A Pints a Pound
I grew up with the mnemonics like “a pints a pound, the world’s around” - but my wife did not. You would not believe the number of times in our almost 39 years of marriage where she asks me how many ounces in a quart or similar conversion. In formulating my answer, I would recite the mnemonic. Her reply would always be, “What does that have to do with it?”
Having established that, you must understand the rules of the mnemonic or it will mess you up. When I retired, I wanted to try my hand at cooking. I knew (from cooking show comments) that boxed cakes are just as good as from scratch cakes so I was not interested in pursuing a standard scratch cake (specialty type cakes are different). However, what does matter, a lot, is whether you use canned icing (I will never use canned icing again) or make icing from scratch. Anyway, the first time I made butter cream icing, the recipe called for 2 cups of powdered sugar.
I did not want to measure out the powdered sugar by cups if I could just take the weight on the unopened, one pound package to determine the number of cups it contained. Unfortunately, I used my “pints a pound” mnemonic and decided that the package had exactly 2 cups of powdered sugar in it. I didn’t think that my mnemonic only applied to liquids of mostly water. In case you want to know, a pound of powdered sugar is approximately 4 cups.
My icing was good but very sweet. Sweet enough that you could only eat a very small piece at one time (or risk getting sick to you stomach). I now know that I can’t use my liquid mnemonic with powdered sugar.
I was thinking of that as I was reading Proverbs 15 this morning (my daily reading includes I chapter of proverbs so I go through Proverbs every month - that’s how valuable I think the advice is).
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man! A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother. Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” - Proverbs 15:1-33 ESV
There is value in repeating the same readings repeatedly until you beat them into your very being.
