Remembering people by the animal they resemble

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I'm a big fan of the British panel show Would I Lie To You, where contestants tells bizarre anecdotes and the other people try to figure out if they're lying. On the last episode I saw there was a woman who remembered people by what animal they resembled, so her young son was a puffin, one guy was a beaver and another a puppy. I got the impression that she chose the animal for the person by their personality and physical appearance.

I do a similar thing to a much lesser extent. I think of people with long necks who I don't respect as donkeys, goofy tall daggy people as camels and Rod Stewart as a scruffy underfed dog.

I don't think this is specifically an autism thing, though it might be a proposognia thing. Has anyone got experience with this sort of thing?

I used to hear a musical phrase, when I looked at someone. I didn´t need it in order to remember faces, but I think, I characterized them: Uncle Erik was represented by the half step between 3. and 4. step in major. Aunt Kirsten was steps 5 1(8), 7,2,1 in minor and so on.

I only needed colors and rythms in order to actually remember, when it was something with numbers.

I watch a lot of movies, and I remember people by which actor or other public figure they resemble.

I even write it into my diary when I meet someone new, as it's definitely an aid to memory.

Yes I used to have the animal thing. I don't have prosopagnosia. And I don't notice the animal thing anymore. Maybe that is why I can't remember people and names as well as I used to.

Nothing autistic about all this. Its just the way, association works.