The　Spanish　word　for　“old”　is　viejo；　pronounced　vee…A…ho；　the　middle　syllable
  rhyming　with　“hay。”　Imagine　a　Veterans　Administration　hospital　–　a　VA　hospital　–　that’s
  so　old　and　decrepit　they　have　to　tear　it　down　and　build　a　new　one。　Before　they　lay　the
  dynamite　the　crew　foreman　calls　the　contractor　and　tells　him；　“We　don’t　have　to　waste
  dynamite　on　this　VA　hospital。　It’s　so　old　we　can　knock　it　over　with　a　hoe！”
  Got　it？　A　VA　hospital　so　old　you　can　knock　it　over　with　a　hoe。　And　that　gives　us
  viejo。　（Viejo　is　stressed　on　the　next　to　last　syllable：　vi…E…jo；　in　our　code；　v…A…hoe。）
  Readers　of　much　skepticism　and　little　faith　will　worry　that　spinning　such　an
  involved　yarn　to　capture　one　word　is　less　productive　than　spending　that　same　amount　of
  time　simply　repeating　the　word　to　yourself　over　and　over　again。　Wrong。　The　yarn；　like　a
  dream；　takes　much　longer　to　tell　or　read　than　it　does　to　imagine。　And　you’ll　quickly　see
  for　yourself　how　helpful　the　yarn　is　when　it　comes　time　to　retrieve　the　word　and　use　it。
  As　you　continue　now　through　further　demonstrations　of　this　technique；　try　to
  challenge　the　examples。　See　if　you　can　think　of　better　ones。　A　“better”　one　is　simply　one
  that　works　better　for　you。
  We’re　going　to　swing　headlong　now　into　dozens　of　sample　“lassos；”　associations
  designed　to　rope　your　target　word　and　bring　it　obediently　to　your　feet；　never　again　to　part。
  Ignore　the　fact　that　many　of　the　examples　that　follow　teach　words　in　languages　you’re　not
  trying　to　learn。　Never　mind；　I　tell　you；　never　mind！　Learn　the　system　and　you　will　use　it
  happily　and　effectively　ever　after　in　the　language　of　your　choice。
  The　French　word　for　“anger”　is　colère；　pronounced　cole…AIR。
  Strange；　we　associate　anger　with　heat。　We　say　“in　the　heat　of　anger”；　but　when
  someone　is　angry　at　us；　we　say　he’s　“cold；”　“chilly；”　“giving　us　the　cold　shoulder。”　It’s
  not　too　much　of　a　leap　to　imagine　an　angry　person　radiating　his　anger；　spilling　it　off　in　all
  directions；　in　the　form　of　cold　air。　You　hope　he’s　not　angry；　but　when　you　enter　his
  office；　you　know　your　hopes　were　in　vain　because　you　can　feel　the　colère；　the　“col’　air”
  （cole’…AIR）。
  The　Russian　word　for　“house”　is　dom；　pronounced　dome。　Imagine　your　amazement
  upon　landing　in　Moscow　and　seeing　all　the　houses　with　dome　type　roofs。　Or　imagine
  marveling　at　how　domestic　the　Russian　men　are。
  The　Italian　word　for　“chicken”　is　pollo；　pronounced　exactly　like　the　English　“polo”
  （PO…lo）。　Imagine　your　Italian　host　urging　you　to　join　him　for　an　unbelievable　spectacle。
  An　Italian　impresario　with　a　gift　for　animal　training　has　staged　the　world’s　first　polo
  match　between　teams　of　chickens！　You’re　thrilled　that　you’re　going　to　be　able　to　go　back
  to　Gaffney；　South　Carolina；　and　tell　your　friends　you　saw　chickens　playing　polo！
  The　Italian　word　for　“wife”　is　moglie；　pronounced　MOLE…yay。　Imagine　you’re　a　man
  about　to　get　married　and　you　get　a　friendly　tip　from　an　indiscreet　clergyman　that　your
