What's in a Name?

    This fellow was very proud of the way he could remember names by association, until he met Mrs. Hummock. Mrs. Hummock was quite heavy, and had a large stomach, so he decided to use “stomach,” as his association.

There weeks later, he met the some lady glanced at her stomach, and feeling very pleased with himself, said, “good day, Mrs. Kelly!”

        I had the pleasure one of performing for the executive club of a well-known department store in New York City. This was their annual dinner, and demonstration in my performance that probably hits home for more people than any other is the one in which I remember everyone’s name.

       The way I usually do it is to introduce myself to all the guests as  they arrive, or, meet them while they’re having dinner. I simply walk from table to table getting everyone’s name (and getting hungry). I’ll meet all the people at one table, then the next, and the next, and so on, until I’ve met everyone in the room. I work as quickly or as slowly as time suggests. Many’s the time that I’ve had to meet one hundred to two  hundred people in fifteen minutes or less, without forgetting a single name! I give credit and praise to  my methods and systems, of course, not to myself.

        After I’ve met everyone, and after coffee and dessert the show goes on. During the performance, I ask everyone who has given me their name at any time during the evening to please rise at their seats. This most often consists of the entire audience. I then proceed to call the names or everyone standing; pointing to each particular person as I call his or her name. during the remainder of my lecture-demonstration, I allow anyone in the audience to interrupt me by shouting, “what’s my name?,” and, of course, I immediately comply with the person’s name.

      The reason I am explaining all this is because in was amused at the explanation give by one of the department-store executives, revealing how I did the “trick” of  remembering everyone’s  name at this particular affair. This, by the way, was not his idea of a joke, he was firmly convinced that this was how it was done.

     The affair was held at the Capitol Hotel in New York City. The room we were in, happened to have had a circular balcony completely surrounding it. Following is the explanation given by the executive. He said:

     Mr. Lorayne has a photographer working with him. You know, one of those fellows who takes picture at banquets and develops them in a few minutes so he can sell them  to the people there and then. This photographer and Mr. Lorayne both have tiny microphones and receiving sets hidden somewhere on their persons. The photographer is somewhere on the balcony, hidden, of course. 

        There must be a hole up there, through which he can put the lens of his camera. Now, when everyone is seated, ready for dinner, he snaps a picture of the entire audience, which he develops and dries immediately.

        When Mr. Lorayne approaches a table and asks for the names, the photographer hears them too, thanks to the tiny microphones and receivers. He, the photographer, that is has the picture in front of him; he spots the table that is giving the names, (he can see through the hole) spots the particular person and listens to the name. he then writes that name on the picture, across the face of the person who gave it! He does this which every person in the room.

      Now, you see how simple (author’s note: simple??) it is? When Mr. Lorayne is performing, he always points  to a person before he calls his or her name. the reason for the pointing is so that the photographer can spot that person on the picture, read the name, and quickly whisper it into his microphone. Pf course, Mr. Lorayne hears it and calls the person by name.

        That’s ist. That was this gentleman’s explanation of my method. (say, maybe it’s not such a bad idea at that!) Of course, he completely discarded all the other demonstrations that I did during  my performance. He also forgot  that many of the people change  places after dinner (most  of the time I will meet the people In one room, and do the show in another) and that after the show, I spoke to the people away from the tables, in the elevator, and even in the street, and called them the tables, in the elevator, and even in the street, and called them by name. perhaps he didn’t forget; he may  have thought that the photographer was still whispering the names into his little microphone. If that were the case, the photographer had a trained memory.

        I relate this incident only to show how difficult it is for some people to believe that you actually can remember the names and faces of an entire audience. They simply take the path of least  resistance and the negative attitude, and feel that if they can’t  do it, no one else can; it’s just  impossible. After reading my methods on how to remember names and faces, I’m sure you will agree with me that it is not impossible. On the contrary, it is much, much easier than the method so emphatically believed by tho department-store executive.

       I would have been happy to send a copy of this book to this particular gentleman, to prove it to him, too, only I don’t know his name; you see, I forget where I put that picture!

       In previous chapters I’ve mentioned how important it is to be interested in a  person in order to remember his or her name. if you were to be introduced to four hundred her name. if you were to be introduced to four hundred people in one evening, and then perhaps meet these four hundred people two or three more times, you would still forget most of their names. If, however, you were to enter a room in which there were four  hundred celebrities, such as movie stars; you’d probably be able to call them all by their full names. Not only that, but you could tell them  at least one of the movies in which you have seen them perform. You’ll agree, I’m sure, that this is because people are interested in celebrities and usually want to remember them. Well, I’ve already stressed the fact that being interested in and wanting to remember, is half your battle won over a supposedly poor memory. 

       Remember to use the rules that I gave you in the last chapter.

