within / among / in / middle / center / while (doing sth) / during / (dialect) OK / all right
中
=
丨
+
口
:
Mnemonic symbol: a dart board, because you always try to hit the center.
Julian Giant Squid (zhu-) is throwing dinosaur bones (丨) as darts on a dart board in front of the engine ((e)ng1). To make it a bit more difficult he's throwing mandarins (口) into the air as well and skewers them up right in the center (中 is a mandarin skewered on a dinosaur bone) in mid flight with the dinosaur bones. He's still able to consistently hit the center (中) of the dart board.
to exceed / to climb over / to surpass / the more... the more
越
=
戉
+
走
:
Yu the Great is extremely mad at all the Nordic walkers in the elevator's bathroom. With a battle-axe, he chops Nordic walking poles into small pieces. The more he chops, the smaller the pieces get.
战
=
占
+
戈
:
James II of England (zh) prepares to fight a war (战) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). He has a spear (戈) as a weapon and a yellow umbrella (占) as shield, following his hero Leonidas.
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).