Category Archives: Mnemonics

Mnemonic for Figure Eight Knot

Title: Mnemonic for Figure Eight Knot

Informant Info: Tessa DeJong is a 19 year-old freshman undergraduate student at Dartmouth College. She has been climbing for 2 years and was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. Her brother taught her how to rock climb. Tessa’s biggest climbing phobia is the rope breaking. She loves to climb for the adrenaline rush.

Date Collected: 5/14/16

Place Collected: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Type of Lore: Verbal, Mnemonic

Language: English

Country of Origin: United States

Social/Cultural Context: The figure eight knot is commonly used in a variety rock climbing activities. It is possible most commonly used in top belaying. Knots are important in rock climbing because they allow climbers to secure themselves to the mountain. They are involved in safety procedures.

Associated File:

Figure Eight Knot

Lore: The mnemonic used for remembering a figure eight knot is as follows “This is Charlie, give him a scarf, and punch him in the face”.

Informant’s Comments: The result of this mnemonic is a figure eight knot. The mnemonic is a silly way to remember how to tie the specific knot.

Collector’s Comments: The mnemonic for a Figure Eight Knot is an example of the playfulness that many rock climbers bring to the sport. In addition, it is a way for new climbers to remember how to tie a figure eight knot. This knot is extremely important for safety reasons, so it is imperative that climbers remember how to tie it correctly. The mnemonic both helps climbers remember how to tie  the knot and incorporates the DMC’s playfulness into every day climbing.

Tags/Keywords: knot, figure eight, mnemonic, rock climbing, DMC