Tropical Storm Beryl is passing harmlessly to my south as I peck away at the keyboard. There’s a Tropical Storm Watch up for Connecticut – though I’m unsure why.
Whether we deserve a watch or not is not the most perplexing thing about Beryl. It’s the name itself; specifically the pronunciation.
A good friend of mine was once married to a Beryl. Her name was pronounced “beh-ruhl.” But, as this storm progressed, it was being referred to as “burl,” though not by me. I stuck to my guns.
Still, I got this yesterday:
Beryl
Uhh… that’s how I was pronouncing it. Why even try?
Here’s the funny part. This guy has no idea Beryl is a ‘girl storm! The World Meteorological Organization, in a move toward political correctness, rotates between men’s and women’s names.
Though followed by the gender neutral Chris, Beryl follows Alberto.
Blogger’s note: All the hurricane/cyclone/typhoon names for the world are available online. Pronouncing Beryl is the least of our problems!