<<I assume the term comes from the biblical character swallowed by the whale, but I've never looked into the etymology.>>

Can't remember the story, exactly. They put Jonah in the hold when the storm came up, and when they threw him overboard, it instantly abated. I might have that wrong, but someone's bound to right it.

There's a wonderful quasi-cabalistic interpretation of the tale, that put's Johna in the furthest reaches of hell. So deep, God can't hear him when he calls to Him.

Binky