For those with blind faith in written checklists, try this sometime - preferably on the 4th sector of a busy day at the end of a busy week. Start reading the wrong checklist and listen to the automated response. Something like on approach read the before start challenges and for 'speedbrake' instead of getting 'armed, green light' you will get 'down detent'. You won't catch everyone with this, but I guarantee you will catch someone.
Hence, a minimalist killer-item memory check is an insurance policy against complacency. The old Fokker F27 had a pretty comprehensive factory checklist but it was deficient in that there was no last-minute check of pneumatic pressure before takeoff. So, as I learned the hard way, if you had a leak you could end up with a braking problem if you needed to reject, or the inability to retract the gear after takeoff. Also, the choice of water methanol on or off could prove critical to whether the old girl would get out of some short runways or clear the rocks. There was also a choice of fuel trimmer setting which could make quite a difference to power available, particularly on a 'dry' takeoff. Flap setting was also critical depending on runway or obstacles. With a large disparity in V1 depending on whether flaps zero or 16 were required. Setting V1 for flap 16 but being configured for flap zero guaranteed a nice dose of stick shaker as it became airborne. Because we often did 8 or more sectors per day in tropical conditions it was easy to become jaded with the familiarity of it all. Flying with low-time F/Os who rarely called or corrected errors meant any mistake was possible.
So I created my own little chant for line-up. It was 'air, water, flaps, trim' which I know did raise some F/O eyebrows but there were a couple of occasions when it picked up a potential problem or wrong configuration. And I still do 'landing flap 3 greens' on short final. Let the F/O think I am losing my marbles, but by mumbling it aloud, it draws him/her into the plot as well. It will be on the CVR, too.