can / may / able to / to approve / to permit / to suit / (particle used for emphasis) certainly / very
可
=
丁
+
口
:
Karl Marx (k) is challenging his abilities (可) in the elevator's living room (e3). He tries to force a nail (丁) into a mandarin (口), just by using his head. On top of that he tries to do so one thousand times, in order to create a bed of nails (mnemonic symbol for 可).
可
=
丁
+
口
:
Alternative mnemonic symbol: kebab, from the pronunciation "ke". Karl Marx (k) is preparing a kebab (mnemonic symbol for 可) in the elevator's living room (e3). He also skewers mandarins (口) on the long steel nails (丁) and will only allow (可) his guests to eat the rest of the kebab if they eat their mandarins first.
car / vehicle / CL:輛|辆[liang4] / machine / to shape with a lathe / Kangxi radical 159
车
=
七
+
十
:
Charlie Chaplin (ch) is parading in a cabriolet (mnemonic symbol for 车) in front of the elevator (e1), because he wants to establish his new cult. Like all successful leaders, he takes the carrot-and-stick approach: In one hand he's waving with a seven-branched laser sword (七), in the other one he's waving with a cross (十).