Picture it: Rain, Rein, and Reign

Resolving the rain/rein/reign conflict has been particularly bothersome for Steno Wizard.  It took some doing to get this trio worked out, and Steno Wizard is ready to share the method behind the madness. 

Rain is stroked on the steno keyboard as RAEUPB -- like it's spelled.  Simple enough. 

Next, rein as in control or reining in a horse is stroked RAEPB.  Steno Wizard decided to associate the "E" in the stroke for rein RAEPB with the "E" in the word horse.  Sounds crazy, but it's working for the Steno Wizard.

The word reign as in a king who reigns a kingdom is stroked RA*EUPB.  Steno Wizard imagines that the asterisk is the sparkle that is glistening off of the king's crown. 

Try it.  These may actually work for you too.

Picture it: Maid and Made

Steno Wizard has been working on ways to help instantly recall those steno conflict resolutions.

For example, made PHAEUD is obviously common.   A good way to write it might be by the spelling, but it has been so ingrained into the Steno Wizard's writing since theory days that Steno Wizard has a really hard time trying to convince the brain and the fingers to go with PHAED.  So...as a result, Steno Wizard inserts the asterisk key for maid and strokes it PHA*EUD.  Steno Wizard tries to imagine that a maid is working to make things sparkly clean and -- ta-da! -- an asterisk is the answer.   Sure, the word maid doesn't come up much, but we want to have a sure-fire way to KNOW that it's ready when needed, and the ol' brain knows immediately what to instruct the fingers to do.

More phrasing possibilities

Phrasing helps us keep up with fast testimony. 

Here's a few more phrases that are not necessarily Philly but are kind of an offshoot...

Remember the KWRO for I don't on the left-hand side of the keyboard.

KWROD I don't do
KWROEPB I don't even
KWROGT I don't get
KWROFG I don't figure
KWROPBLG I don't imagine
KWROPBLGS I don't imagine so
KWROPL I don't mean
KWROPLTS I don't mean to say
KWROPLD I don't mind

Then the KWRA for I can't phrases...

KWRAT I can't tell
KWRANS I can't answer
KWRAB I can't be

Right-hand side -BL for believe

EU BLS I believe so
UBLS you believe so
SOUBL so you believe

Right-hand side -GT for get

TKUGT did you get
WHUGT when you get
HRUGT will you get

Some Q&A phrases...

RUFPL are you familiar
WRUFPL are you familiar with
WOUPLD would you mind
TKOUPLD do you mind
TKUZ did you see
TKUS did you say

and some other phrases....

TPHURP in your opinion
TPHURPLD in your mind
TPHURPBDZ in your own words
TPHOERDS in other words
OERPBD on the other hand
TOEUPBLG to my knowledge
TAOURPBLG to your knowledge
TOURBGS to your recollection

Enjoy!

A little imagination

Steno Wizard would like to share a favorite brief along with a favorite visualization technique to keep it all straight.

Fiancé TPAE (male)
Fiancée TPA*E (female)

The way to remember which is which is that the girl (fiancee) gets the sparkly diamond ring. Sparkly diamond looks like the asterisk and voila!