“Mayrsee doe’s an doe’see doe’s and little lambsy dies,” said my professor.
The above is what I first heard. Then she repeated it the exact same way several times. This is how my brain worked it out. I had never seen this test before, by the way. I’m bolding the words that I began to figure out.
“Mares ee doe’s an doe’see doe’s and little lambsy die.”
Then I recalled a phrase that I had to have read in Intro Psyc four years ago. How I remembered it all this time, considering that it meant absolutely nothing to me when I read it is beyond me. “‘Mares eat oats’ Test”
So as the professor repeated it again…
“Mares eat oats and doe’s eat oats and little lambsy die.”
“Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat die.”
On the final time she said it, I heard the true sentence:
“Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy.“
Then of course she explained it to the class slowly, demonstrating how once you brain has some thing that makes sense to it, it will never let it go. The class will remember this sentence for forever. Once she said each word slowly, and I discovered that I had gotten them all correct, she said the sentence fast again. And there was a resounding “Ooooooh!” As the other students understood the sentence.
I’d like to apologize to my readers if I have ruined the trick for you. I’m sure there are others out there that are similar.
