As a child, I was able to memorize all fifty of the (now less than) United States’ states by learning to sing the catchy little ditty, Fifty Nifty United States.* (As an adult this skill came in handy because I won a bet or two on my ability to not only name all fifty states, but to name them all in alphabetical order. (There’s a good chance alcohol may have been involved.))
And, being a child borne on the shores of Lake Erie, it was mandatory that I learn the names of all five of the Great Lakes. This memorization feat was accomplished easily enough by employing the domestically appearing mnemonic H. O. M. E. S.
- HURON
- ONTARIO
- MICHIGAN
- ERIE
- SUPERIOR
However, due to the recent administrative adjustment to the naming convention of one of the lakes, H. O. M. E. S. is now obsolete, at least in the U. S. It is of course still a viable memory aid for the rest of the English-speaking world.
But in my narcissistic neck of the woods, the new mnemonic effective immediately for use is:
S. H. A. M. E.
*At least the Fifty Nifty ditty is still germane… for now anyway. Hold tight Greenland!