       Be sure you hear the person’s name in the first place.

      Spell it or have him spell it if you’re not sure of it.

      If there is any odd fact about the name, or if it is similar to a name you know, mention it.

     Repeat the name as often as you can during the course  of the conversation.

      Use the  name when you say good night or good-bye. About to teach you, you should never again forget a name or a face. To simplify the process, you will learn first, what to do with the name, and then, how to associate the name  to the face. Actually they go hand in hand; the name will conjure  up the face, and the face will bring the name to mind.

     All names can be separated into two categories; names that mean something, and names that have no meaning (to you ) at all. Names like Cook, Brown, Coyne, Carpenter, man, Glazer, and many other, all have a meaning. Names like krakauer, conti, Sullivan, Mooney, Littman, Carson, Linkfeld, Smolensky, Morano, Morgan, resinck, Hecht, and so on, have no meaning at all tho most  of you. Of  course, the lists are almost endless; these are just a few examples of each.

     There are some names that fall into the “no meaning” category, that do, however, suggest or create a picture in your mind. When you hear the name Sullivan, you might think of, or picture, a rubber heel, since a very popularture or think of john L. Sullivan, the champion fighter. The name, Lincoln would, of course, create or suggest a Jordan might suggest a picture of the River Jordan, while the name Di Maggio would make you the river Jordan, while so, we arrive at three categories of names; those that actually have a meaning; those that have no meaning in them that have no meaning and do not suggest  or create a picture in your mind.

       It  is with the third category that you must use your imagination. You must, in order to remember the name, make it mean something to you. This is already so with the first two categories, so they are no particular problem. The names that have no meaning at all should present  no problem either, if you have read the chapter no how to remember foreign-language vocabulary. If you’ve read this chapter carefully, you know that you must utilize my system of “substitute words or thoughts” in order to make the names mean something to you. No matter how strange the name sounds upon first hearing it, it can always be  broken down to a substitute word or thought. Simply think of a word or phrase that sounds as much like the name as possible. If you were to meet a Mr. freedman, you might picture a man being fried. Fried man-freedman. If the name were freeman, you could picture a man holding or waving an American flag; he’s free. You might want to picture a man escaping from prison; he’s a free man. Remember please, that whatever you decide on for your substitute word, phrase or thought, is the one to  use. Ten people given  the same name to remember, may all use a different substitute word in order to remember it.

             The name fisher might  make you picture a fish stirring something, or stirring something with a fish. Fish stir-fishter, someone else may feel that picturing a fish would be enough to recall the name. if you want to picturing a fish would be enough to recall  the name. if you want to   picture someone tearing a fish In half, or a fish tearing a fish in half, or  a fish tearing something in half, that would do it too. Fish tear-fishter. You could picture yourself fishing and catching a toe instead of a fish. Fist toe- fishter. Any one of these would suffice to help you remember the name.

           It is not important to strain yourself to find a substitute word that sounds exactly like the name; or to words for every part of the name. remember what I told you some chapters ago: if you remember the main, the incidentals will fall into place by true memory! The very fact that you are thinking of and with the name, in this fashion, will help impress it on your mind. You have automatically become interested in the name merely by searching for a substitute  word for it. That’s why the anecdote that heads this chapter may be good for a laugh, but can’t happen in actual practice.

         Recently I had to remember the name, olczewsky, pronounced old-chew-sky. I simply pictured an old man(I always  picture a man with a long , flowing white beard to old-chew-ski-olczewsky. The name conti might suggest soap, (conti castile), or you might picture someone counting tea bags. Count tea-conti. For the name czarsty, you could picture a Russian czar with a sty on his eye; the name Ettinger might suggest someone eating, or someone who has “et” and injured himself, perhaps hurt a  tooth, etc. et injure-Ettinger.

       It doesn’t matter how silly you get; more often than nct, the sillier the better. I’ve often said that if I could explain on stage the silly associations that I’ve made to remember names, among   other things I’d have a very funny routine.

       A name like D’Amico, pronounced Dam-ee-ko, is not too unusual a name. I’ve come across it a few times, and I’ve remembered it by picturing a woman seeing a dam overflow and screaming, “Eek” and “Oh.” Or, picturing myself going towards an overflowing dam (the overflowing gets action into the picture) and saying, “Me go.” D’Amico. This all sounds quite ridiculous. Good! The more ridiculous, the easier to tie the picture onto the face, as I will explain in a moment, and the easier to remember and retain the name.