  bride　to　be　is　known　to　have　a　strange　animal　as　a　pet　and　fully　intends　to　bring　that
  animal　into　your　home　after　the　nuptials。
  You’re　torn！　It’s　too　late　to　call　off　the　marriage。　All　the　relatives　have　been　invited
  and　the　paperwork　is　all　in。　Besides；　you　love　her。　You　decide　to　barrel　forward　and　hope
  for　the　best。
  As　the　organ　plays　and　the　preacher　intones　the　vows；　all　you　can　think　of　is；　“What
  kind　of　animal　is　it？　Is　it　a　lion？　Is　it　a　tiger？　Is　it　a　slick　and　sneaky　snake？　A　giraffe？”
  When　the　two　of　you　arrive　at　your　threshold　after　the　honeymoon；　the　suspense
  ends。　She　brings　forth　a　pleasant　little　cage　containing　a　cute；　furry　little　creature。
  “This　is　my　pet　mole；”　she　says。　“He’s　going　to　live　with　us。”
  You　cry　forth　your　relief。　“Hooray！”　you　shout。　“It’s　only　a　mole。　It’s　only　a　mole！”
  you　cheer；　“Yay！”
  It’s　only　a　mole…yay。　Your　wife’s　secret　animal　is　nothing　more　than　a　mole；
  therefore；　“Yay！”　“Wife”　equals　MOLE…yay。
  WAIT　A　MINUTE！
  An　enemy；　a　skeptic；　even　a　queasy　ally　at　this　point　could　say；　“Wait　a　minute。　I’m
  trying　to　learn　a　language。　I’m　not　sure　I　want　to　walk　around　with　a　headful　of　images　of
  wives　who　keep　moles；　chickens　that　play　polo；　angry　people　emitting　cold　air；　and　VA
  hospitals　you　can　knock　over　with　a　hoe！”
  You　won’t！　One　beauty　of　the　system　is；　the　association　that　helps　you　capture　the
  word　falls　away　and　disintegrates。　Once　you’ve　learned　the　words；　the　“crutch”
  obligingly　disappears。
  A　common　form　of　the　verb　“to　speak”　in　Hebrew　is　medaber；　pronounced　meda…
  BEAR。　There　it　is：　you　were　walking　through　the　newly　planted　forests　of　Israel　and
  suddenly　you　“med”　a　bear　who　could　speak！
  In　Indonesian；　“movie　screen”　is　lajar；　pronounced　almost　exactly　like　“liar”　（LI…
  ar）。　Easy。　The　man　is　rapidly　winning　the　woman’s　heart　in　the　movie；　but　you　don’t
  wish　him　well　because　he’s　such　a　lajar！
  “Horse”　in　Russian；　transliterated　into　English　script；　is　lo…shod；　pronounced　almost
  exactly　like　LAW…shod。　You　try　to　bring　your　own　horse　with　you　into　the　Soviet　Union；
  but　at　the　border　the　Soviet　customs　officer　tells　you　Sorry；　he’d　like　to　accommodate
  you；　but　your　horse　doesn’t　have　horseshoes　and；　according　to　Soviet　law；　all　horses　must
  be　shod。
  “Horse”　equals　LAW…shod。
  The　Greek　word　for　“grape”　in　English　transliteration　is　stafilya；　pronounced　sta…
  FEEL…ya。
  You’re　in　a　Greek　vineyard　in　the　mountains　near　Albania。　You　see　the　most
  luscious　grape　you’ve　ever　laid　eyes　on。　As　you　reach　for　it；　the　air　is　split　with　a　squeaky
  voice　screaming　“Don’t　touch　me！”
  “I’m　sorry；”　you　sputter；　retreating　in　shock　and　shame。　“I　wasn’t　going　to　eat　you。
  It　was　just　to　FEEL　you　（jus’　sta…FEEL…ya）。”
  Grape　equals　sta…FEEL…ya。
  The　Serbo…Croatian　word　for　“lunch”　is　ru。。ak；　pronounced　almost　exactly　like　RUE…
  chuck。　You’re　having　lunch　in　a　restaurant　in　Yugoslavia。　The　waiter　overhears　you
