正朔

正 = 一 + 止 : Mnemonic symbol: a stick-figure with straight lines. James II of England (zh) really has to use the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4), but there's a stick-figure (正) blocking the stalls with a barrier (止). The stick-figure measures with a flute (一) whether James is tall enough to go. James stands very straight (正) to make himself as tall as possible.

朔 = 屰 + 月 : The moon (月) wants to use the bathtub in the observatory's bathroom (o4), but Sheldon Shrimp (shu) has been using it all day and it doesn't seem like he'll finish any time soon. The moon angrily tells Sheldon to get out, but Sheldon disobeys (屰). Finally the moon remembers that it is the first day of the lunar month (朔), so he causes a spring tide (朔) which washes Sheldon out of the bathtub (and out of the bathroom) so that the moon can finally take a bath.