Stalagmites & stalagtites?

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 106963


Valky wrote:
> >Maybe the significance is not in the question but the answer.
> >Hagrid says "Stalagmites got an 'm' in it"
> >What are some m words that may be relevant:
> >
> >Muggle, Magic, Mother, Mudblood... any more?
> <snip>

Nikki Caruso replied:
> Hmm... Maybe it there's no big clue or meaning hidden 
> in the question and it was simply put in there for humor? 
> I mean really - how many (average) people know the 
> difference between a stalagmite and a stalagtite without 
> having looked it up at some point in order to know the 
> difference?? lol  Just a nice, funny line for a bit of 
> garnish.

Janet Anderson points out that the usual mnemonic (in English) turns
on the 6th letter -- "stala(g)mite" <==> ground; "stala(c)tite" <==>
ceiling.

I had thought that it was supposed to be funny that Hagrid remembered
enough to know that there was a mnemonic having to do with one of the
distinct letters, but misremembered which letter it was.  It's even
more amusing now that Del points out the mnemonic in French actually
does depend on the 7th (rather than the 6th) letter, although I rather
doubt Rowling was aware of that point when she wrote it!

-- Matt