Or this:

  mysql> help

which has gems like

  clear     (\c) Clear command.
  edit      (\e) Edit command with $EDITOR.
  ego       (\G) Send command to mysql server, display result vertically.
  quit      (\q) Quit mysql.
  source    (\.) Execute an SQL script file. Takes a file name as an argument.
  system    (\!) Execute a system shell command.
  tee       (\T) Set outfile [to_outfile]. Append everything into given outfile.

\c alone could save you a ton of headache. \e's pretty classy, too; just make sure you follow it with a semicolon to execute the command.