You just unlocked a weird memory: way back in very early school, we would recite these as a group in class over and over. Eventually we all could recite them perfectly on command, kind of like the ABCs.

There were several: long-form I Before E (including some exceptions), Days in a month (‘30 days hath September’ plus all exceptions), and one about pronouncing vowel combinations.

Nearly 50 years later, and bits of those recitations are whispered in some crevice of my brain when I’m planning for the end of the month or spelling a word with I and E.

That’s weird. I can’t remember them properly and I don’t try to think of them, they’re just there. Rote memorisation at a young age is frighteningly powerful.

eta: Looking through the thread more, it looks like a lot of us have this exact feeling. That’s so interesting.