n):  a barbecue/grill

[Tantalus] picked up a fork and tried to stab a piece of brisket, but the plate skittered down the table and flew off the end, straight into the coals of the brazier. – Percy Jackson Book ‘II.

Mnemonic: Braise means to cook something slowly in a little water in a pot.

Numismatics (n): Study or collecting of coins/money

His interest in numismatics began when he was given a silver dollar as change.

The trial, which lasted for two months, offered the jury and others present in the courtroom an extended seminar in numismaticsand in Viking history.—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2020

Mnemonic: It’s usually men interested in this field. Imagine your Dad has gotten interested, almost like it’s a new mistress. So you start to say that Dad is hanging out with “New Miss ‘M’ in the attic.”

Risible (adj): provoking laughter; laughable

The idea that vocabulary is boring is risible.

Mnemonic: Saying it causes you to smile.

Mnemonic 2: Gets a “rise” out of you.

Nascent (adj):having recently come into existence; just beginning

The nascent airline industry hadn’t figured out how to treat passengers yet.

The nascent league… the nascent nation…

Mnemonic: Nasci in Latin means “to be born.” Nacer in Spanish means the same.

Mnemonic 2: When a baby is born they have a “scent.” Oftentimes it’s a “nay” scent.

Puerile (adj):childish (not in a nice way)

Puerile behavior…Puerile remarks…

Even if TikTok really is shut down in the United States by the end of the month, capping at least one spigot of puerile content, the damage will have been done.—Helen Holmes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025

Mnemonic: Children are “pure.”

Dr. Mom’s words

Conflate (v): to confuse (fail to differentiate) two or more phenomena into one; to combine those same things

It’s no surprise people sometimes conflate psychologists and psychiatrists.

The author conflated the three plays to produce a fresh new work.

Mnemonic: When you “in”flate something, you blow it up. So when you “con”flate something, you blow it up with something else. You can compare and/or combine them.

Parkinson’s law (n): “Tasks expand to fill the time allotted for their completion.”

I prove Parkinson’s law true every morning when, despite the fact that I can get ready in 15 minutes if pressed, sure as shootin’ I spend 30, or 45, or even 60 minutes when given the time.

Mnemonic: Think of parking in the sun. I’ll enjoy a five-minute nap if that’s all I have, but I’ll happily stretch it to an hour, if the time is available.

Hofstadter’s law (n): “It always takes longer than you expect (even when you take into account Hofstadter’s law).”

In yet another illustration of the validity of Hofstadter’s law, the Sydney Opera House was completed 10 years later than estimated and cost almost $100 million more than its original estimate of $7 million.

Mnemonic: When you think of Hofstadter, think of being “off in your standard.” You’ve set a standard or guideline for how long something will take, but you underestimated.

Recalcitrant (adj): obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage; rebellious

For anyone who has ever struggled to extract a recalcitrant cork from a bottle … the value of a good corkscrew is a given. —Ettagale Blauer, Wine Spectator, 31 Oct. 1996

Mnemonic: The “cal” in the middle is related to the calcaneus, the large bone in the back of the heel in humans. Picture a recalcitrant person kicking back his/her heels like a stubborn mule, and ranting at the same time.

Philately (n): stamp collecting

Philately is still a beloved hobby for many…well, those over the age of 70.

Mnemonic #1: When said, the word sounds like “Flat, a Lee.” Think of something flat (a stamp) that contains the image of Robert E. Lee. It’s a stamp, and you’ve collected it!

Mnemonic #2: When printed, the word looks like “phil – a – telly.” The Greek prefix “phil” means loving (as in philos). “A-tely” could mean “not the telly,” or not using the phone. One who loves not using the phone must prefer letters, which require stamps.

COLOSSAL COMPILATION:

The nascent CEO of a brazier corporation learned the importance of being risible after he was repeatedly teased by his employees about conflating Parkinson’s law with Hofstadter’s law, puerile silliness with recalcitrant bluster, and—shocking but true–numismatics with philately!