I have kind of sound metaphors for spotting chords

7#9 remind me of train whistles or Purple Haze

min/maj7 reminds me of crisis in australian soap operas.

closed 6th chords remind me of the andrew sisters

maj7 reminds me of Jobim, the style council and radio 2

7 chords sound like something is about to happen

sus4 chords remind me of pinball wizard

Quartial chords - Star Trek and "So What"

Power chords - bagpipes.

9 - Django Reinhardt

Augmented chords - A dreamlike state or "Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside"

#9#5 chords - Reminds of Stevie Wonders "Preetiest Star"

Diminished chords - Horror films - Balloon music from "tale of the riverbank"

These are my own memory aids but I do have an exotic taste in chords!

If you are working out basic chords FIND THE BASS NOTES FIRST. They will point to the correct chords.