Random memory

[pne]

I remember learning about "less than" and "greater than" in maths years and years ago… and the teacher teaching us a mnemonic to remember which symbol meant which.

He told us to imagine the symbol as the jaws of a crocodile, eager to snap up the bigger (and fatter) number—so < means "less than" since the jaws are open to the right, meaning the number on the right must be bigger, and conversely for > and "greater than" (the number on the left is bigger and so the crocodile wants to eat that one).

Comments

[kait-the-great.livejournal.com]

I STILL USED THAT UNTIL FIRST YEAR UNIVERSITY!!!!

MAD PROPS!!!

[darth-spacey.livejournal.com]

I was taught a much more mundane mnemonic: the small end of the arrow goes to the smaller number. I kind of wish I'd learned it your way, now...

[util.livejournal.com]

One of my elementary school teachers used that too, and I think it's definitely what fixed the symbols' meanings in my mind. (I can remember getting them confused before that.) I wonder if there's a common source for it. (I went to school in a small town in Iowa, USA.)

[mendel.livejournal.com]

I was taught that too. Why is it always a crocodile, never an alligator?

[fire4ice.livejournal.com]

We were taught "The Pacman eats the bigger number."

[spongebobjess.livejournal.com]

I learned less than because I "less than three you" like this:

<3 SBj

[denial-land.livejournal.com]

same thing here :)

[lexabear.livejournal.com]

My teacher went farther - we actually drew out the whole fish (and it was a big hungry fish for us, not a croc). I actually still use that mneumonic to this day.

[nitaq.livejournal.com]

I learned it in german: "less" is "kleiner", and the arrow < resembles the right part of the letter K.
So < is K(leiner).

[tisoi.livejournal.com]

haha, same here. I even drew the Pacmen. :-D