Sunday Rest: Xi and Nu. Words Not To Use Today.

This bug that's going round... 

 To start with, new variants of the virus were called by the name of the place where they were first found. The first one was called Kent, but that just led to a lot of blaming of the people of Kent (it's in England, by the way) and so the World Health Organisation had a cunning wheeze and it said, I know, we'll call the new variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet and then, not only will it mean no one in particular can be blamed, but we'll also be able to tell how old each variant is. 

Well, everyone thought this was an excellent idea, and, as luckily no one thought of blaming the Greeks, everyone was happy.

But variants came along quite fast and we got through the Greek alphabet at quite a lick. Suddenly we were on Mu. This meant that the next variant was set to be called Nu, and everyone realised that would be silly because it would be a Nu new variant, and no one could stand up and announce that with a straight face. 

 Never mind, said someone, we'll skip Nu and go on to Xi, instead, that's next in the alphabet. 

But then someone remembered President Xi of China, who had long been both particularly interested in the World Health Organisation, and extremely keen on his own reputation bearing no possible spot or stain. 

So they skipped another letter and used omicron, instead. 

 Omicron is the name of a doctor in Trollope's Barchester Chronicles, but luckily he's fictional, so isn't complaining. 

 Phew! 

 Sunday Rest: Nu and Xi. These are both letters of the Greek Alphabet. We have Pi to look forward to, next.