canon / law / standard work of scholarship / literary quotation or allusion / ceremony / to be in charge of / to mortgage or pawn
典
=
八
+
曲
:
Mnemonic symbol: a head cannon. Dorothy Gale (di) is playing the harp (曲) inside the anthill's living room (an3) while shooting an eight ball (八) from her head cannon (典).
to be / to act as / manage / withstand / when / during / ought / should / match equally / equal / same / obstruct / just at (a time or place) / on the spot / right / just at
当
=
小
+
彐
:
This character looks like an angry pitbull. 小 forms the eyes and maybe nose, and 彐 are the dangerous teeth.
当
=
小
+
彐
:
Don Quixote opposes a dangerous pit bull in front of the anglepod, and he tries to calm him down with a daisy.