rkay wrote: >"Very strong winds have been described in the RN as "blowing a hooligan."<

Living here on the coast we, and commercial fisherman and seaman, always refer to an approaching gale or
nor'easter by saying "looks like we're in for a big blow", or, " it looks like there's a big blow comin' up." Or simply,
"There's a blow comin' up."

There has also been some bantering in the local press of late as to whether the time-honored nautical slang, "nor'easter" should be scuttled in deference to the more proper "northeaster." I vote the former.

And a "nor'easter" is also the name for the special foul- weather gear a commercial fisherman or seaman wears on the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts of the US.