       After meeting a lot of new people, and using my systems, you will find that you’ll have certain pictures or thoughts for names that you come across very often. I, for example, always picture an ice cream cone for the name Cohen or Cohn. I see a blacksmith’s hammer for smith or Schmidt. Yes I use the same picture for smith and Schmidt; true memory tells me the difference. You can prove this to yourself only through your own experience. Here are some other ”standards” that I employ:-

       The name Davis always make me think of the Davis Cup in Tennis. So when I meet a Mr. Davis, I always picture a large loving cup. If the name were Davison, I would picture to your mind. If it does, use it. For the names ending with either “itz” or “witz,” you can picture itch or brains (wits). For example-Mr. horowitz-you might picture yourself being horrified at the sight of brains horror wits-horowitz.

       Many names end in either “ly” or “ton.” A lea is a meadow,. So I always get a meadow into my association to help me recall “ly.” “ton,” of course, has a meaning. You might picture a weight,  a barbell or a dumbbell to always  represent “ton,” there are many names that either end or begin with “berg”; for these, I always use iceberg. The suffix or prefix “stein” always makes me picture a beer mug  or stein. I come across the suffix, “ler,” quite often,  as in the name, Brimler, “Ler” sounds like law to me, and I always picture a jidge’s gavel to represent law. You might decide to picture a policeman or a jail or handcuffs the ending “ler” each time. Eventually you will fall into a pattern with most endings. Or entire names. This will make it easier and will cut down on time if you have to meet and remember people quickly.

       The knowledge of a foreign language will sometimes help in creating a picture or association. The name baummeans “tree” in German. The name Berg means “mountain.” If you know this, you can use it in creating your substitute words or thoughts. Just recently I met a Mr. Zauber. When I remarked that it was an odd name, he told me that n German, Zauber meant ”magician.” I had already pictured myself sawing a bear. Saw bear-Zauber. Either that, or “magician,” would have helped me remember Mr. Zauber.

       I have a very close friend whose last name is Williams. His hobby happens to be playing billiards, at which he is exceptionally proficient. I have fallen into the habit of picturing someone shooting or playing billiards whenever I meet a Mr. Williams. This works just as well as actually breaking down the name to yams (sweet potatoes) writing their wills. Will yams-Williams . the first time I met a Mr. Wilson, the first thought that come into my mind was the slogan for a whiskey, “Wilson, I picture a bottle of whiskey to help me remember his name.

       So, as I pointed out, you will eventually fall into certain  habits and use certain standards with particular names. Just keep in mind that there isn’t a name that can’t be made to mean something (to you) which will sound like the name itself and help in bringing it to mind, when necessary.

     Although your best method of practice is to go ahead and use the system, here are some names which ordinarily are completely abstract; have no meaning at all. Why not see if you can create a substitute word, phrase or thought  for each one.

Steinwurtzel	McCarthy
Brady	Gordon
Arcaro	Briskin
Moreida	Casselwitz
Kolodny	Hayduk
Platinger	Kolcyski
Hulnick	Pukczyva

        If you had any trouble with any of the above names, here’s the way I might have created substitute thoughts for them.

       Steinwurtzel-a beer stein worth selling. Stein worth sell- Steinwurtzel.

      McCarthy-I always picture the famous ventriloquial dummy, Charlie McCarthy, for this name.

      Brady-you could picture a little girl’s braids for this. If you want to get the entire name in your picture, see yourself braiding the lines of a large letter, “E.”Braid E-Brady.

     Gordon-I always picture “garden” for this name.

      Arcaro-I usually see the famous jockey of the same name. if you want to break the name down, see yourself carrying an ”O.”  I carry O-Arcaro.

     Briskin-you could see yourself reading and calling for more and more books to read. Some of you  may have thought of you mother (Maw) being a reader. More reader or Maw reader-Moreida.

     Casselwitz-a castle completely stocked with brains (wits). You might see the brains actually oozing from all the windows. Castle wits-Casselwitz.

     Kolodny-I would picture a large knee being all different colored knee-Kolodny.

     Hayduk-ducks eating hay, or a hayloft or haystack full of ducks.

    Platinger-picturing a plate with a bandage would suffice. Plate injure-Platinger.

    Kolcyski-Either a piece of coal skiing in a sitting position, or stand up and ski would do it. Or, it is too cold to stand up and ski, so you sit and  ski. Coal sit ski, call Sid ski, cold sit ski-Kolcyski.

    Hulnick-you might see a little child being very happy because she has a whole nickel. A picture of a ship whose hull is made up of nickel or nickels, would also do it. If you saw yourself  nicking a hole in something, you would still recall the name. whole nickel, hull nickel, hole nick-Hulnick.

     Pukczyva-this name is pronounced puck- shiv-va. I  would see a hockey puck shivering with cold. Puck shiver-pukczyva.

     There you are.  If you thought of entirely different pictures, don’t worry about it. The point is that no matter how strange a name sounds, or how long it is, or how difficult to pronounce-you can always find a substitute word or though for it. If the substitute word brings the name back to you, then that’s the one to use, and in the next chapter, I’ll show you how to use them.