At the 508 mark where Heisigs stories run dry and I was left to make up my own stories I noticed a stedy trend towards stories being more violent, vulgar and sexual

example:
for "detail"

I imagine that the talking cow in the Kanji for revelation is preaching to a bunch of animals from the book of revelations when a talking sheep arrives and kicks the unfortunate cow to death with each kick the sheep hurls details at the cow countering and rebuking the cows creationist claims

another example
upon seeing the Kanji for "solely" I immediately envision all of the openings on a human which are unsuitable for a turkey to be shoved into, meaning that the turkey is meant Solely for the MOUTH

does anybody else have this problem? or am I the only one with their mind in the gutter

Why is that a problem?
Wait, is being violated by a whole turkey considered undesirable?

Yup. I most certainly do. However, they usually seem more humorous than sexual to me if I use such a story since funny makes me feel less uneasy about such stories. Violence and crude humor really doesn't phase me much, so I don't really feel unusual about using those.

For example, for aggression 攻, I imagine this kid's show character which I've gotten into my head to be a scary tyrant (even though she isn't) carrying an I-beam covered in blood. I think it's a bit on the softer side of the violent scale, but that's just my opinion.

wow I'm at like 1756 right now but Ive been constantly having trouble with that "solely" kanji since I put it in. I think I might start remembering it now though. Yeah to answer this one I have lots of sexually oriented stories and ones about killing people and things. like for 1564 "worship" you just cant do anything with that but make it dirty especially when "finger ceiling and bush" primitives are what your given.

Yep! Violence, sex, anything goes!
I live in a shared house. I noticed that when I am in the living room reviewing those kanji, I sometimes feel very uneasy about writing them down. Especially when people sit next to me and can see it. Of course for them they are just regular kanji, so they have no idea about the story or that i feel hazukashi about it. Yet in my subconsciousness it's like I am watching porn or drawing a very violent or vulgar image.

When I realized this, it confirmed to me yet again how powerful those mnemonic stories can be for remembering kanji.

It's a big relief to know that I'm not the only person here who has their mind in the gutter. In fact why don't we all post our most obscene stories.

If this thread violates the rules of the forum ( as I expect it possibly may ) I'll delete it

Shtephen Wrote:like for 1564 "worship" you just cant do anything with that but make it dirty especially when "finger ceiling and bush" primitives are what your given.

I always find it odd when people express the inevitability of obscene stories for particular kanji, especially since when they do, it's generally one I used something clean with. For instance, 拝 is just hands together in prayer to a religious symbol (by way of a shrub - you could get a Monty Python reference in there, I guess) hanging from the ceiling, which actually creates a pretty strong image for me.

I don't have any problem with the vulgar stories (I use 'em), it just strikes me as weird when people claim there was nothing else to do with them.

Well, when you have the Kanji for Anus 肛 which is Body Part and I-Beam, well, let's just say there's a scene from "Hancock" that comes to mind.

Use what works for you. If you think they're too unique to apply to anyone but yourself, just keep them private.

QuackingShoe Wrote:For instance, 拝 is just hands together in prayer to a religious symbol (by way of a shrub - you could get a Monty Python reference in there, I guess)

And there I thought I was the only one to do that.

Machine_Gun_Cat Wrote:upon seeing the Kanji for "solely" I immediately envision all of the openings on a human which are unsuitable for a turkey to be shoved into, meaning that the turkey is meant Solely for the MOUTH

does anybody else have this problem? or am I the only one with their mind in the gutter

I looked ahead to 1942 chirp鳴 for help on this one. The mouth of an ordinary bird鳥 chirps, but the turkey is the only bird whose mouth gobbles. They are solely responsible for this.

I try to use sex and violence as a last option only because they lose effectiveness in shocking the mind into remembering if it becomes too casual. It would require more and more disturbing images.

bodhisamaya Wrote:It would require more and more disturbing images.