  making　a　political　remark　he　doesn’t　appreciate；　so　he　throws　you　out　bodily。　Never　one
  to　go　quietly；　you　pick　yourself　up　out　of　the　gutter；　dust　yourself　off；　and；　just　before
  you　head　for　the　American　Embassy　to　protest；　you　shake　your　first　at　the　waiter　through
  the　window　and　vow　he’ll　rue　the　day　he　chucked　you　out　while　you　were　having　lunch。
  “Lunch”　equals　RUE…chuck。
  “Plate”　in　Indonesian　is　piring；　pronounced　exactly　like　the　English　“peering”
  （PEER…ing）。
  Your　Indonesian　restaurant　experience　is　a　bit　more　pleasant　than　the　one　in
  Yugoslavia。　You　walk　in　and　find　yourself　suddenly　becalmed　by　the　serenity　of　the
  dining　room。　All　the　Indonesians　seem　to　have　their　heads　bowed　in　prayer。　You　ask　the
  headwaiter　if　you’ve　interrupted　some　sort　of　religious　service。
  “Not　at　all；”　he　assures　you。　“They’re　not　praying。　We　just　got　our　new　plates　with
  mirrored　surfaces　and　they’re　all　peering　at　themselves　to　see　how　they　look！”
  “Plate”　equals　PEER…ing。
  The　Farsi　word　for　“cheaper”　transliterated　into　English　is　arzontar；　pronounced
  our…zone…TAR。
  The　hotel　in　Tehran　is　filled；　but　the　clerk　tells　you　it’s　a　warm　night　and　he’d　be
  happy　to　rent　you　sleeping　space　on　the　roof。　You’re　delighted　to　learn　you’re　paying
  only　half　what　the　other　roof　sleepers　are　paying；　until　you　get　to　your　designated　spot　on
  the　roof；　at　which　point　you　exclaim　to　your　spouse；　“Now　I　see　why　our　spot　is　cheaper。
  All　the　other　tourists　are　sleeping　on　those　nice　ceramic　tiles。　Our　zone；　the　spot　assigned
  to　us；　however；　is　tar！”
  “Cheaper”　equals　our…zone…TAR。
  “Potato”　in　German　is　kartoffel；　pronounced　exactly　like　cart…AW…ful。
  You　buy　potatoes　from　a　cart　and　they　turn　out　to　be　awful。　“Potato”　equals　cart…
  AW…ful。
  Stop　right　here！　Do　you　remember　the　Spanish　word　for　“old？”　Or　the　French　word
  for　“anger；”　the　Italian　word　for　“wife；”　the　Serbo…Croatian　word　for　“lunch；”　or　the
  Indonesian　word　for　“movie　screen？”
  When　we　display　this　system　of　word　capturing　at　seminars　for　the　Learning
  Annex；　there’s　a　collective　gasp　when；　after　spelling　out　an　association　to　capture　the
  tenth　word；　we　suddenly　stop　and　ask　how　many　can　recall　word　number　one；　four；　and
  so　on。　At　no　point　did　we　suggest　that　the　students　try　to　recall　the　words　used　as
  examples　as　we　laid　out　the　system。　When　they　see　that　almost　everybody　recalls　every
  single　one　of　them　anyhow；　the　students　realise　this　system　contrasts　well　with　the　kind
  of　rote　learning　they’d　tried　earlier。　One　grateful　participant　exclaimed；　“This　system
  teaches　you　words　you’re　not　even　trying　to　learn。　The　old　way　doesn’t　teach　you　no
  matter　how　hard　you　try！”
  The　Almosters
  The　skeptic　has　one　shot　left　before　he’s　wiped　out　by　the　power　of　the　method。　He　can；
  at　this　point；　say；　“Hold　it！　Every　word　you’ve　used　to　demonstrate　the　system　so　far　falls
  much　too　neatly　into　our　lap　–　liar