to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary)
争
=
⺈
+
肀
:
Mnemonic symbol: The grim reaper, as 争 is often used in words involving war (...战争). In front of the engine ((e)ng1), the grim reaper (争) marks his next victims in passing. With a crayon (肀) he draws big "X"s on the crane (⺈) and James II of England (zh).
我
=
戈
+
手
:
I (我) find Willy Walrus (w) lying motionless in the observatory's living room (o3), and there's a dagger-axe (戈) sticking right in his chest. I (我) try to pull it out while wearing a baseball glove (手).
to seize / to take away forcibly / to wrest control of / to compete or strive for / to force one's way through / to leave out / to lose
夺
=
大
+
寸
:
Doggy Dog (du) programmed the robot (大) to seize (夺) a wiener from observatory's kitchen counter (o2). As the robot gives him the sausage Doggy Dog gives him the thumbs up (寸).