Fortunately(?), some of us are well-prepared for such an arms-race.

Nukemarine Wrote:Well, when you have the Kanji for Anus 肛 which is Body Part and I-Beam, well, let's just say there's a scene from "Hancock" that comes to mind.

Use what works for you. If you think they're too unique to apply to anyone but yourself, just keep them private.

I think I just learned an RTK3 kanji with no effort whatsoever.

Machine_Gun_Cat Wrote:upon seeing the Kanji for "solely" I immediately envision all of the openings on a human which are unsuitable for a turkey to be shoved into, meaning that the turkey is meant Solely for the MOUTH

there ya go, now you'll never forget that kanji again...



http://flickr.com/photos/atomicshark/3074620301/

My gods, it's the turkey that eats itself. Thanks for the disturbing image.

zwarte_kat Wrote:Yet in my subconsciousness it's like I am watching porn or drawing a very violent or vulgar image.

Wow, that's funny!
I think that EVERYBODY has made several REALLY vulgar stories for RTK, not reaching 508, and I already made 1 or 2, lol
I remember leaving the story space in the flashcards I make (keyword, story and kanji only) empty for "likeness" and "mama" kanjis.

I wonder weather Heisig actually had several really messed up stories in mind and decided to omit them from the text in favour of more PC subject matter

I also use some vulgar/intense images in my stories. Just don't let your stories bore you. The risk, I believe, is that in 2000 Kanji, stories that once sounded vulgar no longer do. It's like you have to up the anti as you go along.

Omnistegan Wrote:I also use some vulgar/intense images in my stories. Just don't let your stories bore you. The risk, I believe, is that in 2000 Kanji, stories that once sounded vulgar no longer do. It's like you have to up the anti as you go along.

I agree I only come up with Vulgar images when I'm really backed into a corner ( ussually trying to learn a Kanji for an abstract concept such as Detail, solely etc

for example this isn't so much vulgar but for Distinction ( wool and I-beam )
I imagine a Tony Jaa/ Jackie Chan type stunt double fellow doing a move scene where he is required to leap from a helicopter onto a WOOL mattress, however he jumps too early because he suffers from a rare kind of retardation and is unable to see the Distinction between WOOL and I BEAMS and ends up getting impaled

but the image of the impaled stunt double would totally loose it's potency if every story I made carried a violent or sexual image.

also I find it helpful if you imagine something that is actually impossible in your vulgar story for example for Queen ( women, snake )
I imagine a man who was crowned king of a tribal type society long ago for having the biggest package in the kingdom, however his dick is so large that it posses a serious threat of injury to any queen , so to choose the queen he assembles all of the attractive WOMEN and has them prove that they can handle him, all fail accept for one WOMAN who arrives with an ANACONDA draped around her shoulders and proceeds to unhinge her jaw like a SNAKE and then swallow the snake whole to show that she is capable of taking his cock, these are the absurd credentials by which she is chosen to be made QUEEN.

the impossibility of that image insures that I will never forget that Kanji

Ok, here's a (RTK外) kanji for which you won't even need to think of a story: 啜.
Look it up. Instant learning. Thank me later.

Well - thanks. Indeed not a very hard one. *Beavis and Butthead laugh* ... huuuhuuu ..huhuu... hard.

ワカメ酒！

~J

Good thing thing there's no aristocrats keyword. I don't think the software could handle it.

nac_est Wrote:Ok, here's a (RTK外) kanji for which you won't even need to think of a story: 啜.
Look it up. Instant learning. Thank me later.

ありがとう　ございます
＾－＾その漢字は最高！！！

Machine_Gun_Cat Wrote:I wonder weather Heisig actually had several really messed up stories in mind and decided to omit them from the text in favour of more PC subject matter

There's no doubt in my mind there were at least a few such cases.

James W. Heisig Wrote:696 又

As a primitive, it will mean crotch, as in the crotchof the arm. Or whatever.