吉
=
口
+
士
:
Mnemonic symbol: "Giga" stems from a Greek word for "giant", so I'll represent 吉 by a giant.
吉
=
口
+
士
:
The giant just arrived at the space station and is very hungry. In each hand he holds Joan of Arc and the bachelor captive and robs them for their mandarins which he longs for.
prefecture / (old) province / (old) administrative division / state (e.g. of US) / oblast (Russia) / canton (Switzerland)
州
=
丶
+
丷
+
川
:
Mnemonic symbol: the red cotton tree, as it is the official flower of 广州 (Guangzhou). A new river (川) formed spontaneously in front of the outhouse (ou1), and James II of England (zh) was barely able to climb on a red cotton tree (州). Other animals are happy about this development: a mean crocodile (丷) is floating on a petal leaf (丶) towards the red cotton tree.