It’s been a long time since I crammed for the SATs, pouring over lists of words like “perspicacious” or “lugubrious.”  Even for a word-geek like myself, it was a tedious chore.

But, I recently discovered a book that I wish had been around when I was 16: “The SAT Word Slam: Rhyme your way to a better vocabulary and higher SAT and ACT scores” by Jodi Fodor. ($12.95)  This handy little manual is full of mnemonic gems like this one:

Chagrined: It’s embarrassed and ashamed,

You’d be chagrined, I do suppose

If you laughed while drinking Starbucks

And the foam flew out of your nose.

With little ditties including references to Gossip Girl, Tina Fey and Christina Aguilera, this study guide is sure to be more entertaining and easier to retain than memorizing a word list. And, as the promo copy says on the back cover: “The number one way to improve your score on the SAT is by improving your vocabulary. Nothing is more important.” — Princeton Review.

Flipping through this book also made me realize that I’d learned most of the words that seemed so foreign as a junior in high school. Too bad you can’t take the SATs in your 30s.