TELEPHONE NUMBER MEMORY SYSTEM

Most people 'just can't' remember telephone numbers! In
order to overcome this disability they employ ail kinds of
elaborate systems (and some not so elaborate), ranging from
the person who keeps card files of the numbers he needs to re-
member and carries these around with him, to the one who
jots down numbers on odd pieces of paper and is continually
ringing the wrong person!
Remembering telephone numbers is actually not difficult at
all as long as we remember the number-letter correspondence
from the major system. All that is necessary is to substitute a
letter for the number we wish to remember. Having done this,
we make up association words that link the number to the
person.
Let us try this with the ten people from the initial test:
Your local butcher HSM-8737
Your dentist NAH-9107
Your bank manager CAM-5323
Your doctor HOB-3981
Your local grocer CEL-8801
Your local chemist
BOT-9939
Your tennis partner
SER-4112
Your plumber
LEA-8519
Your local pub
PMB-1427
Your garage
TRK-9340
In these examples we have letters as well as numbers to deal
with, but these will prove of little difficulty as you shall soon
see.
The butcher's number—HSM-8737—starts with the
letters 'HSM'. These letters can be remembered in a variety
of ways, but the ones which immediately spring to mind are:
'He. Sells .Meat' and 'Ham, Sausages, .Mince'. The numbers
we have to deal with are 8737 which can be converted to 'v or
f 'k, c, g' 'm' and 'k,c,g'. Our task here is to make up either
one word which contains these letters in order, two short
words which also contain these letters in order or four words,
the initial letter of which represents the number we are trying
to remember. In the case of the butcher the last of these
choices is probably the best. We select v, g, m, and hard c to
give us ' Very Good Meat Cuts'. We could of course, substi-
tute 'Fairly' for 'Very' and 'Gory' for 'Good' etc.
As practice on these items is always important, take a quick
look again at the people and their numbers, noting the letters.
When you have practised them, consider the following sugges-
tions for each one—I am sure that many of you will be able to
create some most original methods!
Your dentist—NAH-9107. The initial letters 'NAH' could
form the phrase Weedles Always Hurt' or Wasty And
Horrible!' The letters we have to choose from are (9107) 'p,b',
't,d', 's,z, or soft c', and 'k,g. hard c etc.'. One two-word com-
bination that we might use for this is 'Bad Suck' because
people with toothaches often tend to suck at the painful tooth.
A four word suggestion of a more positive nature is 'Pain Does
Certainly Go' (or 'Come' if you still feel none too kindly
toward your dentist!).
Your bank manager—CAM-5923. The letters might be
used in the phrases 'Cash And .Money' or, if he has just
refused you a loan, 'Crabby And Mean!' The numbers
translate to the letters 'l', 'm', 'n', 'm' which in view of the
second phrase, might well be translated into 'Lent Me No
Money!'
Your doctor—HOB-3981. The initial letters could be
remembered either by 'HOBble' or 'Heals Our Backs (or
.Bones)'. The numbers translate to 'm', 'p,b', 'f,v' and 't,d,th'.
An obvious linking phrase is 'Makes Pain Feel Better'.
Your local grocer—CEL-8801. The letters fit neatly into
the word 'CELlery', or with a bit of a stretch, into 'Cabbages,
.Extra Leafy'. The numbers translate to the letters 'f,v', 'f,v',
's, z soft c', and 't,d,th'. A phrase from this is 'Very Fine
Celery and Tomatoes'. The initial word could be changed
to 'Fairly' or 'Few' and the second to 'Fowl!'.
Your local chemist—BOT-9939. The initial letters could be
remembered either as the first three of the word 'BOTtle' or
as the first letters of 'Bottles Of Toxins!' or 'Boxes Of Tissues'.
The numbers translate to 'p,b', 'p,b' 'm', and 'p,b. A sug-
gested four word phrase is 'Potions, Poisons, Medicines and
Pills'.
Your tennis partner—SER-4112. The initial letters can be
remembered as the first three letters of the word 'SERve'. The
numbers translate to the letters 'r', 't,d,th', 't,d,th', and 'n'.
Our memory phrase here might be '.Rarely Touches The Net'.
Your plumber—LEA-8519. As with the grocer and tennis
partner the first three letters fit conveniently into the word
'LEAk!. The numbers translate to the letters 'f,v', 'l', 't,d,th',
and 'p,b'. Our memory phrase could either be 'Fixes Leaks,
Drips and Plumbing' or 'Faulty Lines, Taps and Pipes'.
Your local pub—PMB 1427. The initial letters are difficult
to make into a word, but can be used in such three letter
phrases as 'Publicans Manage Beer'. The numbers translate to
't,d,th', 'r', 'n', and 'k, g, hard c etc' In this case there is no
need to make up a phrase—we can contain it all in the one
word 'Drink'.
Your garage—TRK 9340. As with the number section of
the telephone number of your local pub this group of letters
need not be made into separate words. The word 'TRuCK'
perfectly conveys the first three letters. The number translates
to 'p,b' 'm', 'r', and 's,z, soft c'. This can be put into the
phrase 'Broken Motor Repair Service'.
The examples given above are of course very particular, and
it will now be up to you to apply the system outlined to the
telephone numbers which are important for you to remember.
In some cases the telephone number may have no letters in
it at all, as may soon be the general case in Britain when the
all-digit number system is completely introduced. This will
present no extra difficulty, as you simply have three initial
numbers instead of three initial letters, and these three
numbers themselves will be translatable into letters.
In some cases the combination of numbers may present a
greater than usual difficulty, and 'appropriate' phrases or
words may be almost impossible to devise. In such cases the
solutions are still fairly simple.
In the first case, you may make up inappropriate words out
of the numbers you have to deal with, and then use the basic
system, making absurd and exaggerated images which you
link with the person whose telephone number you are trying
to remember.
For example, if the telephone number of one of your friends
whose hobby is cricket is 411-4276 you would take the Major
System word for 41 which is 'rat', the Major word for 142
which is 'drain', and the Major word for 76 which is 'cage'.
Your image for remembering this number would be of your
friend swatting a rat instead of a cricket ball and of the rat
flying through the air landing in a drain, the iron grill of which
is similar to the bars of a cage!
The telephone number memory system is easy and enjoy-
able to practice, once you have mastered it. As with all other
systems, it requires practice, so before you proceed to the
next chapter make sure you have committed to memory at least
10 numbers which are important to you.