Those are great!

When I run into a character I want to pronounce but can't easily, I sometimes use the name of something it might represent in Nethack instead:

! drink   | grave   @ me     & fiend
$ gold    ^ trap    < up     > down
( tool    ) sword   [ mail   ] strange
{ font    } wet     : newt   ; fish
" bling   ' clay    ` art    ~ worm
= ring    ? scroll  . floor  , band
/ wand    \ throne  - wall   _ sanct
# sink    * gem     % food   + book
[download]

Some of these are one-syllable alternatives to words used in the game: "drink" instead of "potion", "font" instead of "fountain", "bling" instead of "amulet", "sword" instead of "weapon" (though of course any given ) might indeed be a sword!), "wet" instead of "water", "clay" instead of "golem", "mail" instead of "armor", "art" instead of "statue", "fiend" instead of "demon", "strange" instead of "strange object" and "sanct" instead of "altar". And since , isn't used in (regular) Nethack at all, "band" is the shortened form of "Angband", another roguelike where , is a very common symbol.

Give 'em a try, though, they're fun to use - and guaranteed to either delight or hopelessly confuse your coworkers.