Daily Vocabulary

squall: a sudden violent gust of wind or localized storm. I got caught in one today walking home from a movie with my fiance. What had been a gentle drizzle turned into pelting rain, and in a block we were each half soaked through, sharing one inadequate umbrella. I'm not afraid of getting wet, mind you; I grew up in Seattle, and water falls from the sky all the time. But lightly. Very lightly. Squalls are unusual, dare I say unnatural, here. We ducked into a restaurant and had our dinner, and when we were done, so was the rain. Drippy awnings and slick streets and the cool, crisp air were all the signs of what had happened, that and one drenched shoulder each. Not a bad price to pay for a word.