Just Like it Sounds

The volcano which is causing such a dust-up in Europe is named Eyjafjallajökull. You don't need to recall that, since the name can easily be re-created by simply slumping forward and falling asleep with your nose in your keyboard. Like so:

Eyjafjallajökull.

See?

If your Icelandic is a little rusty, you may be wondering how this is pronounced. It is pronounced like this. Yes, it was right on the tip of your tongue, wasn't it? Or wrapped around one of your bicuspids, anyway. The good news is that thousands of people are getting the lucky chance to practice it right now during their leisurely hours of lounging in plastic airport chairs.

One wonders if maybe this might have been avoided if we had given Iceland a little more attention previously. Maybe it wouldn't have felt the need to make such a big show of its importance by throwing its magma around. So I'm going to get ahead of the curve right now and try to avoid some kind of copycat geological snit.

Way to go, Smøla! Good job, Sylt! We're behind you all the way!!